The urban guide to the countryside -

Well, hello!

I'm Hero, editor of Muddy Bucks & Oxon, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

Gotta Have It

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Superflashy newsflashIf it's new, exciting and worth sharing, it's right here. All hail the Muddy newsflash!
6 reasons to go to The Big Festival6 reasons to snag your spot at Big Feastival this weekend (clue: Lewis Capaldi, celebrity chef dining, and Mr Tummmmble!) Looking for a weekender of A-list singers, super-groovado chefs and family fun? I've got just the ticket.
Art's rising rock starsBudget doesn't stretch to an Emin or Hirst? Here's 12 cool, collectable artists who won't require you to sell a loved one (and may prove to be a good investment).
Gossip incoming!A Harrods café in Henley? You betcha! Plus a whole load of other big reveals just for you.
46 stunning summer pubsFancy sipping a cold one in a pretty al fresco pub setting with friends or fam? Here are the best of the bunch across all the Muddy counties. Cheers!

Fri 23 - Sun 25 Aug

Mon 19 - Sun 25 Aug

August 2019

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Muddy eats: Fego, Beaconsfield

Heading to Beaconsfield and need a steer on a cool café? Tap just here, and watch me pull Fego out of the hat. I know, it’s magic!
- Pinkies at the ready?
  
  Rejoice, it's National Afternoon Tea Week - but where can you get your fix of diddy sandwiches and scones? I know, I know!
- The best brunch in town
  
  The most lipsmackingly indulgent meal of the day and we have 47 of the best ones to tempt you with, from vegan to full English, flat white to green detox. Just add friends and a hangover.
- REVIEW: Dirty Bones, Oxford
  
  Will Muddy's resident vegetarian Nancy find things to her liking at Westgate meat-feast Dirty Bones? Let's find out.
- The Chesterton, Bicester
  
  Deco styling, black marble bathrooms and oodles of charm make this renovated hotel, just a few miles from Bicester Village, a fashionable overnighter. Here's what you need to know.

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.

The Grove, at your (five star) service

It’s just across the border in Herts but it’s well worth the journey for such epic five-star fabulousness (“theatre of dining”, anyone?) Muddy Herts editor Katrina checks in.
- Muddy’s Insider Guide to the Isle of Wight
  
  This sunny little Island may be small in stature but it's packed to the brim with amazing things to check out. We've got the top tips on how to discover the real Isle of Wight.
- Muddy reviews: The Eastbury Hotel, Sherborne, Dorset
  
  Fancy a trip to Dorset? We know just the spot to base yourself. Muddy's Rachel McLoughlin beds in to the newly revamped Eastbury Hotel, Sherborne.

Word up

Too busy to say it yourself? Lacking the vocab to express your feelings after a long day battling spreadsheets or sprogs? Let a classic slogan T do it for you.
Beauty
- Five of the best…travel sets
  
  Heading off on holiday? Check in these ready to fly travel sets- just chuck 'em in your suitcase and go!
- Shopping centre stunner
  
  It's not just about the frocks! Oxford's Westgate sorts nails, hair, brows and make-up in one fell swoop. Here's where to head for the beauty treatment.

Review: War Horse, New Theatre Oxford

Eleven years after it first premiered, is War Horse still first past the post for must-see theatre? Read our brand new verdict from the New Theatre Oxford gala night.
- Art’s rising rock stars
  
  Blank walls but your budget doesn't stretch to an Emin or Hirst? Here's 12 cool, collectable artists who won't require you to sell a loved one (and may prove to be a good investment).
- Best kids’ movies this summer
  
  With the weather a bit unpredictable, it's a good week for a cinema trip. It'll keep 'em quiet for a couple of hours while you have a sneaky snooze, right?

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
- 5 reasons to book Madagascar The Musical
  
  The family-friendly fandango comes to Aylesbury Waterside next month, here's why we'll be sat front and centre.
- Magdalen College School, Oxford
  
  An academically outstanding day school for boys 11-18 years and girls 16-18 years in the centre of Oxford. You'll like the grades!

Yup, stage school works!

Another year and another surge of nascent stars of the stage and screen graduate from Tring Park School for the Performing Arts.
- Food fit for a queen
  
  Sacre bleu! L'Ortolan's creative Head Chef Tom Clarke spills the beans on cooking for the Royal family, his love of French cuisine, famous diners and his food-trend regrets (he's had a few).
- A day in the life of… a theatre director
  
  Losing star actors, playing Dobble, chucking mashed potato around - it's all in a (surreal) day's work for Chipping Norton Theatre's artistic director.