The urban guide to the countryside -

Herts & Beds

Well, hello!

I'm Katrina, editor of Muddy Herts & Beds, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

Gotta Have It

I officially declare it cashmere jumper season so time for a toasty treat? Just don't put it in the washing machine like a certain idiot I know who never learns (ahem).

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Christmas rappingWatch out John Lewis! IKEA's and M&S's Christmas adverts are bonkers and brilliant! Watch, laugh and tell us your favourite.
5 reasons to sort Christmas at Bicester VillageNew openings, live music, pop-ups, gorgeous gifts and fairy lights everywhere you turn - it's festive frolics all the way at BV.
Eight awesome Autumn walks!Grab your friends or family and try our pick of the prettiest walks in Herts & Beds - all with pubs nearby for that all-important pit stop.
Your ultimate October half-term guideSchool's out (again - eek!) but panic not. With our bumper Half Term guide you'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to keeping the little terrors out of the house. Aaaand breathe...
Superflashy newsflash!Psst... Your resident Muddy sleuth here with all the local goss, from Michelin news to the launch of a homegrown tipple and more!

What's On

This Weekend

Fri 15 - Sun 17 Nov

This Week

Mon 11 - Sun 17

This Month

November 2019

Little Black Book

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Eat Out View more

Muddy Eats: The George of Harpenden

This recently updated pub has had a serious facelift, shedding its rep as a dingy old boozer, and appealing to a far more refined Harpenden crowd with its Med-inspired all-day menus and luxe interiors. I booked in for Sunday brunch with friends.
- The best brunch in town
  
  The most lipsmackingly indulgent meal of the day and we have 47 of the best ones to tempt you with, from vegan to full English, flat white to green detox. Just add friends and a hangover.
- The 20 best sea view eats
  
  Dramatic skies and crashing waves are the order of the day at these Muddy-recommended coastal eateries. Crisp white napkins at the ready? Let's go!
- 46 stunning pubs for sunny days
  
  Fancy sipping a cold one in a pretty al fresco pub with friends or fam? Here are the best of the bunch across the Muddy counties.
- Eating in glass houses
  
  The Glasshouse restaurant at The Grove Hotel has had a swanky new makeover, so, quick out of the blocks as ever, Muddy rocked up to report back on the buzzing new-look hotspot for five-star foodies.

School Reviews

Our honest reviews of the UK’s best schools

Read the reviews

Fun Finder

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

The 37 coolest party palaces

Got a big birthday celebration looming? Or fancy a weekend away with your squad? We’ve sniffed out the 37 dreamiest party palaces across the land, available for exclusive hire. Grab your gang and let’s go!
- Fancy a break this half term?
  
  Need to make a fast getaway? Don’t move a muscle till you’ve checked out my pick of 8 last-minute family breaks in the West Country.
- Country living in Woburn
  
  Need to hit pause on life's hectic schedule? I hear ya! That's why I checked in to The Woburn Hotel for an easy breezy weekend break to lap up some cosy country charm and tasty grub to boot.

Fashion View more

Forty years of fashion

This season’s trends nibble from the Seventies, Eighties, Nineties and Noughties. But how do you to channel the decades but keep your look modern?
- Ready to wrap up?
  
  Brrrrrrr! It's got a bit chilly hasn't it? Come warm yourself with these 10 stylish woolies and coats from the ever-brilliant hush.
- Pyjama time!
  
  It's suddenly dark, cold and wet outside - let's hunker down and cheer ourselves up with some chic new pyjamas (yes, such things do actually exist).

Beauty View more

- J’adore/ J’abhor
  
  It's Movember, the month when blokes grow moustaches to raise money for charity. Turns out the Muddy crew have VERY mixed views on men's facial hair. Where do you stand?
- 5 of the best… autumn nail polishes
  
  How to nail it with the dreamiest new season shades. Time for a home manicure?

Arts & Culture View more

Awesome Autumn culture planner

It’s all going on! Behold, your cheat-sheet to the season’s best art, theatre, TV, books and film in the UK, as curated by Muddy’s extremely cultural Kerry Potter.
- Read THESE this month…
  
  ... and win 'em all! Curl up into a comfy chair, pour a glass of wine, and dive into a new fab book with this month's hottest new reads.
- Art’s rising rock stars
  
  Blank walls but your budget doesn't stretch to an Emin or Hirst? Here's 12 cool, collectable artists who won't require you to sell a loved one (and may prove to be a good investment).
- Muddy Book Club Live is BACK!
  
  We're hosting an author event at Henley Literary Festival on Sat 5 Oct and you're all invited! Want to meet our brilliant speakers? Plus our top 5 festival picks.
- The top 10 books of the summer
  
  Don't pack your suitcase or load up your Kindle until you've read this! Muddy's books editor Kerry has picked the 10 best books to get stuck into on holiday.

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Home View more

- 3 party cocktails – ready, steady, shake!
  
  Step away from the Chablis and try something different! We've got 5 copies of a cool new cocktail book to give away - and here are three autumn liveners from it to whet your whistle.
- Speedy supper anyone?
  
  If you're sick to death of your weekday cooking repertoire (yup) then here's some quick and classy culinary inspiration for you. Yum!
Wellbeing
- 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?
- The power of scent
  
  Onset of SAD kicking in already? Suzanne Taylor, founder of luxury local candle brand, Taylor Benfield, waxes lyrical about the soothing power of a scented candle as the colder months creep up on us.

Work View more

Flexible working – a personal view

It’s a contentious issue, that’s for sure! As a full-time working mum and business owner, Muddy Founder Hero Brown can see both sides of that fence. Wanna know what she thinks?
- Are you an imposter too?
  
  Self doubt, anxiety and an inability to believe in your own success. I've just been there and it's not pretty. Here's how to stop it happening to you.
- Making work work for you
  
  Back at your desk after summer fun and not really feeling it? We hear you. Here's some food for thought from the autumn's hottest self-help book by ex Elle journalist turned author Lotte Jeffs.
Kids
- Bedford Girls’ School, Bedford
  
  This independent school for girls age 7-18 is a truly refreshing environment, with outstanding facilites, where girls can try everything, take responsibility for their choices and feel completely confident in their own skin.
- Charlotte House Prep School for Girls, Rickmansworth
  
  This pint-sized Prep school has a nurturing approach and a can-do attitude which fuels girls with the confidence and resilience to ready them for the next steps in their education.

People View more

Meet the woman who’s declared war on plastic

We met Beth Noy, the founder of Plastic Freedom, an online shop collating the best plastic-free brands around. She’s got some brilliant advice for us all.
- Yup, stage school works!
  
  Another year and another surge of nascent stars of the stage and screen graduate from Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. Want to meet them?
- When Muddy met Shappi
  
  Comedian Shappi Khorsandi discusses new tour, her tips on how NOT to be funny and why you should do things that scare you (hell yeah!)
- Muddy meets Nik Kershaw
  
  Nik Kershaw is laconic, laid-back, and *very very* funny - read on for his views on Live Aid, embarrassing his kids, the Let's Rock the Moor pecking order and (OMG) being a grandfather!
- Everyone’s talking about… The Guilty Feminist
  
  Love the podcast? Good news - its creator is coming to a theatre near you this spring. We grabbed super-talented comedian Deborah Francis-White for a chinwag.