AMERICAN publisher Roger Birkham insisted that perceptions - right or wrong - influenced everything you did.

That was the reality of life, he said, whether you liked it or not. It's what people believe that's important.

So how is Knutsford viewed by outsiders?

Delivery driver Steve Wakefield, 49, from Northwich, said he rarely even thought about visiting his neighbouring town.

"The kids go on a Saturday night because there's nothing to do in Northwich," he said.

He believes Knutsford is full of snobs even though he has not been back for years and years'.

But Zoe Garner, 34, who recently moved to the town from Altrincham, disagreed.

"To outsiders who don't know Knutsford the expensive cafes and bars can be intimidating," she said.

"I'm still getting used to it but on the whole the people are really friendly."

Charlotte Gaze, 29, an NHS worker who has lived in Northwich for four years, spent time in Knutsford as a child because her grandfather lived in the town.

These days she comes back to either shop, eat out or walk in Tatton Park.

"Knutsford is considered to be quite a classy place and a good night out for restaurants," she said.

Brenda Kitchen, 58, visits Knutsford to shop for speciality foods at Booths supermarket and to see shows at the Little Theatre.

"It's a nice market town but there is plenty of money in the area," she said. "Let's face it, there are not many market towns that have a Rolls Royce garage."

Pascal Bamford, 27, manager of the George and Dragon pub in Manchester Road, Altrincham, does not even think about cars when he comes to Knutsford.

"I associate it with the pet store because that's where I go, and the Swan Hotel, which is on the way," he said.

Nathan Henderson, 29, duty manager of the Bollin Fee in Wilmslow, views Knutsford as a place with nice bars'. "It's quite an affluent area full of antiques shops for older people," he said.

Some perceptions, though, are a reality. One, arguably, is the price of a house in Knutsford.

"It is a lovely town full of nice bars and restaurants but it is an expensive place to live," said Kieran Hayes, 43, of Leftwich, Northwich.

"We paid £90,000 for a house which would have cost at least twice that amount there."

Web-based company upmystreet has its own view of Knutsford.

"Often, many of the people who live in Knutsford will be older people living in flats," it said.

The company's experts said people in Knutsford were likely to be members of the National Trust, who enjoyed fine art and antiques, reading and walking. "The Daily Express, Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph are likely to be the most popular newspapers," they said.

It might have been a view shared by Martin Bell before he came to Knutsford in 1997 to serve as the town's Member of Parliament.

"My perceptions were that it was a cosy and very prosperous, delightful little place," he said.

"This is all true but I discovered another side to Knutsford.

"There are two communities rather than one and I spent a lot of my time in Longridge and the other estates rather than the more affluent areas."

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