Tom’s Barn Mystery Shoppers’ Final Report

Staying as our own guests was an intriguing experience. Not surprisingly, we felt totally at home but at the same time we did feel we were experiencing something special. We had to keep reminding ourselves that we weren’t really on holiday: we were there for quality control purposes!

We were warm, beautifully comfortable and more than once painfully aware that the quality of some of the equipment was rather superior to what we are used to at home (which is as it should be…). The one exception was the shower, but we are lumbered with a less than vigorous flow because of the lack of headroom; otherwise we slept like babies, loved the bath, appreciated the fluffy towels and the bathrobes, enjoyed the flat screen telly in the bedroom and found it an easier kitchen to cook in than our own bigger one. I would love a Sony Netbook…

The most obvious flaw was the telephone. BT tried their best to assure us it was an internal problem (which at first we assumed) but actually it was a problem with their line which eventually they came to fix, so all is well on that front now.

Then we couldn’t find a frying pan, although there are two saute pans. I have since bought two non-stick ‘frypans’ as they appear to be called these days, and a non-stick griddle, plus – crucially, a non-stick ‘turner’.

We noticed that the chopping ‘boards’ were rather tired looking, so have replaced them with a superior board.Two of the dinner plates had a little chip (must have been new or Janet would have spotted them). We have replaced the plates but now have no more spare so that means a trip to the Wedgwood factory shop in Stoke – no great hardship there.

Finally, we accepted to our disappointment that the lovely easy chair, which we had had cleaned at some expense in February – and therefore which must be clean – still doesn’t look it and therefore we will have to replace the whole chair in the next few weeks, or find someone who can recover it.

So, to sum up, we didn’t find anything dreadful but have acted on everything we did find that wasn’t quite up to snuff. We look forward to our next excuse to stay again, and are longing for a chance to stay in Douglas’s Barn.

The Silence of the Mystery Shoppers

Why the strange silence?

Had we absconded  for ever to Tom’s Barn? Drowned in the love tub or fled the country…?

The last is nearer the truth. We have been down to London where our daughter Ruthie was signing in a concert (in the choir, not as a soloist!) fondly imagining we’d be writing daily missives on the blog; for technological reasons too dull to go into, we were unable to do so!

However, we are back now, in full spate, ready to pick up where we left off…

Our visit was – for us – a totally happy interlude.  We felt very relaxed, very comfortable and worryingly detached from the hundred and one things that really we should perhaps have been getting on with. As already mentioned, we found the bed and the bath pretty special. We really enjoyed using the Sony Netbook (wish we had one!); we had a lovely evening with Debbie and Trevor – much of which later…

Used to a rather colder house, we were actually too warm and turned the heating off completely relying solely on the logburner.  We were disappointed to note that the easy chair and stool which we have just had professionally cleaned at some considerable  cost and which therefore obviously is clean, doesn’t really look it, so that needs attention, if not actually replacing.

The frying pan I shall replace tomorrow; BT’s  ‘Open Reach’  man has arranged to  come tomorrow afternoon, muttering many a warning that if it turns out to be our fault and not after all due to their line it will cost us a call out fee of £120 plus VAT.

Tom’s Barn Mystery Shoppers

Not so mysterious after all, but we are taking the quality research very seriously.

We’ve always loved both our barns, and it felt really lovely staying there last night, quite cocooned from the real world and feeling very relaxed and holidayish.

We tried another telephone on the line and that doesn’t work either, so what a relief – although it is still embarrassing – it looks as if we can blame BT rather than the cottage owners.

We’ve tried the bath, again, and absolutely no complaints there (there never have been!). The shower fitting will never hit the headlines (in  a good way, anyway) but we’ve known all along that we can’t do anything about it. It’s a pity it isn’t slightly more forcefully invigorating but for a not-power-shower it just passes muster.

John did a fry up for breakfast (don’t worry, Janet, we cleaned up immaculately after ourselves!). Everything was fine except we could not find the frying pan!! So had to use a small saute pan instead which did  the job but where is the frying pan?

We’re trying the slow-cooker for the first time tonight. I must admit the kitchen is well equipped and I found it easier than I do in our bigger kitchen at home, because everything (apart from the frying pan) is close to hand.

We went as planned to the White Peak Butchery for the meat (buying some Tissington Bangers at the same time) so the meat will be the best it could possibly be but I am beginning to get cold feet – hope I haven’t been too ambitious with the plans for tonight. Time will tell – more later.

We’ve moved in to Tom’s Barn!

Well, nobody booked this midweek break Monday 15th (Ides of March) to Friday 18th March so we have with some excitement and unseemly haste, moved in ourselves to enjoy the delights – or otherwise – at first hand.

What a difference, just crossing that courtyard, seemed to make, silly as it might sound… we really do feel we are on holiday which is unfortunate, as we aren’t really, but we are going to make the most of it.  Tomorrow night we are hoping to try to make a steak and kidney pudding in the slow cooker, so first stop the White Peak Butchery in Tissington.

We’ve asked our good friend American Debs (who many of you may have had contact with, as she look after the admin side of  things when we go away) and her husband Trevor to supper so let’s hope the S&KP turns out OK.

Plus points so far – Lovely welcome (from Janet, each other and our co-guests in Douglas’s Barn), nice atmosphere, fire lit, beautifully warm, Moonlight Sonata on Classic FM…

BUT no cake (we slipped up there, but plenty of lemon drizzle next door and John did remember a nice bottle of wine); more seriously,  we couldn’t get a squeak out of the telephone. How embarrassing – how long has that not worked? Why did nobody tell us – it is hard to believe it just stopped working tonight. John tried new batteries to no avail – so tomorrow we’ll buy a new one.

How many more glitches will we discover?  Off to check the bath out now, further reports tomorrow. We’ll try to get Debbie to report her findings too.

Bargain midweek break in Tom’s Barn!

We’ve succumbed. We daily turn away so many hopeful people who want unavailable dates, we couldn’t believe we’d find ourselves with a midweek break absolutely nobody at all  seems to want…!

Maybe it’s been a battle of nerves, with someone out there waiting to see if we’d drop the price. Well, we have! We have reduced it by £40 to £305. If it doesn’t go, John and I are proposing to do a bit of hands on quality control (does that entitle us to write a review on TripAdvisor? Most certainly not, I’d say).

We have tried out both barns, but several years ago now. We have made many changes since then – all to the good, we fondly hope, but as one of our guests very rightly pointed out, you can only guess – you cannot know – how convenient or how comfortable something is until you have actually experienced it personally.

However, don’t let our good intentions put anyone off booking next week. If the dates go (and the weather had been quite beautiful for the past week) we will make a point of booking in for a short break in both of our very popular cottages for two in the winter once we have some more gaps.

Such a serene little hide away from the real world…

All in all this really was an amazing weekend and to come back to Douglas’ Barn every night really made this a weekend to never forget, we enjoyed being there so much we didn’t even venture out for an evening meal, we just snuggled up in front of the fire and enjoyed each others company.

I cannot think of a better place to go to explore the Peak District, let alone to just chill out and take in the awesome views from the kitchen and bedroom windows. I cannot thank you enough for creating such a serene little hide away from the real world.

LW February 2010

If Carlsberg made holiday cottages

…it would be Douglas’s Barn

Not being great telly advert addicts we didn’t quite get the gist of this comment left by a guest today but
– judging by his warm appreciation of everything – guessed it was complimentary.

Janet and Carol, being more up in the world in these things, assure us that it was a lovely compliment, so thank you, Jeff! (Only, Janet says, it might have been Tom’s Barn…)

An unforgetable experience

We love dogs, and dog owners, and really love to welcome them to Tom’s Barn. For ten years we have had the privilege of welcoming model dog owners, with well-behaved and well-controlled dogs.

We could never understand why many other holiday cottage owners shuddered at the thought of accepting dogs. We now know why.

We are still recovering from a nightmare experience (just deserts for being smug, possibly). After a short break with two apparently uncaring owners and one lively and untrained boxer we have had to scrub and disinfect under the stairs, wash all the bedding three times, take the sofa covers and the duvet to the cleaners, clean mud out of the bath and get an electrician in to replace both smoke detectors (don’t ask!).

There’s no excuse. We do ask that dogs don’t go upstairs or sit on the furniture; knowing that life isn’t always ideal we provide dust sheets just in case and we can always provide a stair gate on request.

Anyway, after much time and effort on Janet’s part, helped by Carol, John and me, Tom’s Barn is sparklingly clean again – almost cleaner than ever if that is possible – with no evidence at all of the earlier mayhem!

And I don’t know why I am writing this, really, as I know one will be preaching to the converted, but I just had to get it off my chest. We have all found the experience quite unsettling. Let’s hope it is another ten years before we have a repeat nightmare, if we have to have one at all.

TripAdvisor Reviews

We are delighted to discover that we now have eight reviews on TripAdvisor. Thank you, all eight couples! All being well eventually we will have some more.

It took a long time to get going. For some time obscure reason TripAdvisor had us as situated just outside Stockton-on-Tees. This was thoroughly confusing to all concerned and meant that for several months we looked – and were – totally lost and lonely. It was hard work persuading the editors that this mattered but eventually we landed up in the right place – Parwich in the Peak District, and slowly slowly the reviews have come in.

Some of the pseudonyms we can guess at but others are a delightful mystery but in a way that is the whole point of these reviews. You  need to feel free to write  freely if that doesn’t sound too obvious.

We haven’t yet been aware of anyone finding about Tom’s and Douglas’s Barns through TripAdvisor but we do know that many people planning or undecided about a holiday will always check things out there first.

It isn’t just about rave reviews either (although that is lovely) but a question of seeing if a place is the kind that you are looking for however highly others may rate it. It would be as well to have found out beforehand that we  aren’t great in these parts  for lap dancing parlours, underground trains or stretch limos.

Recent Guests’ Comments from Douglas’s Barn

One or two more comments from our guests who were here over Christmas and the New Year  and enjoyed almost more snow than we did in the Alps!

“A wonderful end to the year and beginning of a new one. I think we started planning our next trip the minute we walked in the door!

Many thanks!!” Jan 2010

“Thank you for providing the ingredients for the best Christmas ever! We loved the cottage, the long walks in the snow and the peace and quiet. Bliss! Top notch accommodation – will tell friends.” Dec 2009