It is 6pm Thursday 20th March 2007. I have just finished my first day in my new job as a bar person. It was not as bad or nerve racking as I thought it would be. The staff were very friendly, patient and helped me a lot when I had trouble with the new touch screen tills and also when I couldn’t find certain glasses and bottles. I am usually shy when meeting new people and was surprised at myself how quickly I relaxed. I am the only girl that works behind the bar. I am the shortest person there too. The tallest guy there is called Robert and he is 6ft 4in. Everyone calls him ‘Lurch’. You then have Carl. He is 6ft and doesn’t really have a nickname. And then you have the yongest there, Mark, and he is about 5ft 8in. He doesn’t have a nickname but I’m thinking of one. It didn’t bother me so much that I was the only girl behind the bar as I am a bit of a tom boy and most of my friends are male.

The first thing they said to me was “Are you a Goth?” This was mainly to do with how I looked and the way I dressed. I’ll give you a short description on what I look like. I have long black hair and I am 4ft 11in. I have a rounded face and my skin is fair. I have dark brown eyes. I also have several piercings. One 8mm tunnel in each ear lobe and 2 lip piercings, one on each side of my lower lip. I don’t wear a lot of make up especially if I’m working. In work there is no dress code for the staff so I wore my black shirt, black jeans and my new rocks, which the guys at work call ‘moon boots’.

I am never nasty to anyone that I work with and I would never talk about anyone behind their backs. If I have something to say I will tell them directly. If anyone else speaks about somebody behind their back I just listen but won’t say anythingor get involved. If people don’t get along with me I won’t be horrible to them I just accept that and be civil.

Soon it came for me to serve my first customer. It was the first time I had ever used a real ale pump as in previous pubs I have worked in they never served real ale. What I have to remember, when pulling the ale, is to pull the pump down slowly, so not to let the air into the lines, and then let is settle for a few seconds and top it up if needed. I didn’t do too badly, for my first time. As I was taking the money the customer said to me “You don’t look like a Goth. Aren’t Goths supposed to be miserable?” This was nothing new as many people misunderstand what a Goth is. So I tell them that a Goth is not about fashion or music it is more of a state of mind, a lifestyle. Sometimes we do use music and fashion to express ourselves but it isn’t important.

Later that day one of the local regulars came into the pub with his two border terrier dogs. He said to me “Are those boots to give you an extra inch so people can see you?” I just laughed as I’m used to people teasing me about my height. I have also acquired the nickname of Welsh Terrier or Ankle Biter. This is due to the fact that there were two men who took their drinks outside, which they were not supposed to do, and I went to tell them that this wasn’t acceptable and they started running down the street so I ran after them shouting “Hey! You’re not allowed to take your drinks outside”. They were surprised that I was running after them so they stopped and I just took the glasses and said thanks to them. When I went back to the pub everyone just looked at me shocked. It was quite funny.

Living in a small town can be a good thing and a bad thing. The good being that mostly everyone knows each other and can be friendly and the bad bad being that gossip is easily spread so sometimes you have to watch what you’re doing or saying. just do one minor thing that someone takes the wrong way or someone doesn’t like and it gets blown way out of proportion.