GARDENER Peter Lofthouse celebrated more than 21 years raising gooseberries when he picked up the top trophy for the fifth year in succession at the Over Peover Gooseberry Show.

Peter, who lives in Chelford, produced a premier Millennium berry of 25 pennyweights 15 grains to win the show at The Dog Inn on Sunday.

In second place Richard Okill came within a few whiskers of the heaviest premier berry with his Millennium of 24 pennyweights 12 grains.

His growing success helped him to collect first place for eight of the heaviest plates and a first for his red and yellow berries.

Maiden grower Charlie Montaldo, showing for the first time at Over Peover, went home with the silver Rose Bowl after her premier Blackden Gem of seven pennyweights 21 grains came ninth.

Charlie, 33, who has lived in Chelford for two years, visited the show last year and decided she would like to take part.

"After I got some trees from Peter Lofthouse I put in a lot of effort in growing them, and I am pleased it was worthwhile,” she said.

Peter, a gardener at Tatton Park, has won the Over Peover Show six times and is a former Mid-Cheshire Gooseberry Association champion.

He said it had been a difficult growing season, but keeping the berries shaded had helped in saving many for the show.

Over Peover results

Heaviest Berry Recorded

1995 David Lowe Lord Kitchener 36.20

James Wild Cup for Heaviest Premier Berry

Peter Lofthouse

Alpine Lager Trophy for Championship Plate

Richard Okill

Harold Gregory Trophy for Heaviest Twins

Richard Okill

Margaret Watson Trophy for Most Points Gained

Richard Okill

E Coppack Trophy for Heaviest Woodpecker Premier Berry

No Berry

R.L. Massey Rose Bowl for Heaviest Red Premier Berry

Charlie Montaldo

Joe Tatchell Trophy for Heaviest White Premier Berry

Ian Greenhough

Ken Hall Memorial Trophy for Heaviest Green Premier Berry

John Chadwick

Roy Taylor Challenge Cup for 2nd Premier Berry

Richard Okill

W Greenhough Trophy for Heaviest Edith Cavell Premier Berry

No berry

Bernard Pickup Trophy for Most Improved Grower

John Chadwick

F.W. Booth Tankard for Heaviest Triplets

No berry

Jean Street Trophy for Most Points in Colours Only

Peter Lofthouse

Glen Nightingale Bowl for Ladies Prize: Heaviest Berry

Erica Linney

Premier Berry

Place Grower Variety Weight

1 PETER LOFTHOUSE MILLENIUM 25.15

2 RICHARD OKILL MILLENIUM 24.12

3 JOHN CHADWICK BANK VIEW 21.21

4 WILLIAM OKILL MONTROSE 21.10

5 IAN GREENHOUGH NEWTON WONDER 20.06

6 LES STANIER JODRELL WHITE 18.16

7 ERICA LINNEY BELL MARCH 15.15

8 PETER CLARKSON BANK VIEW 10.06

9 CHARLIE MONTALDO BLACKDEN DEN 7.21

10 MARK MONTALDO MONTROSE 5.06

Triplets:

Place Grower Variety Weight

1 NO BERRY

Twins

Place Grower Variety Weight

1 RICHARD OKILL MONTROSE 36.20

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE CHRISTINE 34.09

3 WILLIAM OKILL MONTROSE 32.10

4 LES STANIER BANK VIEW 20.00

5 IAN GREENHOUGH ADMIRAL BEATY 14.03

6 ERICA LINNEY BANK VIEW 10.04

Colours, Red

Red

Place Grower Variety Weight

1 RICHARD OKILL LLOYD GEORGE 21.22

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE CHRISTINE 20.11

3 IAN GREENHOUGH JUST BETTY 20.04

4 LES STANIER LLOYD GEORGE 18.06

5 JOHN CHADWICK JUST BETTY 17.07

6 WILLIAM OKILL JUST BETTY 12.18

7 ERICA LINNEY LLOYD DERBY 8.09

8 CHARLIE MONTALDO BLACKDEN GEM 8.05

Colours, Yellow

Yellow

Place Grower Variety Weight

1 RICHARD OKILL MONTROSE 23.03

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE MILLENIUM 22.10

3 WILLIAM OKILL MONTROSE 21.06

4 JOHN CHADWICK MONTROSE 20.23

5 LES STANIER FIRBOB 17.12

6 IAN GREENHOUGH FIRBOB 16.06

7 PETER CLARKSON EDITH CAVELL 5.06

8 ERICA LINNEY WOODPECKER 6.00

9 MARK MONTALDO MONTROSE 4.16

Colours

Green

Place Grower Variety Weight

1 JOHN CHADWICK BANK VIEW 18.13

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE WOODSIDE 18.09

3 LES STANIER BANK VIEW 17.20

4 RICHARD OKILL BANK VIEW 14.22

5 IAN GREENHOUGH ADMIRAL BEATY 12.12

6 WILLIAM OKILL BANK VIEW 9.10

7 ERICA LINNEY BANK VIEW 9.00

Colours

White

Place Grower Variety Weight

1 PETER LOFTHOUSE BELL MARCH 21.11

2 RICHARD OKILL JODRELL WHITE 21.01

3 WILLIAM OKILL NEWTON WONDER 17.20

4 IAN GREENHOUGH NEWTON WONDER 17.02

5 LES STANIER JODRELL WHITE 12.17

6 ERICA LINNEY NEWTON WONDER 9.06

Show Plates

Place Grower

Championship Plate

1 RICHARD OKILL

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE

3 WILLIAM OKILL

Red Plate

1 RICHARD OKILL

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE

3 IAN GREENHOUGH

Yellow Plate

1 RICHARD OKILL

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE

3 WILLIAM OKILL

Green Plate

1 PETER LOFTHOUSE

2 RICHARD OKILL

3 LES STANIER

White Plate

1 RICHARD OKILL

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE

3 WILLIAM OKILL

Most Points Gained

1 RICHARD OKILL 103 points

2 PETER LOFTHOUSE 90 points

3 WILLIAM OKILL 53 points

After Show Plates

Place Grower

Mixed Plate

1 ERICA LINNEY

Red Plate

1 CHARLIE MONTALDO

The Mill Lane Challenge

LES STANIER