The Catherine Wheel

We left without eating after the welcome we got. We were a few minutes early for our meal before a walk around Bibury and, while trying to find the entrance, accidentally came to the back door. The woman there abruptly shouted that they weren't open yet and sent us around to the front. We were only about two feet away, so there was no need to shout. We don't live nearby and I'm sure this mix-up has happened before. In such a busy tourist area, you'd hope for a more considerate approach. We found Eleven resto instead and were glad we did: the staff were welcoming and the food was exquisite. In response to the excuse that she didn't shout, taking responsibility and training staff better would be a better way to handle it.

Bibury Trout Farm and the lovely riverside are just a five-minute walk down the hill. Our stay was surprisingly good value, and the breakfast was superb. Harry, who is young compared with me, had everything wonderfully organised. Thanks to everyone for such excellent accommodation.

The place had a great feel as soon as we came in, but the mulled wine was disappointing. It arrived in a paper cup, which caught us off guard, and tasted really bad. When we said it seemed unusual, the response was rude: we were told the bottle had only just been opened. We couldn't drink it, so we simply ordered something else rather than make a fuss. Nice atmosphere, though the visit fell short of what we'd expected.

Deborah was the person who really stood out. She found us a table for Sunday roast in the restaurant even though the pub was busy, and had also arranged seating and looked after us so well when we came in for a drink and dinner on Friday. We were staying just two properties away for a long weekend. The food was very good, the local people were friendly, and every staff member we met was polite and welcoming. A really enjoyable couple of visits, and I'd recommend the place highly.