Alec Guthrie said few of the visitors to the flower show ventured into town to spend their money.

"If anything the town was quieter for the duration of the show," he said.

"People weren't roaming the streets because it isn't exactly a stroll from the grounds of Tatton."

But Mr Guthrie said he hoped that visitors had seen enough of Knutsford - on route to Tatton - to want to come back.

"In future years the Business Enterprise will try to do some marketing on the back of the show because it has put Knutsford on the map," he said.

The town's pub landlords and managers were divided over how profitable the show had been for them.

Stephen West, of the Longview Hotel, said many of the show's organisers had stayed at his hotel and he had been booked for weeks.

He added: "I have already got 10 bookings for next year."

But Andrew Culshaw, manager at What's Cooking, said takings were down at his restaurant, Est Est Est and the Wine Bar.

"We had stocked up because we expected it to be busy," he said.

"But I worked all weekend and noticed the difference. Even some regulars were leaving early to avoid the traffic."

But Jo Hepworth, assistant manager at Cafe Rouge, said they were busy.

"When there is something on at Tatton people do tend to come to us because we are the first restaurant they see," said Jo.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.