Picture of the Mayor's Caberet

Mayor’s Cabaret Raises £2k for Local Charities

On Saturday 2nd April, The Mayor of Knutsford welcomed over 50 guests to his Spring Cabaret at The Courthouse. Knutsford. Mayors from across the North West attended to support the Mayor of Knutsford with the penultimate fundraising activity for his chosen charities.

Guests were welcomed with a red carpet entrance where they were greeted by The Mayor and his consort, Mr Simon Hutchence before taking seats in front of the Courthouse’s grand stage from which they were dazzled with performances starting with the incredibly talented students of Fuchsia School of Dance following by a medley popular songs from Knutsford Beats. International Comedian Sully O’Sullivan served as Master of Ceremonies whilst singing duo Igloo Hearts and the acrobatic delights of the show-stopping Circus House completed the bill of entertainment.

The evening was a fantastic success and a combination of sponsorship, ticket sales, prize balloons, an auction, and raffle ticket sales has raised over £2,000 for the Knutsford and District Branch of the Royal British Legion and the Knutsford Branch of The St Vincent De Paul Society; the two charities which have been the focus of Cllr Gardiner’s fundraising efforts.

Prize were found hidden in balloons, each one containing a voucher for a fabulous prize donated by local businesses including gifts from The Botanist, Real Fruit Creamery, Rose and Crown, Shamoli, Pastiche, Eastern Revive, Pizza Express, Crewe Hall, The Lambing Shed and The Courthouse. The sound of balloons popping filled the reception space and started the party atmosphere.

The Raffle proved popular and prizes included donations from Elite Health, Pete The Pilot, Knutsford Directory, Knutsford Music Festival, White Orchid, Cheshire Quality, Rohan, Midas, Roberta Beauty, Sarah Jane King Photography, Tree Tops Holistics and Beauty and the Town Mayor too.

The Live Auction raised over £500 with bidding war between guests to win beautiful prizes donated by Pulse of Perfumery and Andrew Collier Photography.

Tables were decorated with decadent candelabras and were sponsored by Packaging Automation Ltd, Golden Stitches and Elite Health. All are local Knutsford businesses and who each gave incredible support to ensure The Mayor’s Charities have the funds they need in order to support local people.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner said: “What began as inspired thought, after some very hard work became an incredibly enjoyable event with some very impressive performances and delicious food. Everyone who attended told me how much they had enjoyed the evening. I would like to thank everyone who attended or supported me in some way to make the inaugural Cabaret event such a success. “

Cllr Gardiner’s final fundraising event will be a sponsored danceathon taking place in early May.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner sat at a table in the Courthouse Hotel

Town Mayor to host a cabaret evening

Knutsford Town Mayor, Cllr Stewart Gardiner is looking forward to his Spring Charity Cabaret which takes place on Saturday 2nd April at The Courthouse, Knutsford. The Mayor hopes that the Cabaret will be the biggest fundraising event of his mayoral year and promises to be a fun filled evening with performances from a variety of local and national entertainers.

The Spring Cabaret will raise funds to support the Mayor’s chosen charities – the Knutsford Royal British Legion and the Knutsford St Vincent De Paul Society.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner said: “Following the success of my autumn ball, I’m hoping to increase the funds that I will be able to share between my chosen charities. The Cabaret will be an opportunity for everyone to experience a variety of entertainment whilst enjoying dinner in the historic courthouse.  Please accept this as my invitation to each you all to come along and join what will hopefully be a highlight of this year’s social calendar.

Tickets are available for the night at £50 per person for a delicious 2-course meal, and all the evening’s entertainment.  To book your place you can contact the Civic Events Officer Michelle Bate as soon as possible before 7th March on 01565 653929 or email michelle.bate@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk.

Raffle tickets are also now on sale for the Mayor’s Prize Draw at £2 each with a range of great prizes up for grabs. The raffle will be drawn at the Ball but anyone can purchase tickets by contacting Michelle or visiting the Council Offices.

Any businesses wishing to make a prize donation for the raffle can contact Michelle at the details above.

Knutsford Music Festival 2022 Artists Announced

Knutsford Music Festival returns with a bang this year with an exciting line up set to take stage across a weekend of musical entertainment.

The three-day festival will take place from 10th to 12th June, with a variety of events across the weekend coordinated by Knutsford Town Council.

Festival organisers at the Town Council have teamed up with BBC Radio’s Mark Radcliffe to once again bring a line-up of incredible folk music to the festival, with events split this year across Knutsford Little Theatre and St John’s Church.

Folk sensation Kate Rusby will headline the Saturday night folk event at St John’s Church with support from Catherine and Ciara McGoldrick.

Friday night will see critically acclaimed duo Zervas and Pepper will headline at the Little Theatre joined by local favourites Fine Lines who will support alongside singer-songwriter and producer Tim Prottey-Jones.

Sunday’s line-up promises just as much with a headline performance from the lively eight-piece Hope & Social who will be joined for support by local singer-songwriter Chris Tavener, who combines jangly-guitar rock and a biting sense of humour.

Also returning in 2022 is Friday Night Blues, taking place in the beautiful Brook Street Chapel Hall on Friday 10th June and headlined this by Mat Walklate who returns followinga  sell out performance in 2018; this year he is joined by duo partner Alex Haynes, with support from local folk stomping duo Two Hats Blues Band.

All ages can enjoy outdoor fun on Saturday 11th June, as the festival brings music back to the Moor. The free event, which runs from 12-4pm, features live acoustic music from incredible local talent, as well as activities for all ages including a children’s music themed craft workshop, African drumming for all ages and more activities and refreshments provided by local vendors.

Taking place on the Sunday at a venue to be confirmed is A Brief History of Music, a fun 90-minute tour of western musical history starting in the middle ages which combines the vigour of the medieval period, the musical intricacy of the Renaissance, the grandeur of the Baroque and the pomp and bombast of Victoriana!

Tickets for all headline events will go on sale on 1st March at 12.00pm via www.knutsfordmusicfestival.com – tickets are limited so don’t miss out.

Join the festival’s mailing list via website to receive up to date news and announcements including notification of ticket sales opening. For any info relating to the festival please email info@knutsfordmusicfestival.com or call 01565 653 929.

Peter Murray from POP with childrenat Knutsford Bunny Hop 2019

Bunny Hop Bouncing Back for ’22

The Knutsford Bunny Hop will be bouncing back to the Town Centre this Easter Saturday.

The event had a forced two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic but will return for the first time since 2019 on Saturday 16th April.

The family event features an easter themed trail where the objective is to find bunnies hidden across the town centre each of which have a letter pinned to them. Find all the letters which together spell a hidden phrase! You can then submit your completed entry form into the Bunny Hop postbox outside of Mr Simms Sweet Shop on King Street. You will also be able to enjoy other festivities on the day such as face painting and competitions.

The event is very kindly sponsored by Mere Day Nursery, who have supported the event for a number of years. Mere Day nursery is located on Chester Road just outside Knutsford in Mere where children can enjoy the baby room, toddler room or pre-school room and an outdoor space including trees, woodlands and regular access to acres of fields where the play opportunities are endless. 

Alex Brown, Events Officer at Knutsford Town Council, said: “We are thrilled to bring this event back after it has not been possible the last couple of years due to lockdown restrictions. It will be fantastic to celebrate Easter again with our community and we hope everyone comes out to enjoy the event!”

You will find lots of town centre businesses with ‘Bunny Hop Friendly Shop’ posters in their windows, which means the business are involved in the event by offering promotions or giveaways.

Keep up to date with event announcements and news by following Knutsford Bunny Hop on Facebook and Twitter, and by joining the official event on Facebook.

Enquiries related to this event can be sent to alex.brown@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk or you can call 01565 653 929.

A fox shaped lantern against a black sky

Town lit up with Lantern Parade

Knutsford Lantern Parade returned for the first time since 2018 last Sunday, with a spectacular procession of lights in the town centre.

The biennial parade took place on Sunday 5th December, kicking off at 5pm on King Street. Scores of local people lined the streets to enjoy the parade which was led by City of Chester Brass Band and featured Travelling Light Circus LED performance troupe.

Local families had created handmade lanterns at free workshops provided by the Town Council in November and processed along the streets with their moon and stars themed lanterns, joining others in the community who had made lanterns and alongside large feature lanterns made by Handmade Parade. The parade was kindly supported by volunteers from Knutsford Hosts.

Alex Brown, Events Officer at Knutsford Town Council, said: “It was wonderful seeing so many people come along to enjoy the Lantern Parade and Crib Service on Sunday. The lanterns looked beautiful under the Christmas lights and the Crib Service was a wonderful start to the festive season.”

The Town Mayor’s Community Crib Service followed outside the Lost and Found, where the Mayor of Knutsford, Cllr Stewart Gardiner, was joined by Knutsford clergy to bless the town crib and welcome the festive season to Knutsford.

Children from St Vincent’s Primary School led in the singing of Christmas carols accompanied by City of Chester Brass Band. After the service the Knutsford Catenians warmed the community with mince pies and mulled wine.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner, Mayor of Knutsford, said: “It was lovely to see such a great turnout for the Lantern Parade and Crib Service on Sunday. Thanks to all those who helped make it such a lovely event. Particular thanks go to the children of St Vincent’s School for their beautiful singing.”

The Town Mayor adds the letters to the screening notice at the cinema

Charity Screening of Bridget Jones’s Diary

The Mayor of Knutsford is inviting you to join him for special screening of the 2001 ‘hilarious blockbuster’ Bridget Jones’s Diary hosted by The Curzon.

The evening will help raise funds for his chosen charities, the Knutsford branches of the Royal British Legion and St Vincent de Paul Society and takes place from 6pm on Wednesday 8th December.

“This iconic film has something for everyone; laughter and tears with a sprinkling of seasonal festiveness” said Town Mayor, Cllr Stewart Gardiner.

 “Even if you’ve seen it before its worth another viewing and on this occasion you can enjoy the film after a glass of wine and help me raise money for my chosen local charities, so bring your friends and enjoy a pre-Christmas a mid-week night out and in the name of a good cause”

Tickets are £15 which includes a glass of wine on arrival, popcorn and one entry into the raffle where a selection of great prizes can be won. To secure your tickets contact Michelle Bate, Civic Events Officer on 01565 653929 or email michelle.bate@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk.

Any businesses wishing to make a prize donation for the raffle can contact Michelle on the details above.

A man on an inflatable dinosaur with some children

Pumpkin Path a Spooky Success

Knutsford Pumpkin Path has been hailed a spooky success after it returned for its 9th year on Saturday 30th October!

The event returned to celebrate Halloween in Knutsford across King Street, Minshull Street and Regent Street. The night saw families and friends of all ages convene, many in elaborate and amazing costumes for a fun, safe and friendly Halloween festivity. At what has now become tradition visitors have to hunt out 11 special pumpkins carved with letters spelling ‘Pumpkin Path’ which were dotted along King Street and the surrounding roads. In addition to the eleven ‘hosts’ many shops and businesses stayed open late with truly spooktacular window displays and costumes to join in the fun.

Crowds were entertained with singing by Knutsford Beats  and dance performances from Fuschia School of Dance. Halloween themed character actors and exciting experiences in Wallwood were hosted by moviESCAPE escape rooms based in Stockport.

The event was supported by a range of businesses, organisations and voluntary groups including Mr Simms, Knutsford Hosts and Knutsford Lions. The event was also kindly supported by the Mere Day Nursery and Cheshire House Bar and Grill who sponsored the event and helped to make it possible.

Visitors to the path were asked to choose their favourite shop window and the winners were presented with their certificates the following week by the Mayor of Knutsford Cllr Stewart Malloy. The winner was Mr Simms and the three runners up with Highly Commended prizes were Gareth West, Giovannis and D13 Irish Bar. The competition was stiff but all three had stunning spooky displays.

Alex Brown, Events Officer at Knutsford Town Council, said: “We were thrilled to see so many happy faces at the weekend enjoying our Pumpkin Path. It was so exciting to bring this event back in full this year to celebrate Halloween in true Knutsford style. The costumes were fantastic as always and the atmosphere of the event was brilliant. Huge thanks to our amazing local businesses who continue to get stuck in with our events and make the town so vibrant and full of life. Here’s to next year!”

A man holds a sign next to a woman holding a sign in front of a poster for the pumpkin path

Pumpkin Path is Coming

Pumpkins are ripening, carving knives are being sharpened, witches are preparing their brooms for flight… Knutsford’s spooktacular Halloween event is just one month away.

The ninth Knutsford Pumpkin Path returns to the town centre on Saturday 30th October from 4pm to 7pm. Due to Halloween falling on a Sunday, the event has been brought forward a day to the Saturday evening.

Young Knutsfordians are being invited into the town centre to hunt out the eleven carved pumpkins spelling out ‘Pumpkin Path’ whilst enjoying live entertainment, some great photo opportunities and spooky fun in Knutsford Market Hall and Wallwood.

We’re really looking forward to bringing back this popular event after the stripped back version in 2020” said Alex Brown, Events Officer at Knutsford Town Council. “There’s no need to book in advance, just enter the date in your diaries and come along to enjoy the fun”

The Pumpkin Path is organised by Knutsford Town Council and this year is sponsored by Cheshire House Bar and Grill, The Mere Village Nursery and moviESCAPE.

Wallwood will once again be transformed into a spooky space thanks to the team at Stockport’s moviESCAPE. moviESCAPE offers movie quality escape room experiences for all the family in an atmospheric Victorian mill and their family friendly Merlin’s Magic Academy escape room is inspired by the world of the by wizard.

To enable the Pumpkin Path to take place safely, road closures will be in place along King Street (from the junction with Church Walk to the junction with Drury Lane) and Minshull Street. Affected residents will receive detail of the road closure by letter.

a lady shows another a picture whilst three ladies look at a book on a table inside a nice interior shop in Knutsford

Knutsford at Home hailed a hit

Knutsford’s interior and design shops hosted their first interior shopping experience on Saturday 18th September.

The event was a collaboration of the growing number of home and interior shops and businesses in Knutsford town centre and offered shoppers inspiration, advice, and ideas as we move into the autumn and winter seasons.

The day’s programme was full of interesting talks, presentations, one-off offers and in some cases fizz and goody bags. 

The businesses who took part were Arthur Lee, Deliveroot, Design Equals, Detaljer, Holly Johnson Antiques, Not a Box, Oka, Serenity Designs, Sofas and Stuff, Suzy Watson Designs, and Terzetto.

Sandra Curties, Knutsford Town Council’s Town Centre and Marketing Manager, said “We and the shops involved were really pleased how the first event went.  The sun shone on the day, Knutsford Town Mayor Stewart Gardiner kindly visited every shop and there was a lovely buzz around the town.  We are evaluating feedback from the day and are possibly looking at a spring event incorporating gardens too so watch this space!”

Matthew Cook of Terzetto Stone said, “Even though this was the first Knutsford at Home Event, it was very beneficial for everyone involved. The individuals who attended Terzetto’s ‘Tile Trends and You’ presentation seemed to get a lot from the talk and were very interactive throughout. Being a retailer in the world of interior design, it’s a pleasure to discuss material that helps homeowners get the most out of their homes and make help to make their ideas and dreams a reality. I look forward to taking part in the next Knutsford at Home Event.”

Helen Dufton of Arthur Lee, said, “We gave away about 60 goody bags from Farrow and Ball and Little Greene to customers making purchases on the day and spoke to lots of people that had not visited us before which was great”.

Town Ranger Bob Garner looks at his portrait

Knutsfordian III Exhibition

Twelve unique photographs went on display in Marshall House last week as part at the third Knutsfordian exhibition.

Knutsfordian, which was first held in 2013 and 2013, is a collection of photographic portraits by local photographer Paul Worpole which imaginatively celebrate local businesses and community leaders.

Portraits were literally kept under wraps until a special launch on Thursday 16th September which was the firs time the stars of the exhibition saw their portraits. The exhibition was then open to the public from Friday to Sunday thanks to the support of Knutsford Hosts.

The stars of the portraits were:

  • Chris Sheldon (Sheldons Dairy)
  • Julia Chard (Mr Simms)
  • Vincent Lazzarini (The Cheese Yard)
  • Claire Sawyer (We Are Knutsford)
  • Mark Radcliffe and Paul Langley (Knutsford Music Festival, LOL Cheshire and more)
  • Alison Cunliffe (The Real Fruit Creamery)
  • Caroline and Lee Williams (The Prescription Service)
  • Sal Thompson (Knutsford First Responders)
  • Helen Rogers (Knutsford Admin)
  • Bob Garner (Knutsford Town Ranger)
  • Joanne Ashton (The White Orchid)
  • Jane Smyth (Knutsford Market Hall)

The exhibition was supported by GGM Properties, owners of Marshall House, who provided the venue at no cost. GGM are currently working on plans to renovate the building and bring it back into use as a multi-purpose wedding, events and leisure venue opening in early 2023.

 “Once again, Paul has created an incredible collection of photographs reflecting the personality, business and interests of a great group of Knutsfordians” said Town Clerk, Adam Keppel-Green.

“We were really pleased to see the fantastic reception to the exhibition from the stars and visitors alike”.

To see photographs from the launch night head over to our Facebook Page.