It is obvious from the moment one steps over the flagstone threshold of Sue and Alexander Jones's barn conversion on the borders of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire that they like to look after their friends. The drinks tray is positioned to dispense cocktails upon arrival; the dining table can be extended to seat 12; and plenty of squishy, comfortable seating is arranged in groups to encourage conviviality. For this is the Cotswolds, a rural area of soft limestone houses and gentle hills within easy reach of London that is home to many of the country's wellborn and well-heeled chattering classes who regularly gather in each other's houses for drinks, dinners, and long Sunday lunches.
A sense of welcome was essential to the couple when they were looking for somewhere to buy in the area 15 years ago. "I really mind about that: People have got to feel good when they arrive," says Sue. "It is an important part of entertaining." As soon as they saw the barn, which is essentially one large living space and is approached by a long, stone-tiled colonnade, they knew it was for them. "We hardly had to go inside; it had our name all over it."
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