Knutsford Highlights - May 2025
Knutsford Highlights for May 2025 - a roundup of news and happenings from around the town during the month of May.
These monthly catch-ups bring together social media posts you may have missed, dates for upcoming events, and some of the Knutsford newness heading our way.
If you've missed any highlights from 2025 so far, you can look back on the main blog page here
Knutsford Royal May Day
The month of May brought with it the highlight of Knutsford's event calendar - Knutsford Royal May Day weekend.
Saturday's procession was another fabulous success as the town's children paraded through the main streets in their costumes, accompanied by pipe bands, Morris dancers, Shire horses, and the always popular Penny-farthing riders.
Personally, we began the day with a visit to The Lost & Found alongside our wonderful Town Crier. Of course, not ones to miss an opportunity for a good laugh, The Lost & Found team put him to work pulling pints and assisting the DJ, much to the delight of the crowds. Thanks for being a great sport, John.
World Record Breaking Wickets
A popular addition to this years May Day procession were the Toft cricketers, who stopped to bat a few balls into the crowds along the way.
Apart from providing some great entertainment, the team were promoting something spectacular which had just arrived at the cricket ground on Chelford Road.
An idea, months of planning, weeks of carving, and 2 days of construction culminated to produce the largest set of wickets in the world.
Standing at a record-breaking 8.5 metres tall, these colossal stumps and bails were crafted by local chainsaw sculptor, Andy Burgess, before being delivered and installed at the club for the 'Stump Up For Toft' campaign.
The aim is to raise as much money as possible for a new pavilion to be used by the Knutsford community and local sport clubs before the stumps are removed at the end of the summer.
After this, the plan is to burn the bails at the annual Knutsford Bonfire in November, to create a set of ashes - inspired by the story behind the famous Ashes series.
There's been plenty of publicity behind these wonderful creations, with the story reaching around the world, and even featuring as a question on the BBC's 'Have I Got News For You'.
To catch a glimpse of history, and grab the chance to photograph this amazing structure, pop down to Toft Cricket Club. You can't miss them!
There's a QR code on the stumps for donations, or if you can't get down there but wish to add to the campaign in any way, all the details can be found on the Toft Cricket Club website: www.toftcc.com/pavilion-fundraising
Knutsford Market Hall re-opens
After it's much needed refurbishment, Knutsford Market Hall re-opened in May, bringing new additions together with familiar favourites.
A new colour scheme, layout, and beautiful hand-painted signs have brought life back to the building, which is also available for hire outside regular opening hours.
To keep things fresh and interesting, central pop-up stalls offer more artisan products, while permanent traders now include Cheshire Party Store (formally Knutsford Art Shop & Stationery House), Polka bakery, and the extremely popular Thai Kitchen.
Tasty Tidbits
May also saw the launch of a new Tidbits menu at Wallop on King Street, and we were kindly invited along on launch night to try out a few for ourselves.
Designed for sharing, these plates of seasonal British food bring something a little different to Knutsford's dining scene. There are plenty of vegetarian options alongside some really delicious meat & fish dishes.
The Roast Venison Loin Steak is a popular choice, and my fellow diners still talk about the Flash Fried Squid they loved so much.
To try a few tidbits for yourself, tables can be booked via the Wallop website: www.wallop.me.uk
Thirsty Thursdays
Thursdays just got a whole lot better, as Knutsford's popular wine bar introduced extended hours, which means you can now enjoy a glass of wine on the Morgan Edwards wine terrace or upstairs lounge until 9pm on Thursdays and 10pm Fridays & Saturdays.
Local lads vinyl release
The vinyl revival continued during May, as local duo, Mark Radcliffe & David Boardman, released their brand new album - Hearsay & Heresy.
From the eye-catching front cover, to the back image photographed at Knutsford's Rose & Crown pub, the whole album is simply brilliant. If you're a fan of folk music, this is definitely one to add to your listening list.
You can download the album on Spotify now. Or if you'd like to own a copy on CD or vinyl, they're available to purchase from the official website: radcliffeandboardman.com
Wonderful weather wanders
Spring sunshine appeared in abundance during May, which gave Liz Boardman and I the perfect opportunity to head out on a few Knutsford wanders.
We shared one of our favourite routes up to Booths Hall along Lime Walk, added a touch of history to our morning via Knutsford's Museum in the Street, and learnt more about the importance of pollinators with the brand new Knutsford Bee Trail.
Fancy giving some of these a go? Check out the Scene in Knutsford social media pages for routes and tips we picked up along the way.
Here comes June...
As June begins, here's hoping the sunny weather continues for the upcoming Knutsford Music Festival and the first alfresco dining event of the year.
More details of these and other events throughout the year, can be found on the events page of the Scene in Knutsford website: sceneinknutsford.com/knutsford-events
