Traditions hailed as market battles to be the best

Stall-holders in a Cheshire town believe they have been shortlisted among the best markets in the country because they have remained traditional.

The Nantwich traders will go up against the likes of Oxford and Shrewsbury to try to be crowned as Britain's Favourite Market 2025 in a ceremony at the end of January.

Andrew Hollinshead, a tenant farmer near Leighton Hospital, sells cheese on his stall and said his fellow traders value quality.

"There is a saying: If it's not broken, don't mend it," he smiled, "and there's no doubt about it, it's very vibrant."

The National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) organised the awards and based their shortlist on 40,000 public votes.

Mr Hollinsend has traded at the market for decades but said it was good to see new traders coming in to revitalise what was on offer, like artist Sue Everett.

"Joining here has been one of the best things I've ever done," she beamed.

"We feel like a family really, it's fab."

Ms Everett opened her stall two years ago but is still considered a newbie compared to the likes of Gaynor Kirkham, who has been selling hats and bags for 21 years in Nantwich.

"It's a great friendly place to work," she said. "We get loads of visitors from all over the country."

She was convinced the appeal of the market lay in its resistance to modernise.

"It's an old-fashioned traditional market - there's not many of them left now," she said.

The winner of Britain's Favourite Market 2025 will be announced at the NABMA January Conference, in Birmingham, on 30 January.

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