The job of the town crier is to make civic announcements on behalf of the town council, and our crier Richard Matthews is very much part of the atmosphere and tradition of market day, dressed in his red and gold robe with white breeches, boots and black tricorne hat.

In today's literate and globally inter-connected world, it's hard to imagine a time when folk relied on word-of-mouth for all their news and information; yet it is this human contact and personal communication which remains at the heart of Kendal Farmers' Market. And it is something that will always have a place amidst the impersonal convenience of the supermarket self-service checkout and the on-line delivery.

That said, it's possible to have the best of both worlds: to use the internet to browse the Made In Cumbria website - madeincumbria.co.uk - and place orders for collection on market day; to get email updates with information about forthcoming markets and events; and to plan shopping days in the run-up to Christmas.