I've been lucky enough to learn and fly around the Welsh borders, avoiding a lot of controlled airspace.
However, for my QXC I went from home at Shobdon to Leicester and Wellesbourne, talking to Birmingham, East Midlands and Coventry, and found them all to be incredibly helpful and some of the nicest ATC i've ever come across.
Also, on my first solo landaway at Wolverhampton, I managed to turn around on the deadside and report downwind, and despite my nerves and general stupidity, the controller was very understanding and quickly got me sorted out, even after a go-around. On top of all this, I even got a well done from the Police helicopter that I had been holding up with all my arseing about.
I've only ever come across one unpleasant controller in my 5 years of flying. Pretty much everyone I've come across has been professional and courteous, no matter how big the operation they're involved in. Maybe I've got lucky, but these experiences have let me enjoy my flying all the more, perhaps even when I should have been panicking a little
.
Have fun!