I HAVE and will always support the traditions and core values that make Knutsford what it is.

We live in an incredibly special place, with the kind of history that has physically and culturally shaped all aspects of the town and life for many years.

Our Royal May Day is among our proudest events, and 2014 marks the 150th anniversary, which, in my view, is a magnificent achievement for everyone who volunteers their time to keep this treasured event alive.

This year, I attended the choosing of the Knutsford Royal May Queen for the first time in support of photo coverage for my friends at the Guardian.

I was pleased to be there and arrived armed with a wide range of lenses, prepared to accurately record the importance of the event for our posterity.

It became clear that the selection process is trapped in a time warp. The would-be May Queens filed nervously into the hall before parading round the makeshift arena, holding their number identities in front of them, smiling eagerly at the long-seasoned committee.

This was not the cultured ceremony I had come to believe in; this was, in essence, a beauty pageant. It looked like young girls were selected and rejected purely on how they looked or smiled. Society has moved on 30 or more years ahead of this near chanceless and unfair process of elimination.

I believe that the 150th year should mark a total and positive change in the selection process. A process that should account for individual merits, achievements, skills, community transactions and truly value the girls for what they can offer Knutsford society.

This activates many things: it helps focus younger minds on values and civic responsibilities. It deeply engages parents and the community in the support of children’s personal desire to achieve more. It enables all who do not have ‘the looks’ or ‘the smile’ to take a prominent place in Knutsford history.

More importantly, it gives every young Knutsfordian a fair and rightful chance of selection by order of positive merits.

JONATHAN FARBER Knutsford