Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 669
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[Page 669]
good food, how it should be cooked, & is not too much occupied or too lazy to see that those concerned work & utilise the material to the best advantage, all should be of the best. The mess secretary or the O.C. are the men to make it a success or otherwise. Fancy "The Pug" running any show. Ye gods! It is too ridiculous.
The roof of this Palace Hotel is in itself a spacious area whereon I judge, in good times, a gymnasium exists, races and all sorts of sports might be carried out with comfort and for both contestants and onlookers.
When looking out over the City I noted one tower which appeared to be higher than the dome of this or any other of the buildings. No two domes, or spires, or minarettes are exactly alike, as projecting towards into the atmosphere they cut out pieces of the sky. It is said that the humble architect – "Ernest Jasper. Architect. 1910" – is responsible for all the buildings in Heliopolis. If so he must have given many years to preparing the plans for the builders. There are no slums or other accomodation for poor people in this modern City of the Sun. I must make enquiries as to the rent paid for houses and flats.
The Mother to the present Sultan lives in a splendid building just on the outskirt of the city, next the desert, she must be in residence today, as indicated by the Sultans flag flying above the house. In the days of the Kehdive [Khedive] the present ruler in Egypt occupied the buildings. A guard of soldiers lives nearby on the desert and mounts at the entrance gates day and night, the men are Sudanese each arrayed in a gorgeous uniform. The Egyptian is not a warlike man, so the government has to get soldiers from 'mongst the Sudanese.