Spotlight

10 places to get active (if you hate the gym...)Not a fan of the treadmill or pumping iron in a sweaty gym? Get your adrenalinehit and get fit without noticing (you’ll be having too much fun!) at one of these high-energy activity centres... and they're all local, too!
Your 2022 local culture plannerListen up culture vultures! The 2022 calendar is looking hot, with music, theatre, art, dance and more coming to Herts & Beds. So grab your diaries and read on to find out what you need to have on your radar this year!
5 hottest interiors trends for 2022January means spending a lot of time hunkering down at home and with all that hunkering comes some hankering – and this month, we're after a little interiors update. Here's what's hot for 2022.
Best local spas for some New Year R&RNow that all the Christmas chaos is done and dusted it's time you booked yourself in for a little well-deserved me-time, don't you think? Here's our pick of where to don a fluffy robe and get pampered to the max.
10 best local restaurants for VeganuaryIf you've been thinking about reducing your meat intake to help the environment, there's no better time than the start of the new year. Try these local vegan restaurants and menus for size - they tick the eco-friendly box and deliver on taste, too.

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

Witness the fitness! Best sportswear to buy now

There's loads of fab new sportswear in the shops and online at the moment. Hop, skip and jump this way for the Muddy edit.

Gotta have it

What’s on this month

Fancy doing something fun? Er, always! Read on for our curated picks of the best things happening near you right now

See What's On

Eat

10 best local restaurants for Veganuary

If you’ve been thinking about reducing your meat intake to help the environment, there’s no better time than the start of the new year. Try these local vegan restaurants and menus for size – they tick the eco-friendly box and deliver on taste, too.
- 10 fabulous local farm shops
  
  All hail the humble farmshop! Your one-stop shop for locally grown fruit, veg, meat and much more. Here’s our pick of the best around Herts & Beds.
- Local refill and zero waste stores you’ll want to shop in
  
  Check out these sustainable grocery, gift and household stores – it’s refill, but not as you know it – tempting products, stylish stores and online ordering – it’s a no-brainer!

Culture

12 fun things to do this week

At a loose end over the next few days? Here’s Muddy to the rescue with the best of what’s on for the whole family across Herts & Beds.
- Culture’s calling! What to see in London in 2022
  
  Thrilling theatre, exhilarating art, fantastic festivals – these are the tickets you need to book now. Settle in for a capital city culture hitlist, and a jam-packed 2022.
- The 7 best things to watch on TV this week
  
  From the winner of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival to Stanley Tucci’s new series about the legal fallout of sunken gold, we’ve got a stonking good line-up of shiny TV to watch this week.
- Your 2022 local culture planner
  
  Listen up culture vultures! The 2022 calendar is looking hot, with music, theatre, art, dance and more coming to Herts & Beds. So grab your diaries and read on to find out what you need to have on your radar this year!
- The 7 best things on TV this week
  
  We’ve got highbrow; lowbrow; cutting-edge starts; triumphant returns. All the TV worth watching — from the final series of Ricky Gervais’ After Life to a sweeping Shakespeare adaptation — is right here.

Little Black Book

Want to support local? Our curated pick of the most creative, unique and brilliant businesses near you.

Edge NLP, Tring

Hertford Theatre, Hertford

XV STRIPES

Image Bliss Photography

The Little Berko Bakery

Perch & Co.

Hotel Cromwell, Stevenage

Debenhams Ottaway Solicitors

Cooking and Carafes

Ashridge House, Berkhamsted

Home Farm Glamping

Alpine Rose Interiors

Travel

Hotting up! Best new hotels for 2022

Introducing the hottest new hotel openings around the world. Warning: contains images of sexy bedrooms, turquoise seas and infinity pools.
- Green for go! 10 sustainable holidays
  
  Want to do your bit for the environment while enjoying your hols? Check out these eco-friendly hot spots which are clean, green and keen on a bit of luxury too.
- The must-read Muddy skiing guide
  
  Want to book a ski holiday this year but not sure where to go? Snow problem! Whether you’re a family with beginners, hitting the après ski with friends or want an extreme mountain peak adventure, read on.

Home

House swap – what will £850k get you?

Considering a move or just need a bit of escapism from the same four walls? We’ve popped £850k in the fantasy property pot, but what does that buy you across the Muddy counties?
- 5 hottest interiors trends for 2022
  
  January means spending a lot of time hunkering down at home and with all that hunkering comes some hankering – and this month, we’re after a little interiors update. Here’s what’s hot for 2022.
- Spinach and ricotta ravioli – revamped!
  
  Fresh from the new book by gut health expert Dr Megan Rossi is a surprisingly filling and easy-to-make pasta supper – maybe this health kick isn’t going to be so tough after all?
Wellbeing
- 10 places to get active (if you hate the gym…)
  
  Not a fan of the treadmill or pumping iron in a sweaty gym? Get your adrenalinehit and get fit without noticing (you’ll be having too much fun!) at one of these high-energy activity centres… and they’re all local, too!
- Megan Rossi’s Prebiotic Rocky Road
  
  A traybake that’s actually good for your gut and tastes like a treat? Look no further than this clever recipe from the gut health expert’s new book

Life

Want to learn something new in 2022?

Whether you want to learn a new skill, try a new hobby or launch into a new career, here are 11 Muddy-approved courses to help you do just that!
- Trend barometer! What’s hot (or not) for 2022
  
  Pinterest has released its predictions for the biggest (and most bonkers) trends in 2022 – but what do you think? Let’s head to the Muddy trend-o-meter to find out…
- How to work from home (and get it right this time!)
  
  We’ve all been here before; so let’s nail it this time. Here to help is your sanity (and sex life) saving and productivity boosting Muddy guide to working from home
Kids
- Stormont School, Potters Bar
  
  This pretty and perfectly formed school for girls has a gentle and personalised approach to learning and plenty of opportunities for girls to get stuck in.
- St. Francis’ College, Letchworth Garden City
  
  This compact, yet close-to-town all-through school for girls puts heart and soul first and foremost but thrives academically too.

Instamuddy

Fashion

Witness the fitness! Best sportswear to buy now

There’s loads of gorgeous new sportswear in the shops and online at the moment. Hop, skip and jump this way for the Muddy edit.
- Where to rent, repair and sell gorgeous designer clothes
  
  Madonna’s cone bra is now available to rent! It’s ethical, eco and everywhere… here’s where you can rent, repair and sell-on stylish clothes, from Christmas party outfits to eye-catching clutch bags
- A new leaf: your 10 autumn wardrobe essentials
  
  Bright knits, checks, big handbags, even bigger boots. We’ve got your autumn/winter 2021 fashion fix sorted.
Beauty
- Hair transformation: mumsy mane, begone!
  
  Stuck in a hair rut? See Muddy Berkshire editor Rachel’s chic style update here – the third video in our series with the fabulous Haringtons salons
- Hair trends 2022: the new styles to try this year
  
  Is this the year to shake up your style? From the French bob to buttermilk balayage, awesome award-winning salon group Haringtons give the lowdown on 22’s most coveted looks

People

Muddy meets: Ed Byrne

Muddy caught up with the Essex-based Irish funnyman to chat jokes, family, famous friendships and not being a d**k.
- My favourite places: Gemma Crawley-Roberts
  
  We asked Gemma, owner of quirky local art and gift shop, The Arc, to share some of her favourite places to eat, drink and shop in her hometown of Bedford.
- Muddy Meets… Peter Morton, Artistic Director of Half A String Theatre
  
  Heartwarming family production, Under the Frozen Moon, is coming to Southern Maltings in Ware, with Hertford Theatre this Christmas. We caught up with the Artistic Director of the company behind it to find out more
- What it’s like to be ‘Tina Turner’ (and own 150 pairs of shoes)
  
  It’s all about the voice, the strut, the heels and the fans, says Tina tribute Justine, one of the line up of epic acts at St Albans’ upcoming Legends Festival
- My favourite places: Emma John, author
  
  Local Muddy gal, Emma John is an award-winning author, journalist and podcaster. She lets us in on her top spots to spend time in Herts and Beds