A HEATWAVE followed by torrential rain destroyed the dreams of many champion gooseberry growers.
Holmes Chapel Gooseberry Show, the oldest in Cheshire, says the unseasonal weather caused unprecedented problems for keen gardeners.
Vice chairman Andy Anderson said: “It was a really bad year, unheard of.
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“There was a heatwave in May and June and a lack of pollination by bees.
“The heavy rain in July resulted in a lot of berries splitting.
“The berries were very ripe and just burst after taking up too much water.
“Some trees didn’t have any berries at all, they just never grew.
“Only nine people showed this year.”
Kevin Staton retained the crown, winning the show with a Premier Berry Ann Archer weighting exactly 30 pennyweights.
Maiden grower Hazel Sutcliffe was commended for producing a Montrose Berry weighting 11 pennyweights 16 grains.
The show was held at Victoria Sports and Social Club in Holmes Chapel.
The club, founded in 1824, will be celebrating its 200th anniversary next year.
“It is remarkable, when you look at the register, we’ve never missed a show,” said Andy.
“Throughout the First World War, Spanish Flu and Second World War, it kept on going.
“We ran social distanced shows during Covid.
“We hope to encourage new members to keep this tradition alive.”
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