THEY’RE A RAFFISH KIND of New Age rogue down at the spruced up Raffles. Not like the down at heel honest scoundrels and spendthrift sharks of yesteryear when the legendary pub was in the hands of the equally legendary Abe Saffron, off-shoot of Sydney society and purveyor of all manner of services to a discerning public. The old bar ran about half a mile along the Canning River waterfront with the most excellent of views as drinkers quaffed their choice of poison and wagered serious hard earned on Rocket Racer in the fifth at Rothwells Perth Cup. Behind the well chosen barmaids was a mural of an epic car journey across the Nullabor Plains in the days before the hardtop made it easy. A portrait of the owner, Mr Saffron, took pride of place in the artistic telling of the arduous trek across the continent when he first took over the stewardship of the Raffles from Jimmy West, gentleman Hotelier.
There was a plethora of entertainment at the Old Raffs and for many years it was the home of up and coming bands such as Dave Hole, The Jets, V-Capri, and The Frames which drew huge weekend crowds, their thumping bass rhythms intruding into the refined dignity of the yacht club just aways down river. In the bar and lounge deals were made, real estate shonkies liquored up potential clients, criminals hid out in public whilst off duty cops imbibed an ale or three with private dicks and others. Looking up river there was a convenient car park where differences of opinion were settled in a manly kind of way, no kicks to the head, none of this kung-fu stuff, just a good decent blue between mates, usually. Most importantly of all the Old Pub was the garaging place for Charlie 88 when the Old Tart was not actively engaged in combat of some kind. The front bar was the meeting place of the Perth based night shift detectives and those based in Fremantle town. The car park was much like a Sunday morning market. Contraband between the two towns was exchanged between the various vehicles of commerce in a barter system. Senior men after a Saturday at the races would be picked up by a Perth Charlie driver and conveyed to the Raffles. Other transport, including Charlie 88, was readily available to take them further afield.