Жители Кнутсфорда объединились для поддержки больных муковисцидозом: 95% местных предпринимателей окрасили город в желтый цвет

Look beyond the luxury homes and the quirky street scene, and there’s a true community spirit in Knutsford. It’s a place with a vibrant town centre at its heart, led by an unusually large number of independent business owners. In June, more than 100 Knutsford businesses came together to turn the town yellow. Knutsford was united for the national Cystic Fibrosis Wear Yellow Day, with the town’s traders backing local business owner Peter Murray. ‘Knutsford has the feel of a small village housed in a larger town,’ said Peter, proprietor of Pulse of Perfumery on King Street. ‘You can see this special spirit in how we have got 95 per cent of town centre businesses to come together for Wear It Yellow. We had 5,000 yellow balloons in town centre premises and a ball at Toft Cricket Club.’ Peter has held senior roles in the perfumery industry over a successful 40-year career. He runs Pulse of Perfumery alongside his wife Melanie and attracts customers from across the UK. ‘We are in our 15th year in business here,’ said Peter. ‘It is a business based on passion and that’s led to many awards and a Tripadvisor listing in the top 10 per cent of businesses worldwide for specialist gifting. People travel to Knutsford to see us, and we’re delighted to showcase the town to them. There’s a strong inclusive feel to the town centre business owners.’ Peter organised Knutsford’s first Wear It Yellow Day in 2017 when he distributed 1,000 balloons, and he was the spark for another project. Photography enthusiast John Horsley was wandering around the town centre when he met Peter dressed as a spaceman. ‘I was wearing a Covid-safe cuddle suit,’ explained Peter. As the two chatted, John took Peter’s photo and an idea emerged. ‘We thought, wouldn’t it be good if we had a photographic record of all the town centre businesses that survived lockdown,’ said John. ‘There were around 140 businesses, which surprised me. "We have done it again since." Knutsford is unique. Most of the premises are small and this suits independent businesses. ‘People like to come into Knutsford and that’s reflected in the shop, café, and restaurant owners – there’s enthusiasm and many work together.’ Now retired, John has lived in Knutsford for 42 years. He says it is an enjoyable, vibrant place to live. John’s book, Faces and Facades, which he describes as a tribute in photographs to the independent and small businesses of Knutsford town centre, can be seen at the town council offices and at the Knutsford Heritage Centre. The town centre is compact, basically a circular walk taking in Princess Street and King Street, often described as top and bottom street, and the small streets and alleyways which knit them together. The business community works well with the town council to organise special event days. These include Knutsford Alfresco Dining, which sees some streets closed to traffic. King Street and Silk Mill Street were full of diners at the last alfresco event in June with venues taking part including the Rose and Crown Inn, Gusto Italian, Morgan Edwards, Mowgli Street Food, Patrick’s Irish Pub, Smokehouse & Cellar, Wallop, Six Knutsford, Piccolino and Smoke Knutsford, all of which offered outdoor seating, allowing guests to enjoy the town centre in the summer sunshine. Caroline Haynes, events manager at Knutsford Town Council, said: 'Alfresco dining is a real highlight of the town’s summer programme. Events like this are all about creating a welcoming atmosphere, supporting our local hospitality businesses, and giving residents and visitors a chance to experience Knutsford in a different way.' This article was originally published in Cheshire Life. If you enjoyed this content, consider subscribing to Cheshire Life for more insightful articles, in-depth features, and exclusive content. Simply visit our website at https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/cheshire/ to subscribe today! Further alfresco dining dates are planned for Sunday, August 16, and Sunday, September 13. The mid-August dining date has been arranged to work alongside Paint Knutsford, where artists spend their day painting their favourite Knutsford scenes before having them displayed at the market hall for public viewing. Registration for the event is now closed. Knutsford’s busy market hall is well worth visiting. Following a major refurbishment in 2025, it now features 10 fixed places for traders and pop-up stalls. There’s a diverse range of places to eat, drink, and socialise. Cafés include Neki, on King Street, owned by Daniel Nechita, a coffee enthusiast who managed several coffee shops before fulfilling his dream of opening his own family-run business in 2019; Café on the Corner, serving Knutsfordians and visitors since 2012; the long-established Cranford Café and sandwich bar on Canute Place, and Tatton Perk run by award-winning barista, Mark Lee-Kilgariff, who last year opened a second shop in nearby Chelford. Restaurant-goers are spoilt for choice, and there’s something for all tastes, with dishes from around the globe. The Stolen Lamb, which has a sister restaurant in Wilmslow, offers Greek cuisine; Sigiriya features vibrant South Asian flavours prepared by authentic Sri Lankan chefs. You can also enjoy Italian food at Giovanni’s, Spanish tapas from Evuna, Indian delights from Mowgli Street Food, and, of course, many restaurants serve both traditional and modern English menus, including family-run Linden Stores, on Minshull Street. Less than a year after opening, in late 2024, LI~LY by Aiden Byrne, was mentioned in the prestigious Michelin Guide, retaining its listing in 2026. Byrne, the chef patron, has created nine-course and five-course tasting menus inspired by the freshest ingredients from trusted local suppliers. He says: 'By focussing on locally grown produce and regional specialties, we celebrate our community while reducing food miles.’ April’s Kitchen, Regent Street, was founded in 2017 and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and cocktails. A pub tour of Knutsford is packed full of history. Visit the White Bear, which dates to 1587 and is believed to be the town’s oldest pub; the family-owned Rose and Crown, a historic inn dating back to the 17th century; the 300-year-old Lord Eldon, where you’ll often find a Cheshire-made guest beer on tap, and the Angel, an 18th-century coaching inn that has recently undergone a tasteful refurbishment. Less traditional hostelries include Wine and Wallop, Patrick’s Irish Pub, the Old Session House, the Blind Pig and Dexter and Jones, a craft beer, gin, and wine shop and bar owned by musician and former Coronation Street star Adam Rickitt and his wife, the ITV presenter, Katie. Names including Cranford, Canute and Tatton on pubs, cafés, and restaurants, draw from Knutsford’s rich history. Knutsford is the inspiration for the streets of Cranford in the acclaimed novel of the same name, written by Elizabeth Gaskell. Meanwhile, according to local legend, the Danish King Canute forded the local River Lily, alternatively known as Birkin Brook, with his army. Knutsford’s name is believed to be a derivation of Canute's Ford. With more than 140 independent business owners, it’s safe to say you can buy almost anything in Knutsford, and you don’t need to ever visit a corporate. Butchers, bakers, perhaps even candlestick makers, can be found in the town’s picturesque streets. If you are looking for that special outfit, boutiques include The Edit, Willow, Milania, Blossoms, Verity Plum and Paris boutique. Phil Lanigan and Neil Hulme have established high-end British men’s and women’s fashion stores in Knutsford and Sale. They say: 'As avid local men's fashion consumers, we became frustrated at the lack of independent quality menswear options in the North West that represented the great British heritage brands that we loved. ‘Our only real accessible channels were online, in other cities, or in the larger soulless department stores which didn't give us the full shopping experience or service we wanted or as male customers deserved.’ That passion includes a ‘Made in Manchester’ clothing range, and the social nature of the business sees potential customers are invited to come in for a coffee, or a beer, and a chat. While shopping, visitors are advised to look up to enjoy Knutsford’s many historic buildings. Blue plaque spotting is a good way of learning about the town’s rich history and plaques can be seen on buildings, marking well-known figures from the town, including Elizabeth Gaskell; Henry Royce, of Rolls-Royce fame; Richard Harding Watt, who was responsible for Knutsford’s unique Italianate buildings including the imposing Gaskell Memorial Tower; physician Sir Henry Holland; Edward Penny, a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts and philanthropist, Marjorie Hurst. Further plaques mark Miss Matty’s Tea Room, said to be the home of the principal character in Mrs Gaskell’s novel Cranford; the town’s Old Chapel and Grammar School; Brook Street Chapel; the Royal George Hotel; the old Police Station; the Ruskin Rooms, Knutsford Sessions House, which later became a Crown Court and the Longview Hotel which gained a special place in modern political history as the headquarters of Martin Bell, the TV war reporter, who famously ousted Neil Hamilton as MP for Tatton in 1997. Knutsford’s history is inextricably linked to Tatton Hall and Park, just a short walk from the town centre. Known as one of the UK’s most complete country estates, Tatton is now run by the National Trust. It features the hall, a grand 18th-century mansion, a farm, a Japanese garden and a 1,000-acre deer park. There are many events throughout the year. Run Through Tatton five and 10k races take place on Saturday, August 8; a junior longbow archery day on Friday, August 14; a classic car event on the following weekend; Cheshire Fest music event on Saturday, August 22 and the Summer Country Fayre at the Farm, from August 29 to 31. Look on the Tatton Park website to check dates for regular Old Hall open days and art workshops, while Tatton always pulls out all the stops with a series of Christmas spectaculars. In its 2025 guide, the Sunday Times described Knutsford as a classy place to live and said: 'Knutsford just keeps getting better and better.’ The town made the Sunday Times list of seven towns and villages named the best in the North West to make your home. The recommendation for Knutsford mentioned the Curzon Cinema and busy street scene, but also praised the town’s community heart, singling out the Knutsford Hosts organisation – a town-wide community volunteering scheme. The idea for the Hosts came from the London 2012 ‘gamesmakers’ and involves a ‘town bank’ of well over 100 volunteers, which community organisations can call on for support at events from small gardening schemes to Knutsford’s Royal May Day. Collectively, the Hosts have achieved a huge amount, contributing 20,000 hours of community volunteering time. Rightmove says Knutsford had an overall average sale price of £561,337 in recent months. The majority of properties sold in Knutsford during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £835,494. Terraced properties sold for an average of £455,535, with semi-detached properties fetching £465,490.