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

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Gotta Have It

It's beginning to look a lot like advent calendar season! We've rounded up the top makeup, skincare and fragrance picks to get your hands on before they sell out.

The insider’s guide to the Top 200 places to live outside London

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Spotlight

What's in: 7 new TV and film releases to watch this weekSherlock Holmes spin-offs, live opera and the return of Bake Off - it's all happening this week! Grab a cuppa, unearth the remote and stick one of these on the box.
Your ultimate autumn culture planner 2020Culture vultures, grab your diaries. Here's your Muddy-curated cheat sheet to the season's best art, theatre, TV, books and film in the UK.
Boredom begone! Here's what to watch this weekIn need of something new to sink your teeth into? Muddy to the rescue! Here are the latest TV and film releases coming to a screen near you.
Bottoms up! The best new indie drinksGot a large glass to hand? We’ve rounded up 42 of the best new independent drinks from across the Muddy counties from wine and gin to rum and beer.
What to watch this week: new boredom-bustersWhat is there to tune into this week, I hear you cry? Everything from nature meditations to reality shows - here's eight of our top picks.

EatView more

What to drink when you’re over rosé

New season shopping? Step away from your Zara basket, we’re talking autumn wines. Ditch the rosé and tickle your tastebuds with some foxy reds and whites.
- Autumn roasts with the most
  
  Can’t be bothered to baste potatoes with goose fat? I hear you. Instead grab your gang and head to one of these local gastropubs that do roasts with the most.
- Launch review: The Pig, Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
  
  On its opening day, Muddy's ed-in-chief Hero Brown was the first to eat lunch at the brand new Pig hotel in Harlyn Bay (what a trooper!). So what was the verdict?
- Review:The Greyhound, Beaconsfield
  
  The Greyhound in Beaconsfield launched mere moments before Covid struck. Thankfully it's now open again, and my review of this superior pub can run.
- Review: Gin cocktail afternoon tea
  
  Afternoon tea with artisan Surrey gin cocktails in a sumptuous manor house garden setting? Who's in?

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Arts & CultureView more

What’s in: 7 new TV and film releases to watch this week

Sherlock Holmes spin-offs, live opera and the return of Bake Off – it’s all happening this week! Grab a cuppa, unearth the remote and stick one of these on the box.
- Boredom begone! Here’s what to watch this week
  
  In need of something new to sink your teeth into? Muddy to the rescue! Here are the latest TV and film releases coming to a screen near you.
- Into London: the capital reopens
  
  With the tourist count at an all-time low, now is the time to swerve the endless queues and enjoy London's cultural bounty.
- What to watch this week: new boredom-busters
  
  What is there to tune into this week, I hear you cry? Everything from nature meditations to reality shows - here's eight of our top picks.
- Back-to-school films we give an A+
  
  The best days of your life, they said. Hmmm... perhaps not! Re-live the pain and the glory with Muddy's top 10 school films.

HomeView more

- Weekend recipe inspo, courtesy of Jessie Ware
  
  Marmalade chicken and miso chocolate chip cookies, anyone? Foodie singer Jessie Ware shares her #PerfectPairing recipes to celebrate M&S launching at Ocado. Dig in!
- Time to escape! The rise of the ‘She Shed’
  
  Gone are the days when garden buildings were the preserve of men. The 'She Shed' has arrived and not a moment too soon. We talk to three women about theirs.
Wellbeing
- 7 steps to better sleep in lockdown
  
  So you've downed a chamomile tea and ignored your phone but still can't get to sleep. Sound familiar? Read on for our guide to getting some Z's during lockdown.
- Lost the will? Go see your solicitor!
  
  Corona virus has forced many of us to confront our mortality, but that also means facing up to the practicalities of making a will. Here's why you need to take action asap.

TravelView more

Review: Barnett Hill Hotel

As holidays abroad are being cancelled left, right and centre – a staycation has never looked so good. And this country house hotel in the gorgeous Surrey Hills is the perfect getaway.
- Top places to stop on your way to Cornwall and the South West
  
  Driving down to your staycation and need a lunch pit-stop or runaround with the dog/kids? We've sniffed out the best places to stop near the south-west's major routes.
- J’adore/j’abhor: camping
  
  Does the sight of a sleeping bag pique your sense of adventure, or break you out in a cold sweat? Two Muddy behemoths duke it out over camping - let's hope it doesn't get too tents (sorry).

WorkView more

- Back-to-school for grown-ups
  
  The kids may be going back to school but why should they get all the new gear? We all deserve shiny winter boots and bags too. Here's our pick for back-to-school style.
- J’adore/ J’abhor: video calls
  
  Are you a FaceTime fanatic or a Skype cynic? After months of video call catch-ups, two Muddy editors battle it out over the digital face-to-face.
Kids
- Moreton Hall, Oswestry, Shropshire
  
  Muddy says: With a new £1.45m theatre and national lacrosse champions, this nurturing rural boarding and day school has a strong academic record, wonderfully quirky features and even its very own farm smallholding.
- St Edward’s School
  
  Muddy says: Looking for a city school? St Edward's School in Summertown, Oxford is a corker, with half of the cohort taking the IB rather than A-levels. Read on for the Muddy verdict.

FashionView more

New season fashion trends: A/W 2020

The fashionistas have spoken! Add pieces from these five trends to your wardrobe to nail autumn/ winter style this year.
- Autumn’s comfiest fashion trend
  
  With luxe fabrics, funky designs and cool silhouettes, cardigans have never been cooler. Here are seven of our favourite online buys to add to your autumn wardrobe.
- The shacket: your new sartorial hero
  
  What do you get when you cross a jacket with a shirt? A shacket, of course! Here's our pick of the best lightweight and affordable options to take you into autumn.

BeautyView more

- The essential no make-up kit
  
  It’s a trend that’s not going away anytime soon; make-up so subtle that it just makes you look like a brighter and better version of yourself. Here’s the Muddy guide.
- Banish a maskne breakout
  
  Face masks are a must-have, but the spots are an unwanted accessory. The struggle with 'Maskne; is real, so we called the experts to find out how to banish the breakouts.

People

Stephen Fry’s favourite places

Recalling his favourite places across the county, from sea and sky views to antique bookshops and country pubs, the legendary Mr Stephen Fry says Norfolk is home.
- Muddy meets Lizzie Liebenhals
  
  For the crème de la crème of party planners, it has to be Lizzie Liebenhals. Muddy snatched five minutes to pick the brains of this Surrey party queen.
- My favourite places: William Sitwell
  
  Food writer and MasterChef judge William Sitwell has called the chocolate box village of Weston in South Northants home all his life, with Weston Hall having been in the family since 1714. Fancy a peek into his personal Little Black Book?