John Goode has worked in Howells for 37 years. He started his career as assistant buyer and now runs the Gold Card suite

Mr. Everard was an absolutely charming man. A woman had sent back a tea trolley that was absolutely disgusting, the girls refused to clean it before sending it back. So Mr. Everard rang up the gentleman concerned in his office and said I am ringing you in your office because your wife would have a fit if she saw how your house keeper had sent back this trolley. I would like you to come in and have a look on your way home. So of course he took it home, because we all knew he didn't have a housekeeper.