The Official Website of the Singer & Songwriter

13 January 2012

From the office of Jackie Trent – Singer/songwriter/composer

TONY HATCH

I’ve finally had enough...........

- of TONY HATCH almost denying my existence: as a loving wife; as his confidant; as his professional partner in music we wrote together over 30 years;

- of remaining faithful, yet silent, whilst he repeatedly breached his vows of faith to me, with other women around the world. One woman even became my ‘CLONE’ as Mrs Hatch, whom he sported around quite openly, in my absence! ‘Just trust me’, said he, offering expensive gifts, seeking forgiveness. To this day, an expensive diamond ring lies at the bottom of Mahon harbour, Menorca, where I threw it, in disgust;

- of his constant vanity. Typically, as I worked my stage, with the spotlight following me as the performer, and he as my pianist, he would say: ‘You should stand by me at the piano’ (for the spotlight?);

- of being denied, after parting, the rights to my royalty income, which he then controlled.
‘I advise you to reach an agreement with your wife, MR HATCH,’ said Judge KENWORTHY-BROWNE, when I was forced to take my case before the High Court in 2001;

AND NOW:

- being relegated to an ‘archive recording’ of my voice on the BBC Radio 2 programme ‘Colour My World – The Tony Hatch Story – Part 2, The Jackie Trent years,’ replayed on BBC Radio 2 at 8pm on Sunday 15 January 2012. As I recall, Tony manages to speak my name about 3 times. No-one had the common courtesy to contact me in any way during the production of this programme, yet Hatch & I live 3 miles apart?

- on the BBC listing for that programme being denied, by inference, that I co-wrote ‘My Love’ – which we wrote together for PETULA CLARK. Damn it, the lyrics were my words of love for him at the time? And I hold his sworn statement for Court that I did so co-write ‘My Love’; and other songs currently denied me....

- fans tell me that recently Tony featured on a media phone-in programme in UK. One listener apparently phoned in, innocently asking about me, only to be blanked by Hatch, refusing to speak of me at all.

AND THE FACADE:

- do look on the TONY HATCH web site and you will indeed see a link (apparently) to my web site; IF YOU CAN READ CHINESE? Try it...?

I still have a copy of RICHARD PENDLEBURY’s article for the Daily Mail – Friday 22 September 1995, page 31 – when he visited Menorca to report on the circumstances of TONY HATCH finally leaving me. Quote:

Mr Music was loading his belongings into the back of a truck. ‘I have absolutely nothing to say’, said the short, rather unattractive figure from the depths of his garage. [An] expat said ‘Paul and Maggie used to drop the names of the showbusiness people [they] knew on Minorca.’ If this is so, then Tony Hatch was an obvious attraction....

Overall, I would agree with Richard Pendlebury’s synopsis on Menorca (I prefer that spelling), with qualification on certain facts:

- Tony Hatch, at the time, was far less than a millionaire;

- we moved to Ireland after TONY bankrupted us with financial dealings in London. We moved then from Ireland to Australia after a nasty incident at Dublin airport, and no other reason;

- we did not have a furious row at my birthday party. He said to me: ‘Don’t make a scene.’ And I did not. In fact, I didn’t say a word (stupid, loyal me!) Margaret Clough had just flaunted herself all over her husband on the dance floor, right in front of Tony - presumably to make him jealous – prompting his declaration to me: ‘I’ve loved her since I met her. She’s the love of my life.‘So what about all of the other ‘loves of your life?’ is all I said........

Earlier that fateful year in 1995, TONY had persuaded me to sell up and leave my life, my home and my friends in Australia – which I loved dearly – to pursue his ‘career.’ Within months he had left me, much of our furniture still in its packing cases........

A while ago, I wrote a song – Now It’s Come To That - for my album ‘Trentquility’. The lyrics are entirely about Tony Hatch: with some home truths!

They say: ‘What comes round, goes round,’ I think it’s about time....

Yours, in Music.

Jackie Trent
Menorca
Friday 13 January 2012