THE Knutsfordian has landed back from his extended vacation which culminated in consoling our boys in Brazil as the England football team lived down to our expectations and exited the group stages pursued by a teeth-baring Suarez.

The Knutsfordian is slightly jet-lagged after his flight back which sees his luggage still in Germany, along with, he opines, the World Cup.

The Knutsfordian’s planned brief holiday was brought on by the creation of ‘arms’ length’ Cheshire East companies, housing applications threatening the future of Jodrell Bank, and the palaver over plans to hold a Makers Market on King Street.

This holiday became extended thanks to a good deal on a flight to Brazil. Nimble fingers and an Internet connection comes in very useful.

Thanks to the Guardian’s excellent online subscription service, The Knutsfordian was able to keep abreast of the latest town news whilst conquering the enormity of Brazil and searching for increasingly elusive tickets to World Cup matches.

But as the French have been known to say, ‘plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose’ – in other words ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’.

And yes things have changed – Pets At Home has exited the town leaving cats and dogs bereft. Mr Matthew Mooney has extended his largesse to purchase the historic Freemasons pub, and there are rumours of yet another restaurant on King Street! When will this all end?

Equally things stay the same.

Still no news on the long planned King Street improvements. Indeed one of the first things The Knutsfordian did on returning home was to puncture a tyre on his Roller on King Street’s jagged kerbstones.

PS Knutsford Town Council’s generous and uplifting support of this Saturday’s Knutsford Promenades must be applauded and welcomed by all our glorious residents! What a coup for the town to have the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire the Queen’s representative in the county – not only supporting this fabulous event, but taking part by reading the moving poetry of World War One alongside UNICEF ambassador Martin Bell.

The Knutsfordian doffs his cap to the organisers of the Knutsford Promenades and congratulates them on creating such a marvellous programme with no recompense.

PPS The Knutsfordian has learned the Freemasons pub has been renamed The Folly. Is this wise?

Dictionary definitions are interesting: for example – ‘a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure’. The Knutsfordian hopes this will not be the case.

He has very fond memories of the Freemasons down the years and expects much like the Builders Arms, or is it the Bricklayers, that Knutsfordians will still refer to the Freemasons.