Suzy here from The Quiet Cat, the independent bookshop that opened in the Grosvenor Centre opposite Coffee House last summer.

As previously reported in Nub News, late last year brought the shocking news that I'd been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer (seven weeks after the shop had opened and we were still on a high from its overnight success, you couldn't make it up, and frankly you wouldn't want to!).

The people of Macclesfield and beyond have been the most wonderful support while I've been out of action, and I just wanted to give you all a quick update on how things are going.

I've been back and forth to the incredible Macclesfield Christie more than 60 times this year, completing endless rounds of chemo, pre-chemo tests, radiotherapy, routine appointments, an operation and so on.

It's been gruelling, but our local hospital for people who are experiencing cancer is the warmest, most comforting place, the chairs in the chemo suite for patients are ridiculously comfortable and the staff are all fantastic. I feel very, very lucky to have this resource here.

I've finished this phase of active treatment now and have rung the bell (pictured here) to show that I'm moving on. There's more treatment in the pipeline, but it feels like real progress.

When I was first diagnosed, Ian (Mr Bookshop) and I were both adamant from the outset that this wouldn't mean the end of our brand new book emporium. Somehow or other we'd make it work while I was out of the picture.

A bookshop really is the beating heart of any town in our biased opinion, and we knew what a blow it would be to our customers, as well as to ourselves, if we had to disappear from the high street again so soon.

People have been so lovely, bringing me daily boosts in the early days in the form of cards and gifts, and now messages to pass on to me.

We've also had a lot of practical support with help with fetching and carrying and 'two person' tasks.

We all know that there's a lot of negative talk about our town online from certain quarters – Macclesfield Town Council's recent positive clapback to the 'not another coffee shop' chat we all see every time a new one opens, deciding to host Macc's first coffee festival, was very well played and an ideal response.

Despite the naysayers, I'm delighted to say that our experience of opening a shop here has been an almost entirely positive one.

Who doesn't love a Saturday morning mooch around a bookshop, a chat to the proprietor or a deep dive into the new releases where we leave you in peace (we're good at gauging which one of these you might be looking for on a given day)?

And something's that really struck us recently is the fact that our customers have really gone out of their way to support us and to shop with us, even more than before.

People in this town are fully aware that if you want shops here to survive, then the best way to guarantee this is to shop in them and there's such a strong feeling of the town pulling together wherever we can to ensure this.

The Quiet Cat is our family's sole source of income, and we feel that people still want us to be here, selling all the best books, art and gifts for a long time to come and are aware that one surefire way to help to ensure that is to pop in for a browse when you're in town.

As for me, well, I'm not back at work yet by any means, but you might spot me in the shop from time to time for an hour here and there.

If you do, please do say hello, and remind me of your name if I knew it before, because chemo brain is real! It's not been an easy time, but you've all helped so much, on both a practical and personal level.

Both Ian and I want to say a huge thank you for your care and support. Onwards…

Suzy Prince - The Quiet Cat Bookshop

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