She's mad as a Hatter!

...and that's why I call her Hattie.  Yes, I thought it was time I updated you on what Hattie has been up to the past year.  If you recall on the old blog, Hattie had grassed a guy up (Pat) for stealing from the post office. Go to that link to refresh your memory.

What was the outcome of that you wonder?  Well, we didn't hear anything for a couple of months. I kept my mouth shut about the phone call, but Hattie on that day had told a few people in the pub what she had done.  I didn't want to get involved.  Hattie was keeping a low profile anyway because she was on Barwatch and couldn't enter in any pubs in Blah for 6 months.  Hattie went off on holidays about mid June, when I heard through the grapevine, that Pat was suspened from his job with royal mail, was due to go to court, and he wasn't the only one. They had been watching them for quite awhile and would have been caught without Hattie's call, but of course, Pat and Tall Bird had heard Hattie had made the call, so were after her blood.  So the shit hit that fan, but Hattie wasn't around to hear about it.  By the time she got back, it was all over the town, and majority of people were against Hattie for grassing him up, as Pat had lost his job. I kept trying to tell people that it was going to happen anyway, that I didn't think the phone call had anything to do with it.  I was sticking up for her.  Mac wasn't actually in the pub that day, and asked me exactly what happened, I told him. Everybody knew anyway.  The next time he saw Hattie, he had a right go at her for doing what she did.  When she asked who told him that she made the phone call, Mac just said I did.  Next thing you know, I'm getting abusive messages from Hattie saying how I couldn't keep my big trap shut and I was the one telling everybody she grassed up Pat.  By this stage I had enough and told her where to go.  She was the stupid cow who told everybody in the pub that day!!!! I was sick of sticking up for her and getting a kick in the teeth with it!  Tall bird and Pat were happy with this as they now had me on their side.  It just made working with Tall Bird easier, even though I don't like Pat or what he did. 

So a big devision was created in the town...well, big on Pat's side, hardly anyone was talking to Hattie, she had pissed too many people off.  Pat went to court, lost his job, but just got community service. Bloody lucky, but he still hasn't got a job and that happened well over 6 months ago.   There were only a handful of people still talking to Hattie, and one of them was Claire (aka Jane).  She really felt like a piggy in the middle as we all used to meet up for lunch on a Friday.  Some days Claire would turn up knowing I was going to be there, and would just sit there and glare at me, but I wasn't going to stop seeing Claire at lunch. 

Then Hattie's bar watch finished and she started coming back in to the Duck.  When this first happened, myself, Tall bird and Milly were all working, and all 3 of us refused to serve her.  We just couldn't believe the balls she had showing up in the pub where she was hated the most.  The atmosphere could be cut with a knife.

This kept happening, one time I went to meet Claire after work to go out for a few drinks, and she turned up with Hattie.  I just sat down with them at the table outside, ignoring Hattie, then finished my drink said I was going back in for another, but snuck out the front and went home, telling Tall Bird to tell Claire I couldn't sit at the same table with Hattie.  Claire got the hint and didn't invite Hattie out while she was meeting me again, and said if she ever had to chose between the friendship she had with me or Hattie, she would chose me hands down.  She also told Hattie this.  I personally didn't want Claire have to do this.

A couple of months later it was Claire's birthday. She was having drinks about town and wanted myself and Hattie there.  I told her I wouldn't mind, I'd just ignore her as there were plenty of us.  Milly said she would do the same.  But on the night.  No matter how much we ignored Hattie, she kept on hanging around us.  The group then sort of split into two for a bit, and the group myself and Milly were in, left the cock to go to a restaurant for some cocktails telling the others (Claire/Hattie) we would meet us over there.  To our surprise, Hattie followed me and Milly to the restaurant, and she sat there, bold as brass, speaking to everyone.  I actually admired her guts.

When we all moved on to the CU, Hattie actually came up and spoke to me for the first time face to face about the situation.  Next thing you know, we are having a bit of a heated conversation over it, Milly having a right go at Hattie how I was the only one who stuck up for her at the time, and I  wasn't the one her spread it around, everyone already knew because of Hattie's own big mouth and shouldn't be blaming me for Hattie's own mistakes.  After about an hour of this argument (Hattie storming off halfway through going to the others who just all left her at the table and came to join me, which made me feel good) Hattie FINALLY apologised.  So Milly and I both decided to bury the hatchet, as life is too short to be constantly arguing with someone, and our town is so small, it's hard when there is segregation in the group.  The thing that was hardest was letting Tall Bird know we were back to talking to Hattie, as that relationship between Pat, Tall Bird and Hattie was irrepairable.

In fact....the little 'tit for tat' war between them is still going on, hence filling you in on the outcome of that post.  This post is long enough as it is, so I'll update you on what's happened in the last couple of weeks at a later date.