THE VILLAGE EMPORIUM - MY FAVOURITE LITTLE FREE MAGAZINE - PICK OF THE BUNCH

There are so many free journals popping through our letterboxes these days. Most of them can be described as local business guides or advertising journals. Some have useful  community information but  on the whole, most are just chock-a-block full of useless ads which seem to be repeated in similar journals. There is usually no local history, interesting images or content that is of consequence to the local community - not what we are looking for. Some editors use inappropriate national type covers which are mostly disappointing, giving no indication of the places within. Most are quickly binned - what a waste of paper, time and effort. But now and again something different comes along and here it is = THE VILLAGE EMPORIUM, an A5 fully coloured, 50-page magazine which  is circulated around 32 villages in Essex. Janet, Julie and Sarah, the editors, provide an excellent read, outlining the best upcoming events happening in this lovely part of our county. Lots of readers enjoy the competitions, advice columns, crossword puzzles, garden visits, events (including my pet topic - the 2018 Essex Book Festival with 100+ events taking place across the county in libraries, theatres, lecture halls and hotels), so this March-April issue will not be disposed of. Of course, we don't escape the ads, but now and again, we will find some new, interesting advertisers, which is what it is all about. Find out a little more via www.emporiumessex.co.uk