Faces of the West End: The Beer Bar’s very own Raffie

GUU Beer Bar – a safe haven for most students, whether you’re going in for a mid afternoon pint or the start of your pub golf round.

For many, GUU was probably one of the first places you went on your overly tame Freshers Week, and somewhere you still go to start your ten hour drinking session.

But many of us don’t know or fully appreciate those who work there and deal with our drunken antics.

So for this weeks Faces of the West End, the Tab got an interview with a face you probably see more than your own mothers over the course of your degree, Beer Bar’s loyal Raffie.

What a beautiful t-shirt

“I’m from Poland, I came here to study seven years ago, and haven’t left since.

“I started working at the Beer Bar in my second year, and have worked here since.”

At least he pours a cider correctly

Probably not the most promising thought for all the English students out there.

So what did you study during your time in Glasgow?

“I studied English and Comparative literature, which is probably why I’m still trying to pursue a career.”

What are your thoughts on the current crop of students?

“I think that when I was a student a few years ago, we were much more mature and respectable than students now.”

With that being the case, how do students treat you?

“Most of them don’t seem to really notice me. I’m just a necessary middleman for them to get their alcohol.

“It’s as though they don’t even see me as a human being.”

What is the drunkest student you have had to deal with?

“This is a funny story, it was about two years ago, when the hive was still open, we were closing up at around 2am.

“So about 15 minutes later, we start hearing someone hammering on the fire door, thinking it could be an emergency, we went out to see what was happening.

“When we opened up, it was a guy who had clearly been in the Hive, holding a keg tag, asking for his coat back. After we told him that he didn’t have his coat ticket, he started hurling abuse at all of the staff, before making a phone call to his ‘lawyer’.

“Needless to say, we closed the door on him.”

Some of us a kind of respectable. Some.

Where’s your favourite place in Glasgow?

“I would say the Necropolis, I’m goth like that.”

Probably not somewhere many students have been, what would you say your craziest life experience is?

“I know it sounds cliche, but moving to Glasgow from Poland after only visiting once was pretty crazy, there may be more, but lets keep that off the record.”

Wonder how much he had had to drink

Finally, if you could give students one piece of advice, what would it be?

“Well I regret not getting involved more in extra-curricular activities, so I would say take full advantage of everything the university has to offer.

“Do what you want to do after university in university, whether its working with the student newspapers, or radio, or getting involved in societies, it will all help out in the end.”