Welcome to the 552nd and very final edition of The Journal

From humble beginnings back in 1977, The Journal has continued to bring news and pictures from the villages of Narborough, Enderby, Littlethorpe, Huncote and Thurlaston each month. Unfortunately changing conditions – few advertisers, few contributors and increasing competition from social media – make it impossible for us to continue. To all of our readers, particularly those who stuck with us over the last 48 years, thank you for your company and we hope you enjoyed our offerings. Best wishes to you all for the future.

The front cover shows a delightful branch from a Yew tree displaying, like almost all fruit trees this year, a remarkable crop of berries. Most commonly found in churchyards, Yews are poisonous and formerly seen as omens of doom, but they are increasingly used to provide anti-cancer drugs.