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

Counting the days until Christmas? We can help with that. Voila, five of the best luxe beauty advent calendars available to buy right now.

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Your local Christmas gift guideShow your local high street some love this year and crack the Christmas shopping in one fell swoop. Here's our edit of the best gifts from some of our fave producers, makers and curators across Herts and Beds.
Put a face to your indie favouritesWanna find out what it's really like to run a local business? We chat to some entrepreneurs in our area about why it's so important to get behind them, and how we can all do our bit this Christmas.
Top local tipples: Say cheers!Here's our pick of the best locally produced boozy beverages to fill your boots with this Christmas and beyond.
Gift guide: for herAunts, mums, grandmas, sisters and your girl posse all covered for Crimbo, plus some spot-on suggestions for gifts to self. Ho ho ho.
Home truthsBuying a house is an emotive act, fuelled by all kinds of desire - protecting a family, starting a new life, following a dream. Three local Muddy readers open the door to their homes to share their personal stories.

What's On

This Weekend

Fri 13 - Sun 15 Dec

This Week

Mon 9 - Sun 15 Dec:

This Month

December 2019

Little Black Book

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Eat Out View more

Gastro Heaven!

30 of the best cookery courses across the Muddy counties to tantalise your tastebuds, and impress even the fussiest dinner guest.
- 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.

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!
- 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.
- 24 hours in Matera
  
  Have you seen the new James Bond car chase scenes around southern Italy? Happens that Muddy was there this summer, checking out the cool places to go. Make mine a martini, shaken not stirred while I tell you my insider tips.

Fashion View more

How to do sofa chic

Never mind all the parties, the thing we’re most looking forward to this Christmas is hunkering down at home. Here’s what we’ll be wearing – just accessorize with a book and mince pie.
- Shake up your style
  
  Throw out the rule book, become a fashion rebel and ring the changes this festive season - voilà, our top style tips for rebooting your wardrobe.
- Party like you mean it
  
  Harvey Nichols has come up trumps this season so here's my wishlist to whet your whistle. Plus win £500 worth of party clobber!

Beauty View more

- J’adore/ J’abhor
  
  To Ink or not to ink? That is the question that's getting the Muddy office fired up this week. Two editors battle it out (*ducks for cover*).
- 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?

Arts & Culture View more

Review: Sleeping Beauty at Rhodes Arts Complex

For an all-singing, all-dancing twist on a fairytale favourite, with a stonking production team and a cast that really gives it some welly get your tickets now for this Christmas cracker of a panto.
- Review: The Snow Queen at Hertford Theatre
  
  It's panto but not as you know it... This 10th anniversary show is a sparkling specatacle of high energy performance and dazzling sets that won't disappoint.
- The best children’s books of the year
  
  From toddlers to teens, we've got the 16 best kids'reads of the year.
- The 10 dreamiest coffee table books of the year
  
  Clear space on your coffee table! Muddy's books editor Kerry Potter has 10 sexy, shiny visual feasts for your delectation.
- 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.

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Home View more

Top local tipples: Say cheers!

Here’s our pick of the best locally produced boozy beverages to fill your boots with this Christmas and beyond.
- How to tablescape like a pro
  
  Tablescaping basically means making your dining table look nice in case some bugger Instagrams it. Here's how to wow your guests this Christmas.
- Home truths
  
  Buying a house is an emotive act, fuelled by all kinds of desire - protecting a family, starting a new life, following a dream. Three local Muddy readers open the door to their homes to share their personal stories.
Wellbeing
- How to have an eco-friendly Christmas
  
  'Tis the season to banish waste, tat, all things un-recyclable and go sustainable. Does anyone know where you can buy halos?
- #InLoveWithLocal this Xmas
  
  We're all for shopping at local indies at Muddy and we know you are too - step away from Amazon and read on for how together we can turn this impulse into a bonafide movement. Get involved!

Work View more

Put a face to your indie favourites

Wanna find out what it’s really like to run a local business? We chat to some entrepreneurs in our area about why it’s so important to get behind them, and how we can all do our bit this Christmas.
- 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?
- 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.
Kids
- Beechwood Park, St Albans
  
  This seriously academic school has idyllic grounds, bags of opportunities, and a unique child-centred approach which puts kids in charge of their own learning journey.
- Polam Nursery and Pre-Prep School, Bedford
  
  This is a small school with a big heart, where happiness comes first, which provides a valuable stepping stone for both ambitious and more cautious children towards the next step 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.