The urban guide to the countryside -

Well, hello!

I'm Sophie, editor of Muddy Gloucestershire & Worcestershire, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

Gotta Have It

Hands never been cleaner - and more in need of a decent moisturiser? Treat yourself to a small dollop of comfort with these beautiful handcreams.

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

WFH without going crazyHow's your work from home experiment going? *passes the gin*. Exhale, because we have the expert guide to surviving - and even thriving.
The best places to live 2020Two Gloucestershire towns have made the grade - can you guess which ones they are? Read on for the big reveal.
Best Digital ClassesDoes it feel more like the Home Front than homeschool? We've got 10 of the best digital classes and live streams for them to get stuck into during lockdown.
Power Hour WalksSocial distance like a pro with our guide to the best open spaces - right on your doorstep. Eight wonderful places to get your hour-a-day and kibosh that cabin fever.
Open for Business? The Muddy Lockdown GuideNo clue what's going on? We're here to help. Here's our breaking news list of local businesses and what they're offering.

Fri 03 April - Sun 05 April

Mon 30 March - Sun 05 April

MARCH

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Eat Out View more
The Frogmill, Shipton Oliffe

A great country gastropub just off the beaten track? The Frogmill is a prince amongst pubs. Read the review here.
- Mother’s Day
  
  Mother's Day is around the corner (Sunday 22 March, just saying) so get your ideas flowing with our list of jolly nice things to do.
- Holy Crepe
  
  Who doesn’t love a towering stack of pancakes dripping with maple syrup? (Lemon and sugar here please). From races to restaurants we have Pancake Day sorted for you.
- Top 50 gastropubs 2020
  
  There's only one question on our lips this week and it's whose roasted loins and perky pavlovas have got them into the gastropub hall of fame.
- 8 Best Booze-Free Bars
  
  Check out our edit of the best dry and booze-free bars in Gloucestershire

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.

Travel View 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.
- World’s Most Instagrammable Villages
  
  The rumours are true - one sleepy little Glos village has made the hotlist. We reveal which one it is and give you 20 reasons to indulge in some cool voyage voyeurism.
- 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.

Fashion View more
Make-up for Men: Euw or ooh?

Turns out more and more blokes are getting handy with bronzer and concealer. We tried out one leading male make-up brand on some lucky Muddy husbands – here’s what happened.
- 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.
- 5 of the best… French slogan jumpers
  
  Bonjour, sexy new knitwear! These chic slogan jumpers are guaranteed to add a little je ne sais quoi to any ensemble - we adore.

Arts & Culture View more
Must-watch shows on Netflix right now

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.
- Read THESE this month
  
  Reasons to be cheerful: spring has sprung and a brilliant new batch of March books has arrived....
- Lechlade 2020 – The hottest festival around
  
  Get ready to party this summer, with three amazing days and nights at this award-winning family festival alongside the Thames
- The funniest show on TV is back
  
  13 Feb 2020
- 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.

Work View more
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
- Kitebrook Preparatory School
  
  Muddy says: A co-ed day and boarding school with a strong family ethos, that is seriously upping its game in the prep school stakes
- Best Digital Classes
  
  How is your work-meets-homeschool armageddon going? We're busy googling zen breathing classes. Meanwhile, check out these brilliant homeworking heroes - great digital classes to keep their brains engaged.

People View more
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.
- Q&A with writer and performer Francesca Millican-Slater
  
  Birmingham writer-performer Francesca Millican-Slater has been collecting the stories of visitors, past and present, to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the childhood home of William Shakespeare’s wife. You too can be part of the story.
- How to flex your life
  
  Is life an exhausting loop of sleep, work, chores, repeat? Yep. Need to make a change but not sure what or how? Er, yes. Read our interview with hot new self-help author Annie Auerbach. She has the answers!
- Muddy meets Terry
  
  Eighties skankers The Specials are back with a fab new album and a headline slot at Cornbury festival. We nabbed Terry Hall to talk shopping, selfies and his career as a barber.