Spotlight

Tissues at the ready - Adele's brand new single is out!Feeling emotionally stable? Not for long! The queen of breakup songs has released her first single in five years and it's a good'un. Watch the video here.
Where to pick your pumpkins in WarwickshireC'mon, it's time to prep for Halloween! Head to one of these local farms and make the kids put the legwork in before they can start carving.
Five reasons to hit FarGo, Cov's coolest indie hangoutHome to an eclectic mix of more than 40 fiercely independent businesses, if FarGo isn't on your radar, it should be. Here's our top reasons you should be paying it a visit.
Who's pulling the strings behind the RSC's next big show?Designing a huge elephant that can be moved by puppeteers is no small task, but the RSC’s Mervyn Millar (of War Horse fame), is a seasoned pro. He tells us how it's done.
Where are the Best Places to Live 2022?Our obsession with upping sticks and moving shows no sign of abating. Lucky then that for our new intake of Best Places to Live we've partnered with Strutt & Parker estate agents!

Well, hello!

I'm Laura, editor of Muddy Warwickshire & West Midlands, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

Find out more

Gotta Have It

It goes with everything — from knockout dresses to comfy tees. Shop this workhorse of the fashionista wardrobe with Muddy’s top six picks for autumn / winter 2021.

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

Five reasons to hit FarGo, Cov’s coolest indie hangout

Home to an eclectic mix of more than 40 fiercely independent businesses, if FarGo isn’t on your radar, it should be. Here’s our top reasons you should be paying it a visit.
- Local bakeries we love, in honour of GBBO
  
  Bake Off is back on TV so time to drag out the food mixer. Can’t be bothered? Fair enough! Put down that spatula and support these 9 drool-worthy bakeries instead.
- Superflashy Newsflash!
  
  Hot new news in Warwickshire! New gins and delis, festivals and markets – read on to find out the latest gossip in our county.

Culture

7 unmissable things to watch on TV this week

Why scroll through the Radio Times when we know exactly what’s good this week? From Succession’s bold new series to a saucy dating / dancing reality mashup, here’s what to watch.
- Who’s pulling the strings behind the RSC’s next big show?
  
  Designing a huge elephant that can be moved by puppeteers is no small task, but the RSC’s Mervyn Millar (of War Horse fame), is a seasoned pro. He tells us how it’s done.
- Six things you’ll want to watch this week
  
  Roll up, roll up! It’s the cream of the TV crop. From THAT Netflix stalker show to star-studded fundraisers and spooky horror specials, we know exactly what to watch this week.

Little Black Book

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

Chrissie's Catering, Coventry

Fargo Village, Coventry

The Fuzzy Duck, Armscote

Tinywood Homes glamping, near Leamington Spa

The Old Tractor Shed, Dadlington

Revive, Warwick

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Stratford-upon-Avon

The Wave, Coventry

Gpod - The Garden Room Company, Shipston-on-Stour

Christopher Peters Bespoke Kitchens and Interiors, Leamington Spa

The Townhouse, Stratford-upon-Avon

The George Townhouse, Shipston-on-Stour

Travel

Italy, Mr Bond? 24 hours in Matera

Make mine a martini, shaken not stirred while we tell you our insider tips on how to best experience the coolest city you’ve probably never heard of.
- Review: The Hideaway Retreat
  
  Uninterrupted views from a luxury shepherds hut in its own private field in Hunningham – but does Hilltop Hideaway’s latest venture pass the Muddy test?
- 65 paw-fect dog-friendly stays
  
  Have pooch, will travel? You betcha! Here are 65 stays across the Muddy counties that are all Fido-friendly, from stunning stately homes to rural cottage staycations.

Home

Raymond Blanc’s Ironbark Pumpkin Soup

Wondering what to do with those mountains of leftover pumpkin flesh? Ta da! Whip up this wickedly warming recipe, served up with a hunk of sourdough, it’s just what autumn ordered.
- Where are the Best Places to Live 2022?
  
  Our obsession with upping sticks and moving shows no sign of abating. Lucky then that for our new intake of Best Places to Live we’ve partnered with Strutt & Parker estate agents!
- The top 10 trending autumn colours
  
  Planning on pimping your walls this autumn? Save yourself hours of scrolling through Pinterest and paint charts: Muddy reveals the top ten trending colours this season.
Wellbeing
- Headline walks in Warwickshire
  
  Looking for an autumn walk worthy of front page news? Check out these 10 headline-grabbing walks from the highest points and best views to stunning autumn colour and pub stops
- Your health questions answered!
  
  Don’t understand why the weight won’t shift? Have a back that’s reminiscent of Quasimodo? Muddy puts your questions to Healthily’s chief medical officer, Professor Maureen Baker

Life

Write on! 11 stylish stationery picks

Back to school season always calls out for new books and pens — the prettier the better. Grown-ups, gather round: this is your ultimate stylish stationery round-up, from pens to paperweights.
Kids
- Adcote School for Girls, Shropshire
  
  This small, non-selective school manages to be a triple threat in academics, sports, and pastoral care all at once. The last five years have seen it turn from middle-of-the-road to national contender.
- Where to pick your pumpkins in Warwickshire
  
  C’mon, it’s time to prep for Halloween! Head to one of these local farms and make the kids put the legwork in before they can start carving.

Instamuddy

Fashion

6 of the best… trench coats

It goes with everything — from knockout dresses to comfy tees. Shop this workhorse of the fashionista wardrobe with Muddy’s top six picks for autumn / winter 2021.
- 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.
- Gotta have it: British handcrafted furniture & jewellery
  
  Fourteen handcrafted furniture and jewellery pieces by British designers we love at Birmingham’s Artisan Alchemy – a contemporary gallery in the city’s creative Jewellery Quarter.
Beauty
- Can Haringtons tame the Muddy mane?
  
  Fly-away hair with lots of grey? Not just me then… The challenge for award-winning hairdresser and colourist Barry was to create a style that will still look good a week later
- How to get that perfect sun-kissed glow
  
  Forget pale and interesting… we’re channelling the St Tropez vibe, minus the orange tint. Here are some lotions and potions for a natural-looking tan without the UV damage

People

5 minutes with Emily Atack

We caught up with the actress/comedian ahead of her new stand up show, Emily Atack: Has Left the Group, at The Albany Theatre where she’ll discuss dating disasters and her love of a WhatsApp group.
- Muddy talks parenting with Lorraine Candy
  
  “All teenage girls think their mums are a bit rubbish”. Journalist and mother of four Lorraine Candy talks parenting, moody teens and motherhood with Muddy.
- Muddy meets actor Zoe Lambert
  
  Zoe Lambert is making her RSC debut in The Winter’s Tale which never opened on stage due to Covid but has been adapted for TV on Sunday April 25, as part of BBC Lights Up.