Spotlight

Lockdown takeawaysWho'd have thunk it? The great British takeaway is now officially the last bastion of civilisation and our brilliant local businesses have brought it to the table like never before. Here's our roundup of where to get your foodie fix.
Snowdrops everywhere!The snowdrops have arrived and we've located the best drifts to visit near you. Some of our top snowdrops spots haven't been able to open yet this year, so if you know a secret location, please let us know in the comments below and remember to keep it local.
8 things to watch to keep January Blues at bayMid-January, you say? T minus two months until spring, but in the meantime, help the long winter nights pass by with Muddy's top TV and film picks for the week.
Muddy review: The Red Lion, Yardley Hastings' special occasion takeawayGive yourself a break from being a kitchen slave. The pro team at The Red Lion are laying on swanky takeaways. We donned our stretchiest waistbands and gave their Moroccan Feast a whirl.
Is your sex life suffering in lockdown?Is lockdown 3.0 wrecking your sex life and pushing your relationship to the limits? We hear you. Read on for our expert guide on how to Covid-proof your love life.

Well, hello!

I'm Emma, editor of Muddy Northamptonshire, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

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Gotta Have It

WFH in style: the best office furniture to buy now

Tired of your back giving you grief thanks to a shoddy home-office set-up? Work and homeschool in comfort with Muddy's list of Insta-worthy desks and chairs.

The UK’s most creative and unique independent shops, makers and producers local to you.

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Little Black Book

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

The Red Lion, Yardley Hastings

The Granary at Fawsley

The Cooking Academy, Rickmansworth

Ironstone Wellbeing Centre, Kettering

Silverstone Distillery

WEA (Workers' Education Association)

Delapré Abbey, Northampton

Eat View more
Lockdown takeaways

Who’d have thunk it? The great British takeaway is now officially the last bastion of civilisation and our brilliant local businesses have brought it to the table like never before. Here’s our roundup of where to get your foodie fix.
- Fast and filling recipes for an easier January
  
  No time/energy to cook (let alone make it healthy)? Don't worry, we've got you. Here are two low-effort, speedy suppers under 500 calories to feel good about.
- Muddy review: The Red Lion, Yardley Hastings’ special occasion takeaway
  
  Give yourself a break from being a kitchen slave. The pro team at The Red Lion are laying on swanky takeaways. We donned our stretchiest waistbands and gave their Moroccan Feast a whirl.
- Eat Better Forever, Hugh? Oh, OK then.
  
  Spent December scoffing mince pies? Whip up a veg-packed soup or hot pot from Hugh's new cookbook and feel the smug glow of a healthy New Year.
- Comforting classics from The Pie Room
  
  Ooh, is there anything more satisfying than good flaky pastry? These two warming recipes from Calum Franklin's new cookbook The Pie Room are just the ticket.

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Arts & Culture View more
The all-time sexiest period drama heroes

Ladies, loosen that corset lest you faint dead away! Regé-Jean Page has got us hot under the collar…. so here are 12 more historical hotties, and a sneak-peak at what’s coming in 2021.
- 8 things to watch to keep January Blues at bay
  
  Mid-January, you say? T minus two months until spring, but in the meantime, help the long winter nights pass by with Muddy's top TV and film picks for the week.
- TV Saviours! What to watch this week
  
  Another week, another seven days to roll around the house, eat crisps, pretend to homeschool and daydream about the return of double-figure temperatures. Here's some fun TV to make it *slightly* more interesting.

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- The Simple Life: pared-back properties in nature
  
  Looking to get away from it all? Try one of these dreamy pared-back properties for a taste of pastoral living. From projects crying out for TLC to sprawling listed mansions, we’ve got it all.
Wellbeing
- Fast and filling recipes for an easier January
  
  No time/energy to cook (let alone make it healthy)? Don't worry, we've got you. Here are two low-effort, speedy suppers under 500 calories to feel good about.
- Best new fitness tech for 2021
  
  Need something to help those workouts along? Itching for some new tech in the new year? Read on for the Muddy edit of the best flashy fitness buys of 2021.

Travel View more
Grab the sunnies: our 2021 travel bucket list

It’s been so long, holidays have taken on a rather emotional hue. So we asked our editors how they really want to spend their annual leave. Expect cocktails, cities, and plenty of sun.
- 21 fab things to do in 2021
  
  As we bid good riddance the year we'd all prefer to forget, it's time to start planning for our freedom. Here's our pick of all the best things to do in Northants in 2021.
- 20 Muddy-approved attractions in Northamptonshire
  
  From the big-beast tourist destinations to our cool insider alternatives, read on for our pick of 20 unmissable attractions in the county.

Work View more
Ideas to get your finances into shape for 2021

The beginning of the year is always about renewal, resolutions and healthy regimes. But the fallout from Covid has shown how financial wellbeing is also vital – and too often overlooked. Muddy limbers up for a money MOT.
Kids
- Stop fussing! And other lockdown lessons
  
  Parenting can be a little fraught when you're essentially under siege in your own house. So we decided to talk to our young people to find out what they think we could be doing better.
- 6 reasons to consider InterHigh
  
  If you're one of the many parents considering an alternative to mainstream education right now, virtual school InterHigh could be the answer to your prayers.

Fashion View more
Best fitness gear for 2021

New year, new fitness routine? We’re with you! Here’s the Muddy edit of stylish sportswear and accessories that’ll have you in tip-top form in no time.
- Festive fashion SOS
  
  This festive season, more than ever before, we all want to feel our most fabulous even if we aren't going far. We called on the fashionistas at Thackeray's Woman in Northampton to find out what they'll be wearing for Christmas and New Year, from pjs and loungewear to spangly frocks.
- Sustainable fashion gets sexy
  
  Ethical, eco and everywhere - with the likes of Selfridges now pushing a new sustainable outlook, here's where you can rewear, repair and renew your wardrobe in style.

Beauty View more
- 7 divine bath oils for a long soak
  
  We've put Blue Monday behind us. I think that calls for a relaxing bath, don't you? Here's how to make your evening soak more luxurious than ever.
- The essential no make-up make-up kit
  
  It’s a trend that’s not going away anytime soon; make-up so subtle that it just makes you look like a brighter and better version of yourself. Here’s the Muddy guide.

People View more
How to run well by a pro marathon runner

Need some work-out motivation? You’re in the right place. Muddy talks to endurance athlete Nick Butter about how to motivate yourself out the door and onto an exerciser regime.
- What’s cooking? Calum Franklin, The Pie Room
  
  Fresh from the launch of his mouth-watering new cookbook, we caught up with the London Pie King himself to talk Scotch eggs, the Breville toastie masker and cooking for Axl Rose.
- Yes, people, this is Meg Mathews!
  
  Primrose Hill party queen turned wellness guru? Stranger things have happened! Muddy chats to the always glamorous Meg Mathews about her new book, self-care and, er, vagina facials.