Spotlight

Your ultimate autumn culture planner 2020Culture vultures, grab your diaries. Here's your Muddy-curated cheat sheet to the season's best art, theatre, TV, books and film in the UK.
What's On this week in WarwickshireIt's looking like an Indian summer! Looking for something nice to do? There's a new lifestyle festival at Warwick Castle, wood-fired pizzas, art, theatre and more in our curated guide.
Bottoms up! The best new indie drinksGot a large glass to hand? We’ve rounded up 42 of the best new independent drinks from across the Muddy counties from wine and gin to rum and beer.
30+ Heritage Open Days 2020: 'Hidden Nature' in Cov & WarksDiscover the nature that exists on our doorsteps for free from Sept 11-20, as well as built heritage including allotments, gardens, green spaces, urban parks, orchards, vineyards, farms and forests..
What's on in SeptemberAs autumn approaches there's a resurgence of post-lockdown arts, culture and family fun across Warwickshire, Coventry and further afield. Here's 27 of our top picks.

Well, hello!

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

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Gotta Have It

On the back of our recent best UK indie drinks feature, we have some more exciting local news about a West Midlands based craft rum celebrating its first major supermarket listing.

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Little Black Book

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Flore House, Flore, Northants

The Bower House, Shipston-on-Stour

Newbold Spirit, Leamington Spa

Wootton Park Pods and Retreats, Wootton Wawen

Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Hippodrome

Billesley Manor Hotel, near Stratford-upon-Avon

Twinings Home Fragrance

Hilltop Farm's Hilltop Hideaways, Hunningham, Leamington Spa

The Red Lion, Hunningham, near Leamington Spa

Hart and Co, Leamington Spa

Becketts Farm, Wythall

KLR Interiors, Studley

Eat View more
Pear & Blackberry Tarte Tatin

Feeling fruity? You will be with this sumptuous September dish. With foragable fruits on every corner we don’t blame you for not being able to resist this sexy rustic French dish from Daylesford. Try it now.
- Launch review: The Pig, Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
  
  On its opening day, Muddy's ed-in-chief Hero Brown was the first to eat lunch at the brand new Pig hotel in Harlyn Bay (what a trooper!). So what was the verdict?
- Cheers to Newbold Spirit!
  
  New independent Warwickshire distillery Newbold Spirit wins a triple silver in the IWSC spirit awards 2020.
- Rum – it’s the new gin!
  
  In honour of National Rum Day, we’ve benched our usual G&T for something a little spicier. Here’s what to buy and how to drink it (spoiler: no coke allowed!).
- The zero-waster’s refill guide to Warwickshire and beyond
  
  Striving to achieve your green goals? Warwickshire's rising number of eco-friendly refill stores has it covered. Here's our pick of the 15 best locally.

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Arts & Culture View more
Democratising Culture and Creativity Weekender, Sat Sept 26

A new spoken-word film exploring Black Lives Matter, keeping in touch during the pandemic and a digital drag show feature in this youthful third weekender by West Midlands Culture Response. Unit.
- What’s On this week in Warwickshire
  
  It's looking like an Indian summer! Looking for something nice to do? There's a new lifestyle festival at Warwick Castle, wood-fired pizzas, art, theatre and more in our curated guide.
- Boredom begone! Here’s what to watch this week
  
  In need of something new to sink your teeth into? Muddy to the rescue! Here are the latest TV and film releases coming to a screen near you.
- Watch Belgrade’s My Beautiful Laundrette free online
  
  See My Beautiful Laundrette, an acclaimed stage version of Hanif Kureishi's 80s film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Gordon Warnecke, for free.
- Back-to-school films we give an A+
  
  The best days of your life, they said. Hmmm... perhaps not but they were certainly memorable. Relive the pain and the glory with Muddy's top 10 school films.

Home View more
- J’adore/J’abhor: Dulux’s ‘Brave Ground’
  
  Dulux’s colour of 2021 is hot off the press and majorly dividing opinions at Muddy HQ – but will you be plastering your walls in ‘Brave Ground’? Let us know in the comments!
Wellbeing
- A brand new ‘Self-Care Sunday’ Wellness Retreat this autumn
  
  Surrender to the healing powers of forest bathing, yoga & meditation, stargazing round the fire-pit and a symbolic dove release at Warwickshire's Wootton Park on Oct 10 & 11.
- How to nourish your ‘ojas’: 12 Ayurvedic self-care tips
  
  Sara Palmer, founder of Stratford-upon-Avon's LoveYogaHealing, shares ideas from one of the oldest medical systems in the world, on boosting immunity and health during lockdown

Travel View more
Review: Flore House, Flore, Northants

This jaw-dropping boutique country house retreat in a peaceful village just across the Warwickshire border boasts 20 acres to explore and impeccable interior design with a witty contemporary twist.
- A brand new ‘Self-Care Sunday’ Wellness Retreat this autumn
  
  Surrender to the healing powers of forest bathing, yoga & meditation, stargazing round the fire-pit and a symbolic dove release at Warwickshire's Wootton Park on Oct 10 & 11.
- Tiara at the ready! The best castles within 90 minutes
  
  Ready for a right royal day out? We've rounded up 12 of the coolest castles in Warwickshire and beyond. Let's go!

Work View more
Back-to-school for grown-ups

The kids may be going back to school but why should they get all the new gear? We all deserve shiny winter boots and bags too. Here’s our pick for back-to-school style.
- J’adore/ J’abhor: video calls
  
  Are you a FaceTime fanatic or a Skype cynic? After months of video call catch-ups, two Muddy editors battle it out over the digital face-to-face.
- Let’s support our shops (at a social distance)
  
  Was anyone else itching to get into a real shop? We'd love to hear shout-outs for your local high street heroes across Warwickshire.
Kids
- Moreton Hall, Oswestry, Shropshire
  
  Muddy says: With a new £1.45m theatre and national lacrosse champions, this nurturing rural boarding and day school has a strong academic record, wonderfully quirky features and even its very own farm smallholding.
- Moreton Hall’s Virtual Open Day, Sat Sept 19
  
  Looking for a small, idiosyncratic but high achieving boarding school for your child in the countryside?

Fashion View more
It’s in the jeans – new season denim we love

We’re staging a fashion intervention. Step away from the loungewear, it is time to get back into jeans. We’ve scoured the high street and local indies for the best of the bunch.
- New season fashion trends: A/W 2020
  
  The fashionistas have spoken! Add pieces from these five trends to your wardrobe to nail autumn/ winter style this year.
- Autumn’s comfiest fashion trend
  
  With luxe fabrics, funky designs and cool silhouettes, cardigans have never been cooler. Here are seven of our favourite online buys to add to your autumn wardrobe.

Beauty View more
- Best beauty advent calendars for 2020
  
  It's beginning to look a lot like advent calendar season! We've rounded up the top makeup, skincare and fragrance picks to get your hands on before they sell out.
- The essential no 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
Hillers Farm Shop, Alcester: Our lockdown experience

Sisters Sally Haines and Emma Taylor Hillers and Emma share their lockdown experiences and what’s happening to the farming family’s centenary celebrations.
- Muddy meets: Shlomo, beatboxer
  
  He's worked with Ed Sheeran, Lily Allen, and Rudimental, and now record-breaking beatboxer Shlomo has a new project on his hands - raising money for the NHS in association with theatres like Warwick's Playbox. Tell us about it, Shlo!
- Muddy meets… Olivia Burt
  
  We caught up with the 'Masterchef: The Professionals' finalist for all the backstage goss from the show, her must-eat spots for post-lockdown, and her run-in with police in Paris. Blimey!
- My favourite places
  
  Renowned Oxfordshire floral stylist and friend of Muddy, Willow Crossley, knows some stylish local spots that she thinks you'll love, including one in Warwickshire. Ready to take notes?
- Muddy meets… Melissa Hemsley
  
  It turns out the healthy cooking queen has culinary disasters too! Melissa spills the beans (then whips them up into a tasty frittata)...