Muddy Stilettos Northamptonshire

The urban guide to the countryside -

Well, hello!

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

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Easter activities SORTED!Are you in Half-Term recovery mode? Now the kids are back at school (praise be), plan for an easier Easter with Barracudas Activity Day Camps – I reckon your ankle biters will love them.
Dog-friendly staysHave pooch, will travel? Here are 43 stays across the Muddy counties that are all Fido-friendly.
Flip it: Where to get the best pancakes
We scoff stacks of pancakes on a regular basis so we know where to indulge. No need to worry about the smoke alarm going off and the dishes piling up. Here are ten of the best in Northants and beyond.
7 of the best Sunday roastsIn the line of duty we've road tested Yorkshire puds, red wine gravy, and roast spuds 'til they're coming out of our ears. So here are the very best.
Snowdrops everywhere!They're coming out! The loveliest places to catch winter snowdrops across Northants and beyond over the next few weeks.

Fri 28 Feb - Sun 1 Mar

Mon 24 Feb to Sun 1 Mar

February 2020

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Flip it: Where to get the best pancakes

We scoff stacks of pancakes on a regular basis so we know where to indulge. No need to worry about the smoke alarm going off and the dishes piling up. Here are ten of the best in Northants and beyond.
- 7 of the best Sunday roasts
  
  In the line of duty we've road tested Yorkshire puds, red wine gravy, and roast spuds 'til they're coming out of our ears. So here are the very best.
- The Crown Inn, Weston
  
  This rejuvenated historic coaching inn is a foodie’s dream, hidden away in a secret corner of the shire. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.
- All change at Stanwick Hotel restaurant
  
  There's a new chef (via The Snooty Fox in Lowick) at this charming, traditional hotel restaurant in Stanwick. Shall we go for lunch?
- Fancy a mocktail?
  
  Made it through Dry Jan and still feeling virtuous? Here are some cool local spots for those still in mocktail mode.

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.

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.
- 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.
- 3 good reasons to visit Ettington Park Hotel
  
  We've been before but it was so hauntingly good, we just had to go again.

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.
- 3 new online bridal collections
  
  Here comes the bride... and she's got next-day delivery! First time collections from the likes of Matches, Kitri and even the recently revitalised Warehouse.
- Dotty about polka dots
  
  We're going dotty over the return of an old favourite print - welcome back, polka dot!

The 5 best books out February

Muddy’s pro bookworm Kerry Potter has got five Feb fancies for your delectation. Read all about ’em – and then win the lot!
- The funniest show on TV is back!
  
  The Cotswolds is all creamy stone cottages, exquisite gastropubs and picture perfect villages, right? Erm...
- Muddy theatre review: Holes
  
  An exhilarating new stage adaptation of Louis Sachar’s award-winning ‘90s YA hit novel Holes, that will enthrall both kids and adults.
- Beautiful ballet
  
  Grand jeté your way to the Derngate pronto. One of Russia's leading ballet companies has returned to our 'hood and we were in there like swimwear.
- 5 fun things to do near Towcester Racecourse
  
  Entertainment, dining and exhilarating experiences. We've got it all right here.Day out, anyone?

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. Competition now closed.
- 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?
- Flexi-time – are you working it out?
  
  Flexible working is a buzzy phrase, but seriously - how many of us actually live the dream? Read on to find out how it could work for you.
Kids
- Easter activities SORTED!
  
  Are you in Half-Term recovery mode? Now the kids are back at school (praise be), plan for an easier Easter with Barracudas Activity Day Camps – I reckon your ankle biters will love them.
- How to get your child to engage with reading
  
  All the mums at Muddy HQ are struggling with this at the mo: how to get our little darlings to step away from the darn screen and read more books. What to do? We asked an expert.

The 4 funniest people on social media

Fancy a giggle? These Instagram and Twitter accounts are happy to oblige.
- Muddy meets Melissa Hemsley
  
  Yay, turns out the real food queen has cooking disasters too! She spills the beans (then whips them up into a tasty frittata) on her new book Eat Green, wasting less food and how she always manages to look so damn glowy.
- 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.
- 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.
- Well, hello you!
  
  How has Keanu Reeves not aged in 30 years?! The laconic Hollywood star is back in a fashion campaign that's got social media a-swooning. Shall we examine the evidence?