Muddy Stilettos Hertfordshire

The urban guide to the countryside -

Well, hello!

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

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Half term savioursIs that help we see on the horizon?! It sure is - we've rounded up the 25 best things to do with your kids in Herts & Beds over the Feb Half Term. You're welcome!
Is it getting hot in here?Apply a cold compress and loosen that corset! It's historical hunk time in film and telly (well, hello, Rufus Sewell!), with three new sizzling period dramas to look forward to.
Win £2000 to kickstart your business dreamsHave a brilliant business that needs a helping hand? We’ve teamed up with business banking alternative, Tide, to offer a whopping two grand (yes, you read it right) to give you the boost you need. Win it here.
Snowdrops everywhere!They're coming out! The loveliest places to catch winter snowdrops across Herts and beyond over the next few weeks.
This girl can!Juggling motherhood, jiggly bits and the barriers to exercising, This Girl Can is back with its brand new campaign and we *love* it!

Fri 21 - Sun 23 Feb

Mon 17 - Sun 23 Feb

February 2020

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Dylans The Kings Arms, St Albans

There’s far more to this cosy 16th-century St Albans pub than meets the eye, as Muddy’s Jo discovered when she embarked on a culinary jaunt through the menu.
- Muddy eats: The Bricklayers Arms, Flaunden
  
  It could be the blueprint for your traditional English country pub, but this family-run 18th-century ale house is also award-winning for its Anglo-French gastro menu. Time to dig in!
- 10 of the best places to eat vegan
  
  Going vegan for January or just fancy a bit of a health kick? We've rounded up the places across the counties to try plant-based eating for size.
- Muddy’s best winter walks
  
  Wrap up warm, grab your walking boots and go in search of your own winter wonderland! Here's where we'll be striding out over the coming months.
- 6 best afternoon teas
  
  Gather your girls, block out the diary and pass the bubbly and cucumber sandwiches

Our honest reviews of the UK’s best schools

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

Holiday planning? 10 European-style staycations

Love a continental jaunt but staying in Blighty this year? These 10 UK holiday spots have a distinctly European feel.
- Call me Cupid! 46 romantic stays across the Muddy counties
  
  In the mood for love? Of course you are, pussy cat! Here, allow us to assist with the rumpy pumpy with 46 romantic boltholes across the Muddy counties.
- Planning a Cornwall escape?
  
  Then head for these six stunning parts of this corker of a county, all with gorgeous rental properties nearby.

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.
- Gotta Have It
  
  Hey sexy pants! We've found 6 chic lingerie brands to spice up your life this Valentine's Day. And - bonus - they're all British.
- New Year, new you, new wardrobe!
  
  Need a fashion reboot? Personal stylist, Dania Alzapiedi from Moo Boutique in Tring shares her advice for taking your wardrobe from dreary to dreamy so you can fall back in love with getting dressed.

Jeeves with added (Wooster) sauce

Up for some jolly japes, an avalanche of comic effects and a gentle skewering of the upper class? Then you might just love this anarchic reimagining of the P.G Wodehouse classic.
- The 5 best books out February
  
  Need a new read? Muddy's pro bookworm Kerry Potter has found five February fancies for your delectation. Read all about 'em!
- This month’s best new reads
  
  What kind of insaniac leaves the house in January? Retire to the sofa and get stuck into one of pro bookworm Kerry Potter's enthralling new literary picks.
- Book now! The 2020 cultural picks you must not miss
  
  There's a ridiculous amount of amazing art, books, film, TV, music and theatre landing this year. Muddy's culture vulture Kerry Potter picks out the best of the bunch.
- 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.

Win £2000 to kickstart your business dreams

Have a brilliant business that needs a helping hand? We’ve teamed up with business banking alternative, Tide, to offer a whopping two grand (yes, you read it right) to give you the boost you need. Win it here.
Kids
- Half term saviours
  
  Panic setting in already? Fear not - it's Muddy to the rescue with loads of fun ways to keep the kids entertained over the holiday, so you can reeelaxxx.
- St Edmund’s College, Ware
  
  A hidden gem, this Catholic co-ed has got acres of grounds, stunning facilities and puts wellbeing and personal development at the centre of its educational offering.

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.
- Muddy meets Josie Long
  
  We caught up with (we reckon) the most positive comedian in the business about motherhood, MasterChef, making people laugh and her new tour, Tender.
- 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.