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The urban guide to the countryside -

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Well, hello!

I'm Hero, founder of Muddy Stilettos, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable across the counties.

Gotta Have It

From fashion to flora to fragrant Frida, here are 2018's most gorgeous coffee table tomes.

Fun Finder

Making plans? Find your perfect Pub, Inn, Hotel, Café, Restaurant or Bar across the Muddy counties.

Spotlight

Eat OutView more

Kirtlington classic

Take one 19th century pub, add a huge garden, great food and a policy of allowing only children 12 and older in the dining area, and whaddya get? A brand new gastropub to add to your must-try list!
- The Miller of Mansfield
  
  Friendly pub meets fine dining at this Goring restaurant-with-rooms, a village retreat with serious aspirations.
- Christmas drinkies!
  
  Usually face-down in a vat of Baileys throughout December? You can do better than that! Here's our guide to nailing your Christmas drink choices like a pro. Bottoms up!
- On the Waterfront
  
  The Encore overlooking the River Avon in historic Stratford-upon-Avon has just reopened after a swish complete makeover.
- The most fun restaurant in Oxford?
  
  A party atmosphere, sexy Sri Lankan street food and killer cocktails - The Coconut Tree in Oxford has got it all going on.

TravelView more

Booking your family hols?

Don’t do anything till you’ve seen Flight Centre’s first Family Adventures brochure – and put yourself in the running for a £20k dream trip!
- And Relax… we’re on the Roseland
  
  Four picture-perfect holiday cottages on the Roseland Peninsula offer a change of pace in one of Cornwall’s prettiest and sleepiest corners.
- St Lucia, beyond the beaches
  
  As the nights draw in and the weather gets bloomin' chilly, what's the best thing to do? Book a holiday, of course! Fancy something with loads of adventure for the kids? It's got to be St Lucia, baby!

FashionView more

Our festive fashion Top 10

Invitations piling up and nothing to wear? Well, Cinders, you shall go to the ball (or, er, pub). Muddy’s partywear edit incoming!
- Wrist Action
  
  Obsessed with the time since the clocks went back? Then you'll appreciate our round up the coolest watches for all the family. Christmas inspo incoming!
- On the hunt for cool creps
  
  Trainers so chic that only a fool would take them near a gym are everywhere this season - including some places you wouldn't expect.

BeautyView more

- Hangover hiders
  
  In the interests of not being mistaken for a dug-up corpse this festive season, behold our five favourite morning after skincare saviours.
- J’adore Isabel Marant
  
  It's a big "OUI!" from us to Isabel Marant's super-chic new lipsticks, designed to create a day-to-night look with minimum faff and great results.

Arts & CultureView more

Top 10 books for young adults

Abingdon’s magnificent indie bookshop Mostly Books has scoured the shelves, and selected its Top 10 books for young adults for the miracle of a no-screen Christmas.
- Gotta Have It
  
  From fashion to flora to fragrant Frida, here are 2018's most gorgeous coffee table tomes.
- XMAS: Top 10 kids books
  
  The Top 10 books for kids this Christmas - lovingly chosen by The Book House in Thame, purveyors of one of the top kids sections in the county!
- The best books of 2018
  
  Attention bookworms! Put this little lot on your Christmas list and you can thank us later. Muddy's books editor Kerry Potter choose her top 10 tomes of 2018. Has your favourite made the cut?
- Review: Sleeping Beauty
  
  Don't touch the spinning wheel, Princess Belle! Oops too late. Read my review of Coventry Belgrade Theatre's festive show starring writer and director Iain Lauchlan in his 24th panto.

Instamuddy

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HomeView more

- Property Flirt
  
  Mudsters, come and drool over a stunning Somerset house with oodles of land, a swimming pool – and its own vast Georgian tithe barn.
- The best advent calendars
  
  Counting the days until Christmas? Here, we can help with that! Open the door to the best 20 advent calendars and no nicking the chocolates before your kids wake up.
Wellbeing
- Ask a lawyer!
  
  There aren't enough hours in the day, right? So we asked a top legal firm to answer your queries about all the stuff you never get round to sorting out.
- Self-care quiz time!
  
  Here at Muddy we love wellbeing and we love a quiz, so a wellbeing quiz? We've all done it - but how will you get on? Tot up your scores and let us know.

WorkView more

- Back to school?
  
  Feeling the need to feed your brain? There's loads of ace new academic courses now booking in Oxford for 2019.
- Flexible working – a personal view
  
  It's a contentious issue, that's for sure! As a full-time working mum and business owner, I can see both sides of that fence. Wanna know what I think?
Kids
- Top 10 books for young adults
  
  Abingdon's magnificent indie bookshop Mostly Books has scoured the shelves, and selected its Top 10 books for the miracle of a tween/teen no-screen Christmas.
- XMAS: Top 10 kids books
  
  The Top 10 books for kids this Christmas - lovingly chosen by The Book House in Thame, purveyors of one of the top kids sections in the county!

People View more

Muddy makes the glossies

The brilliant ‘Psychologies’ magazine wrote a 6 page feature about Muddy’s Hero Brown called , ‘My Life, My Way”. (Nov ’18 issue)
- ‘It’s a real action-hero, ‘Marvel’-like play’
  
  Super-stylish rising RSC talent Amber James on Gregory Doran's Mad-Max-style futuristic dystopian Troilus and Cressida.
- Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?
  
  Tring Park School for the Performing Arts churns out constellations of new generation stars - wanna see the latest batch of A-listers?

The Urban Guide to the Countryside