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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.

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Gotta Have It

Planning a garden Easter egg hunt? Better hide this one from the kids - it's the UK's first Cannabis Easter Egg. Ready, steady, munchy!

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

What's IN this week?Well there ain't no going out, so What's On has had a timely makeover - here's What's In this week!
Home schooling: The Muddy insider's guideFew of us have had any experience of home-schooling our kids, but we know a woman who has - Muddy's very own Muddy Sussex editor Cathy. Here are her tips for the uninitiated.
How to work from home (without going stir-crazy)Working from your home office (or, er, the sofa) for the foreseeable? Don't panic! These top tips will help you stay calm, collected and productive - or at the very least, sane.
Say hello to your new Netflix obsessionWe're not going to mention the C-word but if you're staying in more right now, isolate yourself with the Netflix remote and watch these corkers pronto.
Start your engines!Looking for a new runaround to get you from A to B? We've rounded up 6 of the best new cars to buy in 2020 - go on, treat yourself to new wheels.

Eat OutView more

A salad for sunny days

This peach and lentil salad with warm pork tenderloin by renowned chefs Kate & Giancarlo Caldesi, is easy peasy to make, looks amazing and will impress even fussy young palates. Like what you see? When the lock-down is over (yes, one day it will be over, I promise!) book into their Gerrards Cross cookery school for more inspo.
- FOUND! Berkshire’s most Instagrammable pub
  
  If you love supercool London street food scene, then you're gonna love The Market House in Reading a laidback hangout to eat, drink and sleep on repeat.
- 1 night, 2 chefs, 3 stars
  
  Fancy a supercharged foodie supper? Canter to Coworth Park for posh nosh, luxe starfishing and a laidback vibe we could get used to.
- The Surrey Cook Book
  
  A new cookbook celebrating some of the best foodie venues in Surrey has just launched - and Muddy Stilettos has a sneak preview of some of the recipes. Read on chef!
- Roasts with the most
  
  Can't be bothered to baste potatoes with goose fat this weekend? I hear you. Instead grab your gang and head to one of these 10 local gastropubs that do roasts with the most.

School Reviews

Our honest reviews of the UK’s best schools

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The UK’s most prestigious local lifestyle Awards

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TravelView more

Restaurants with rooms

Dreaming of a foodie getaway? We’ve scoured the Muddy counties for hotel stays with serious culinary credentials for when lock-down lifts. Tuck in.
- Insider’s guide to Reigate
  
  This medieval market town is bursting at the seam with independent shops, pubs and restaurants, beautiful green spaces and annual events you'll be desperate to attend.
- A boutique masterpiece
  
  The Artist Residence in the hamlet of South Leigh, Oxfordshire with its slick styling and cleverly chosen art, is a welcome antidote to traditional Cotswolds inns. Muddy loves.

FashionView more

5 of the best… trench coats

It’s a style classic for a reason – the trench is probably the most chic, useful piece you can buy (banish all thoughts of Inspector Clouseau). Here are our new season favourites.
- Why heritage Laura Ashley is trending
  
  When was the last time you set shopped in Laura Ashley? Er, never. And yet vintage pieces are making a mint on eBay and have inspired SS20's high street collections.
- 4 new season trends to try (and one to avoid)
  
  The high street is awash with new spring/summer goodies. Overwhelmed? Here's our pick of the new trends worth exploring - and how to wear them.

BeautyView more

- The secret to great skin? THESE 5 products
  
  Bathroom cabinet groaning under the weight of endless serums, creams and acids? According to the pros the secret to younger-looking skin is these 5 products. Clickety click.
- Make-up for men: ooh or eww?
  
  Turns out more and more blokes are getting handy with bronzer and concealer. So we tried out one leading male make-up brand on some lucky Muddy husbands - here's what happened.

Arts & CultureView more

Culture in quarantine

Brain melting from Netflix overload already? Culture vultures, rejoice – here’s the best of arts and theatre you can stream online.
- Say hello to your new Netflix obsession
  
  We're not going to mention the C-word but if you're staying in more right now, isolate yourself with the Netflix remote and watch these corkers pronto.
- REVIEW: A Monster Calls
  
  A fantastical fairytale for the digital age - this inventive new UK touring production of Patrick Ness’s award-winning YA tear-jerker lands a raw emotional punch.
- Read THESE this month
  
  Reasons to be cheerful: spring has sprung and a brilliant new batch of March books has arrived. Gather around, and let Muddy's pro-bookworm Kerry Potter tell you a story.
- Behind-the-scenes of… A Monster Calls
  
  After a critically-acclaimed run at London's Old Vic in 2018, Sally Cookson brings her Olivier Award-winning production to the Belgrade Theatre Coventry from March 3-7, as part of its first ever UK tour.

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HomeView more

- A salad for sunny days
  
  This peach and lentil salad with warm pork tenderloin is easy peasy to make, looks amazing and will impress even fussy young palates.
- Start your engines!
  
  Looking for a new runaround to get you from A to B? We've rounded up 6 of the best new cars to buy in 2020 - go on, treat yourself to new wheels.
Wellbeing
- Hot yoga: 9 myths debunked
  
  Fancy trying hot yoga but feel like it might just be for the super fit or the super flexible. Think again! We asked the Hot Yoga Club for the truth about this popular practice.
- Can’t get no sleep?
  
  You’re not the only one. It's World Sleep Day this week so we asked four frazzled Muddy staffers about their shut-eye regimes. How does yours measure up?

WorkView more

- How to work from home (without going stir-crazy)
  
  Working from your home office (or, er, the sofa) for the foreseeable? Don't panic! These top tips will help you stay calm, collected and productive - or at the very least, sane.
- How to be ambitious (and still be kind)
  
  It’s International Women’s Day on Sunday so we had a chat with one of our favourite women - author and comedian Viv Groskop - about redefining female ambition for 2020. Need a life reboot? Viv can help with that.
Kids
- St Andrew’s, Pangbourne
  
  This bucolic co-ed prep school in the rolling hills of Berkshire is family-oriented, outdoorsy with great results – and the Duchess of Cambridge raves about it.
- Kingswood Prep School and Nursery, Bath
  
  Muddy says: Children can be children at this co-ed prep and nursery with Scandi-style facilities and more, set in 100-acre of parklands overlooking the city
- Rainy day out for kids
  
  Want to keep your pre-schoolers amused but can't face another soggy day at the park? Go to Godstone Farm where there's plenty of indoor play. And animals too!
- St Edward’s School
  
  Looking for a city school? St Edward's School in Summertown, Oxford is a corker, with more than half of the cohort taking the IB rather than A-levels. Read on for the Muddy verdict.

People

My favourite places

Renowned floral stylist, local gal and friend of Muddy, Willow Crossley, knows some stylish local spots that she thinks you’ll love. Ready to take notes?
- Muddy Meets Kristina Rihanoff
  
  We chatted to the former Strictly pro turned yogini and entrepreneur about her passion for helping others to prioritise their health and wellbeing.
- Muddy meets… Melissa Hemsley
  
  It turns out the healthy cooking queen has culinary disasters too! Melissa spills the beans (then whips them up into a tasty frittata) on burnt pans, how to waste less food and keeping an endless supply of cookie dough in the freezer.
- The 4 funniest people on social media
  
  Fancy a giggle? These Instagram and Twitter accounts are happy to oblige.
- Exclusive interview! Muddy meets…. Laurence Fox
  
  The actor-turned-singer has been front page news since an incendiary appearance on Question Time last week. In this exclusive interview, he talks midlife crises, death threats and groupies with Muddy's Kerry Potter.