John's seen it all in 25 years at Carlton

John Cole, events and conferences manager at the Barcelo Carlton, has seen a remarkable range of guests come and go in his historic 25 years at the North Bridge hotel, writes John Gibson.

Historic in that he is the Spanish-owned hotel's longest serving employee, and nowadays few serve a quarter of a century with the same employer.

John reckons that nothing over these years has been quite as bizarre as colourful rock legend Alice Cooper's visit.

"Alice's unique stage act involved snakes, writhing and rolling, and he booked a room next to his to accommodate the reptiles.

"After an exceptionally late show, locking the door of their room slipped his mind and when the chambermaid walking in next morning and saw the snakes her scream all but stopped the traffic on North Bridge."

John, who celebrates his milestone this month, has also welcomed Kylie Minogue, the Osmonds, A-ha, Cliff Richard, Wet Wet Wet, Ultravox and Barry Humphries - aka Dame Edna Everage.

"Nice people, most of them, but Cliff did come over a bit tetchy when we scraped his Rolls in providing a valet service for him. Dame Edna could be a bit snippy, so much so that once he apologised to the staff."

The Carlton for many years was Scotland's rugby venue. The days of the Hastings brothers, Craig Chalmers and John Jeffrey.

"The team stayed here on the international weekends. Riotous affairs. The players had a habit of chucking mattresses out on to the street from several storeys up."

Born and raised in Balgreen, John, 43, was educated at Balgreen Primary and Tynecastle High. He is married, with two sons, one of whom, Darren, plays for Rangers. His plan on leaving school was to become a bricklayer but the 30-a-week wage didn't appeal. He soon abandoned his apprenticeship and jumped at a vacancy for a kitchen porter at the Carlton, aged 18. Soon after he "fell into" the post of hall porter, then assistant concierge.

"I was really chuffed when promoted to head concierge before being appointed events and conferences manager. Some days, when my boss, general manager Lenny Hughes, is off I do get carried away and get a bit arrogant with it, thinking I'm running the place.

"But Mr Hughes is well aware it's only make-believe. After 25 years he allows me just so much rope. Mattresses were being heaved out the windows before he took over!"