IT was goodies for the Goode family at Gooseberry Goostrey Show – with Peter Goode winning the top place for the heaviest berry for the second year in a row, writes John Williams.

Peter, always somewhat of a dark horse in 25 years of cultivating the fruit, beat all the odds of a season of discontent among growers to sweep the board and collect most of the silver.

Few gooseberry men believed that size would matter this year as the result of a season two weeks ahead and juice-swollen fruit bursting on the bushes.

But Peter, from Holmes Chapel, pulled a monster from his box to win the premier prize.

He repeated his success of last year as the top grower with another Prince Charles berry, this time even heavier at 33 pennyweights than his previous best of 29 pennyweights and seven grains.

And to cap it all his son Jamie, a mere stripling of nine, weighed in as a junior contestant with a big Belmarsh berry of 26 pennyweights and eleven grains raised on his dad’s allotment at Cranage.

Jamie, a pupil at Holmes Chapel primary school, was as thrilled as his dad at the outcome. He has been growing berries for only three years and this was his first show.

But in a day of nail-biting competition at the Crown Inn, two absent members took second and third places for the heaviest berry.

In second spot was Tom McCartney, top of the crop in 2012, who is still unwell, with a whopper of a Millennium in a season of bursting fruit of 30 pennyweights and nine grains.

The late David Heath, another of Goostrey’s top growers who died earlier this year, came third with an Edith Cavell berry of 28 pennyweights and seven grains presented at the show by his widow, Kath.

The prizewinners also included Griselda Garner, of the Blackden Trust at The Old Medicine House and Toad Hall, Blackden. Goostrey, where an archive of gooseberry varieties cultivated by the late Frank Carter, a legend among growers, is maintained.

Her husband, the novelist Alan Garner, presented the trophies.

To read John's blog click on the link here

 

 

Trophies: The Rupert Hunter Rose Bowl Awarded for the Heaviest Berry from any seedling raised by a Goostrey Grower: P Goode, Prince Charles, 33:00 (raised By Frank Carter). C.R.Griffiths Challenge Cup for the heaviest Premier Berry: Peter Goode. G.E Capper Cup for the Champion show plate: Tom McCartney. J.Walton Challenge Cup for the heaviest Twins: Peter Goode. Frank Carter Points Cup: Peter Goode. Margaret and John Lawton Cup for the heaviest four sets of Twins one of each colour weighed on the same plate: David Heath. Tom Bayley Challenge Cup for the heaviest plate of assorted Berries: Chris Jones. The Ray & Nesta Blain Cup for the heaviest Green Berry in the show: Peter Goode. George Stockton Cup for the Heaviest Triplets: n/a. John Egerton Cup for the Heaviest Red Berry in the show: Doug Carter. Mick Myers Cup for the most points in colour berry class: Peter Goode. Chairmans prize for the most improved grower: Emma Williams. J. Perry points cup to the champion young grower: Jamie Goode. Twins: P. Goode, Fascination, 44:15; E. Williams, Millenium, 43:15; G. Garner, Newton Wonder, 42:23; D. Heath, Belmarsh, 38:06; D. Carter, Newton Wonder, 35:10; D. Hardacre, Bank View, 34:02; C. Jones, Edith Cavell, 31:04; T.McCartney, Just Betty, 22:12; G. Buckley, Woodside, 21:04; M.DeKrester, Just Betty, 09:10; Points Winner; P.Goode, 24; T. McCartney, 11; E. Williams, 8. Collective Plate of Twins. One of each Colour: D. Heath. Premier Berries: P. Goode, Prince Charles, 33:00; T.McCartney, Millenium, 30:09; D. Heath, Edith Cavell, 28:07; D. Carter, Blackden Gem, 27:21; E. Williams, Anne Archer, 26:19; G. Garner, Belmarsh, 23:10; N. Hassall, Millenium, 23:08; T. Price, Newton Wonder, 21:15; C. Jones, Edith Cavell, 20:20; D. Hardacre, Edith Cavell, 20:10; D. Hassall, Mr Chairman, 17:16; G. Buckley, Edith Cavell, 13:19; M. DeKrester, Bank View, 8:21; D. Crisp, Woodside, 15:19. Junior Section: J. Goode, Belmarsh, 26:11; G. Alderdice, Just Betty, 11:02. Colour Berries: Red: E. Williams, Lloyd George, 24:20; P. Goode, Christine, 24:16; P. Goode, Christine, 22:12; D. Carter, Blackden Gem, 21:10; T. Price,“Seedling”, 20:16; T.McCartney, Just Betty, 20.08; D. Hardacre, Lloyd George, 20:04; D. Heath, Lloyd George, 19:21; T.McCartney, Lloyd George, 19:18. Yellow: P. Goode, Prince Charles, 28:16; P.Goode, Prince Charles, 28:16; T. McCartney, Castle Rock, 27:06; T. McCartney, Castle Rock, 26:09; D. Heath, Edith Cavell, 25:21; E. Williams, Millenium, 24:14; D. Heath, Edith Cavell, 24:02; E. Williams, Millenium, 23:22, N. Hassall, Millenium, 20:18; C. Jones, Edith Cavell, 20.01. Green: P. Goode, Bank View, 26:11; P. Goode, Bank View, 25:09; T. McCartney, Bank View, 23:12; T. McCartney, Surprise, 23:07; D. Heath, Woodside, 22:10; D. Heath, Woodside, 20:09; D. Carter, Bank View, 19:02; D. Hardacre, Bank View, 18:01; D. Carter, Bank View, 17:21; G. Garner, Bank View, 17:00. White: D. Heath, Newton Wonder, 26:15; T. McCartney, Newton Wonder, 26:01; p. Goode, Fascination, 25:03; P. Goode, Fascination, 24:20; E. Williams, Jodrell White, 24:06; T.McCartney, Newton Wonder, 23:22; E. Williams, Jodrell White, 23:02; D. Carter, Newton Wonder, 22.11; D. Carter, Newton Wonder, 22:07; D. Heath, Newton Wonder, 20:13. Showplates: Championship Showplate: T. McCartney, Castle Rock. Red Plate: 1. P.Goode; 2. D.Carter, 3. T.McCartney. Yellow Plate: 1. D.Heath, 2. E.Williams, 3 P. Goode. Green Plate: G Buckley. White Plate: E.Williams. Mixed Plate: G Garner. Assorted Plate: C Jones.