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
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