I WAS saddened to read Richard Cussons’ letter Market Day Misery in the Knutsford Guardian.

While I can appreciate the inconvenience and difficulties faced by those who live on/off Princess Street, I do feel we should be able to find a way to cope with a change from the ‘norm’ for one day a month. 

It is still possible to walk along King Street without hindrance, though I do accept the council urgently needs to find a way of dealing with the volume of visitors trying to find somewhere to park, other than dishing out parking tickets.  I do wonder how our European neighbours deal with their weekly street markets, often in more congested venues, which we as tourists enjoy frequenting when the opportunity arises. 

The market allows traders from the town and beyond to sell their wares. To my knowledge, those local ones do very well, otherwise they wouldn’t be back month after month. 

One only has to see Woods’ Butchers leaving a sign on their stall saying ‘sorry, sold out; thank you!’  It must benefit the town and encourage visitors to return and explore the other assets Knutsford has to offer.

It may well be annoying to be woken early on a Sunday morning when the contractors are setting up but goodness, me we cope with planes keeping us awake all night on a regular basis.  This is the price we have opted to pay for living in a lovely town, close to the delights of Tatton. Hence, the opportunity to share some of what we as a town have is made possible by the market. 

Yes, it is difficult walking along Princess Street – I have done it every market day, pushing my father in his wheelchair to and from our church. I do not consider our worship disrupted by noise and a loud band, who are giving their own time to raise money for charity. 

We could close our doors and shut out the ‘loud noise’ but we pride ourselves on being an open and welcoming church. We do not mind ‘noise’ in our services and, indeed, our own worship band can make their own fair share.

How sad if those individuals who do enter KMC on market days, whether to use the facilities, accept our free tea/coffee, or simply to find some moments of quietness, should feel they are a disruption or a cause of misery by attending the market.

The market could/may move elsewhere, but I doubt this would be without disruption or misery.

Jackie Robertson

Knutsford