The pub with no beer (for the staff anyway)...

Right, it's about time I filled you in on what's been happening in Blah since I've been away.

The day I arrived back, I popped over to Milly's to catch up.  She filled me in on what had been going on down the Duck.  First off, Mac her partner, had lost his mother.  She passed away from fighting her battle with Cancer.  They hoped she would have at least hung on till their baby was born, due in 5 weeks.  Mac's father had only passed away from cancer about 3 years before.  I'd be concern about my own health with both parents dying from cancer.

Mac had also decided to quit working at the Duck.  He had a run in with the Boss Sally's son (who I'll call Lee), who has moved back in to help out with Al being ill.  Lee has taken over the running of the cellar, and has made changes to the pub (even though he officially isn't the boss) Al used to let the staff get away with drinking behind the bar, mainly so he had company.  Well, there are only two left who do, Mac and Bab (who does the graveyard shift midweek, and drinks about 3 bottles of wine in that time).  Mac only officially does one shift a week, Sunday lunch.  He always has a drink behind the bar.  Lee was working with him and kept telling him off for having a drink, even though it was him testing the ales were ok.  Mac just kept telling him where to go.  Mac's been working there for about 10 years.  He's had enough so has decided not to go back.  He says it's not from the 'no drinking' rule, just the way he was treated.  He's helped Sally out many a time when Al has been in a bad way.

I bumped into Bab the next day, she is also not amused.  Bab said that when she started working there (15 years ago) part of the deal with Al was she could drink behind the bar.  She would quit if she could but needs the money.

I was also informed by the both of them, that Lee had been covering my shifts and they had been dire.  The punters walked in, bought one drink then walked out again, because no atmosphere.  Lee hasn't got skills to actually TALK to people.  It's funny, Sally told me how deadly the Saturday shifts were like when I was away, and guess what? I was rushed off my feet my first shift back.  And since Mac quit? The Sunday just gone was very quiet.  They blamed it on the good weather, people not wanting to sit in the pubs.  Then why was the club busy when we went down there?

There were other changes made, like a cleaning rota for the bar which some of the staff moaned about, being told to suck eggs.  I don't care, because it was actually MY idea for when I was away, cause I'm the only idiot who actually does the cleaning and knew it wouldn't get done.  Any changes made in the pub doesn't bother me.  I don't drink behind the bar (used to occasionally, but stopped over a year ago) and I prefer structure in a place.

And what's happening with Al?

Apparently he's making a recovery!  Much to Sally's dismay (so Milly tells me).  Sally told Milly she really thought he was on his deathbed 6 weeks ago (when they got married) and now he's actually moving about and wants to start coming downstairs again.  When I spoke to her the other day, she said he's been doing physio to build up his strength (practically been bedridden for the past 4 months) and need to be able to walk up 13 steps before he goes anywhere (that's how many to get up and down the steps to the pub).  Bab and Mac reckon he'll go MAD when he finds out the changes gone in the pub.  But to be honest, if he does come back down, I'm sure he'll just be happy that he can get there.  And lets hope it doesn't make him start drinking again, because that WILL be the nail in the coffin.