The View From Behind The Bar: Do You Drink Too Much?

James Crouch gives a word of warning from the other side of the bar

When you find yourself slowly waking up at lunchtime, with a crinkled wine -stained shirt and a small army marching through your cranial cavity, you start to wonder “what on earth happened to me last night?” Over the next few hours you find embarrassing Facebook photos, texts you don’t remember sending and disgruntled housemates who only got a few hours sleep because of your inability to use door keys in the conventional manner. If most of the above applies to you, you drink too much.

Photo Credit – The Telegraph

Before the shock horror in reply to that statement breaks out amongst the student readership, remember that not exactly every morning is like this. Feeling groggy the morning after is usual, but feeling like you need a half-day to re-enter the human race and pin down your worrying 90 minute meander between Mega Kebab and Mount Pleasant is not.

It’s an important distinction between being drunk, and being smashed like a piñata. To not know why you have a bruise, who you spoke to, where you went, or what you threw up on is really so dangerous and terrifying when you think about it sober. I quite frankly am amazed that my only injuries from four years in Exeter amount to a burn mark on my hand and some slight scar tissue on my elbow – from when I used it to break a fall and, unsuccessfully, save my chips.

I know most who know me will say I’m the pot calling the kettle black, but I know whereof I speak. No one sets out to get “crunk” really, because when we all say that, we do so forgetting something crucial. We say it not just forgetting what that stage feels like, we actually forget that stage exists. We mean: get so drunk we don’t have a care in the world. We don’t mean: get so drunk that the link between you and reality becomes drowned by eight sambucca shots and a Jaegerbomb chaser.

Although, I’m still guilty, I think everyone who gets seriously trolleyed (as in, needs to be carried out in a trolley) on a regular basis should probably keep a drinks diary, so they try and guesstimate what their limit is. The top benefit being it’ll save you money, we all know that the black hole your memory was sucked into happens to also be repository for your missing cash as well.

Alternatively, if financial renuneration doesn’t quite grab you, think of all the near misses you had with cars  whilst crossing Sidwell Street, the countless dodgy men you’ve probably almost been mugged by but somehow got away unscathed, or (for me) that time I ended up in the park at the end of Priory Road almost in tears at three in the morning completely lost. Embarrassing, mostly because I live not two minutes from where I was standing. But seriously: get drunk, have a great time, because you’re never going to have a better place to do it. But if this article is testament to more nights out than not for you, then just think about safety a little bit, because the last thing you want to do is not be able to drink another day

 James Crouch

Lifestyle Editors remind you to drink responsibly 

Timepiece bosses to open new club in Exeter

The owners of Timepiece have announced the phased opening of a new multi-level bar, larger than their current nightclub, within two to three weeks.

Exeposé went on an exclusive tour of the new club/bar

The three-tier venue, name undecided, will be placed on the renovated site of former pub ‘Hole in the Wall’, situated opposite Timepiece, which has previously had a negative reputation among Exeter residents and students. Initially, its large upper bar level will open publicly, followed by the other floors at later dates.

A large function room on the middle floor will open within four weeks, and finally a live music venue will be unveiled in the basement within two months. Once fully open, the building will have a capacity of 600-700 people, meaning its opening will be one of the largest changes to Exeter’s nightlife in at least five years.

The nearly completed bar level will contain two spacious seating sections, complete with leather sofas, large tables, high ceilings, authentic French chandeliers and a large bar for each area. When not used for private parties, the middle floor will act as an additional seating section. George Sloan, co-owner of Timepiece and the new venue, explains that he wanted to create a “relaxed and ‘loungey’ feel” to the top level, which he predicts will contribute to the bar’s success.

Although not yet completed, numerous promoters including Original Sin and 4play have already declared interest in hosting events in the new building. Others have also expressed intentions to run a live comedy night at the venue.  These bookings have not yet been confirmed, but Timepiece management are keen to use their new “mellow” music basement for University societies already performing at Timepiece.

Sloan stated: “We already do campus bands, jazz bands, big bands, so I would love to start doing more stuff like that at the weekend. We feel it’s going to be a destination where you come to see a band.”

Management is also exploring possibilities of a food menu, set to be implemented in late spring, once its kitchen has been fully refurbished. These catering plans will put the new venue in direct competition with popular student pub The Old Firehouse, which is less than a 350 metre walk away.

However, Sloan has expressed that he is confident about the possible upcoming rivalry: “The Firehouse is one of my favourite pubs, but I just feel we can do something on a bigger scale.” He added:“We’re keen to do something new, something fresh and I think it will really liven up this end of town.”

Elaine King, a third year Geography student, said “This is fantastic news! If I go to Timepiece on a Wednesday and there’s a large queue, I can wait for the line to get smaller in luxury rather than standing outside in the cold.”

Timepiece management are expected to release more details of the club, opening soon.

By Thomas Ling, Lifestyle Editor