When we arrive at Raffles Hotel’s grand lobby for this interview with Mr Leslie Danker, the hotel’s 81-year-old resident historian is signing autographs for a guest. They’re chatting happily as he pens a message on a book she’s handed to him.

Autographing books, it seems, is a common occurrence in Leslie's daily life, now that he’s just launched a new memoir. A Life Intertwined, Reminiscences of an Accidental Raffles Historian is a collection of stories about the hotel’s 133-year history and his personal anecdotes from his 48-year career at the hotel. That makes him the hotel’s longest-serving employee, so of course he’s got his fair share of tales to tell, from sneaking Michael Jackson in through the hotel's staff entrance during his famous stay here in 1993 to meeting the Queen of England in 2006.

The book is available at the Raffles Boutique, online and is also included as part of a staycation package — ‘A Life Intertwined with Raffles Hotel’ staycation experience (prices from $880++ with 50 per cent off the second night). The staycay promo also includes a complimentary heritage evening experience for two at the Grand Lobby, and a trishaw tour around Raffles Hotel Singapore through historical precincts highlighted in the memoir.

But life as a resident historian isn’t just about meeting the stars, as we learn from our chat with the man who started work here in 1972 as a maintenance supervisor. His journey as the grand old dame’s resident historian has brought about a few interesting discoveries over the decades, to say the least.

“When I first joined Raffles Hotel, I didn’t know much about it. There was no textbook about its history or anything. There were no computers or anything, just a few notes. So I went to the library to pick up the knowledge, so I could talk about the history of the hotel to guests who asked about it, Leslie muses.

How he came to land the role of Raffles Hotel’s resident historian, as the title of his book suggests, is serendipitous. “The breakthrough came during the hotel's first restoration in 1989,” he recalls.

“I had to work with engineers and architects and learnt a lot of things. I recorded everything in a black notebook, from the technical aspects of the hotel to its history. I learnt so much more about the hotel during the restoration. I keep that black notebook and folders of information in a cupboard at home.”

Leslie is currently semi-retired and works half days, though staff have been known to call him when he’s home whenever they urgently need to clarify historical facts (“sometimes it’s faster than going through the archives because Mr Danker can remember all the dates” one of them tells us). Besides being a walking Google for the hotel facts, Leslie’s schedule also includes history tours for guests and schools, where he divulges little-known stories about the iconic monument.

#1: That famous story about a tiger getting shot under the table at the hotel’s Bar & Billiard Room in the early 1900s? Not exactly true.
During his time as a resident historian, Leslie has discovered through his research that some longstanding stories have gained a life of their own over the years, like the one about the tiger that was shot under a table at the Bar & Billiard Room.

Apparently that was not how it went down.

“So the story goes that a tiger was shot under a table at the Raffles Hotel's Bar & Billiard Room in 1902. That’s not the case — the tiger was shot under the building, not a table, Leslie clarifies.

People didn’t understand that way back in 1896, the building was elevated, and the part underneath the building was meant for storage. In 1902, there was a circuis happening and the tiger escaped from the circus and slipped under the Bar & Billiard Room to sleep for the night. The manager of the hotel sent staff to get help from the principal of Raffles Institution opposite — he was a sharp shooter, and he shot the tiger under the building. After 1907, they demolished the elevated building and put the Bar & Billiard Room on ground level. So people misunderstood it and so the story became that a tiger was fatally shot under the table. That’s not true — it was shot under the building.”

#2: This used to be a beachfront property before the land was reclaimed — and he’s collected artefacts to prove it.
“Before it was a hotel, this was a 10-room bungalow owned by an Arab trader. The first proprietors of Raffles Hotel then converted the bungalow into a hotel, expanded it later on, and then tore it down to build the current building that we’re in. During the first restoration, we uncovered and found the marble flooring of the original bungalow. I also managed to collect some sand from the bungalow. The sea was right in front of the current driveway of the hotel. That’s why it’s called Beach Road. The sea was right here [before the land was reclaimed].”

#3: Then there was that time he saw a horse skeleton in the hotel.
“There used to be horse stables in the hotel, because back [in the early 1900s] the means of transportation was horse-driven carriage. So [the first owner] had his horse stables here. And during the first restoration, I saw used horseshoes that were uncovered. During the excavation of the garden, I witnessed the skeleton of a full-grown horse too. [Laughs] So it’s true that there used to be horse stables here.”

#4: He snuck Michael Jackson into the hotel back in 1993, and was surprised at how different he is in person.
“I’d say the most unusual celebrity encounter I’ve had over the years is with Michael Jackson. His arrival to the hotel was something unique. We wanted to keep it low profile, but word got around and there were 400 people waiting in the driveway for him to arrive. So we changed our plan and I brought him to staff entrance. But again, word got around and all the staff were lining up there to greet him [chuckles].

“Also I noticed something when I accompanied him to check in to the suite. He’s so vibrant when he’s on stage singing, but he’s actually very soft-spoken. But when he entered the suite, people outside were shouting for him, and he opened his window and just waved. And the photo of that wave travelled around the world.”

#5: He’s also met Queen Elizabeth II.
“I admired the Queen of England so much. When I was in school, we were still a British colony, and my father was working for the British government. [I was very excited] about her coronation in 1953. So when she was about to come here in 2006, the general manager told me that he’d introduce me to the queen since I’d been working here for so long. I was so excited. She came here and stayed from 12 to 14 March 2006 in the Sir Stamford Raffles suite. It was such a great feeling to meet the head of England right here in Raffles Hotel. I remember saying to her, 'Good morning, Your Majesty. Your first visit to Singapore was 1972. That’s the year I joined Raffles Hotel.' She replied, ‘That’s great.’ You have to bow when you meet her and you cannot shake her hand.”

#6: He’s stayed in every one of the suites here. All in the name of work. Talk about career goals.
“I haven’t done a staycation here. But even before the first restoration, I stayed in every room. Because the general manager goes home every Saturday, he’d ask me, ‘Danker, can you do me a favour and work every Saturday afternoon. And when [your shift ends] at about 1am, take a room and carry on [work] the next morning.' I had to represent him while he’s not [on his shift]. So I’d check which room is vacant and go there and sleep [and start work again the next day]. From 1972 to 1989, I’ve stayed in practically all the rooms already. (Chuckles)”

#7: His former parking spot happened to be a bomb shelter during WWII.
“At the back of the hotel, there used to be five covered garages at the hotel, and I’d park my car there when I first joined. But I didn’t think much of it. I discovered during my research later on that these five garages were once converted into bomb shelters before the Japanese occupied Singapore. The hotel’s own engineer reinforced the walls and ceilings and made it into a bomb shelter that can hold about 120 people. I only found all this out later when I found a photo of the garage being demolished.

Raffles Hotel Singapore is at 1 Beach Road. A Life Intertwined, Reminiscences of an Accidental Raffles Historian ($32.90) is available at the Raffles Boutique and https://www.rafflesarcade.com.sg/.

Photos: Raffles Hotel Singapore