A COMPLETE novice stunned gooseberry growers challenging the reigning champion for the top award for the heaviest berry at the Goostrey gooseberry show.
Newbie Adam Whitworth has only been growing trees this year and managed to gain second place behind Dave Hassall, also a relative newcomer to the show, as their berries balanced on the scales.
He also won the award for the heaviest red berry in the show.
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Neither grower among the 16 competing at the Crown Inn on Saturday produced monster weights.
But Dave Hassall's Millenium at 25 pennyweights 08 grains tipped the scales to gain the prize for this year's premier berry.
The show was a runaway success for Dave and brother Nick who came fourth.
Between them, the pair picked up 11 trophies and Nick won the prestigious championship plate.
And their brother Phil, completing the Hassall family trio as a first-time competitor, produced a Woodpecker berry of 18pw 03 grns for fifth place.
He also won the prize for guessing correctly the weight of the premier berry weeks before the show and taking home a cup.
Adam Whitworth's rival berry, Christine, originated by the late legendary grower Frank Carter, was a lightweight by comparison at 20pw 02grns.
But this earned second place ahead of seasoned growers, including Emma Williams whose Ann Archer berry, one of only a handful in her box, gave her third place as last year at 19pw 06grns.
Two leading veteran growers Derek Hardacre and Terry Price, the show president, were among growers who had no berries or just small ones to enter this year.
Adam has lived in Goostrey only three years but said his New Platt Lane neighbour and mentor, Chris Jones, had encouraged his interest in growing less than a year ago.
Ironically, Chris, who came second last year and was a winner in previous years, trailed in ninth place with a Fascination berry of 13pw 08 grns.
Adam said: "I am over the moon because I did not expect to do so well in the show, but I live next door to Chris Jones and he has really encouraged me.”
Celebrating his second year as top grower, Dave said he was delighted to have the premier berry again despite the poor growing season because of the weather.
Dave said: "It has been difficult with the weather so mixed and constantly going hot and cold.
“I wasn't sure how I would do and had no idea what the berries weighed until the show.
"I deliberately did not weigh any when we gathered them so it would be a surprise on the day."
The Hassall brothers’ dad David won the show in 1995 and died in November.
After taking part last year despite being unwell, his memory lives on in a memorial plate presented by the family and awarded for the first time to Donna Hanmer.
With berries sparse at the end of the show, she was persuaded to unseal her unopened box and was presented with the new trophy for an assortment of fruit she was reluctant to enter.
Donna said: "I did not want to be embarrassed.”
The junior cup went to Goostrey schoolgirl Rose Worsley with a Mr Chairman berry of 9pw 19grns.
Visitors this year included a lecturer from Westminster University arriving by train on a mission to gather information for a project he is trying to finish for a postgraduate degree on the culture of the gooseberry.
Greg Neale was also able to source a selection of red, yellow and white gooseberries for the artist Kate Verrion who specialises in detailed still-life pictures of seasonal fruits but was unable to source gooseberries in London this year.
He returned happily after he was warmly welcomed and invited to sit among the growers who provided several punnets of gooseberries for the artist as well as information towards completing his degree.
Goostrey Gooseberry Society show secretary Martin de Kretser said: “It was a great show and we also had a tree sale of all the competitive varieties for the first time.
"We had about 40 trees and they sold out quickly within minutes with all proceeds going to the society.
"Some buyers had travelled some distance for the sale. It is great that our new growers are doing so well and hopefully will encourage new members to have a go."
He thanked the Crown Inn for their hospitality and organising a barbeque for the gathering for the night before.
Results
C.R. Griffiths Challenge Cup for the Heaviest Premier Berry D.N. Hassall, G.E. Capper Cup for the Champion Show Plate N. Hassall, J Walton Challenge Cup for the Heaviest Twins N. Hassall, Frank Carter Points Cup N. Hassall, Margaret and John Lawton Cup for the Heaviest Four Sets of Twins N. Hassall, Tom Bayley Challenge Cup for the Heaviest Plate of Mixed Berries A. Whitworth, Ray and Nesta Blain Cup for the Heaviest Green Berry in Show N. Hassall, George Stockton Cup for the Heaviest Triplets Not awarded, John Egerton Cup for the Heaviest Red Berry in Show A. Whitworth, Bob Groves Memorial Cup for the Heaviest White Berry in Show D.N. Hassall, Mick Myers Cup for Most Points in Colour Berry Class D.N. Hassall, Dave Garratt Memorial Cup for Junior Grower Rose Worsley, Rupert Hunter Rose Bowl for Heaviest Seedling Raised by a Goostrey Grower D.N. Hassall, Frank Carter Memorial Plate D.N. Hassall, Secretary's Prize Heaviest Maiden Premier Berry A. Whitworth, Graham Lenihan Cup for the Most Improved Grower S.Worsley, David Hassall Memorial Assorted Plate D. Hanmer
Premier Berries 1 D.N. Hassall Millenium 25.02, 2 A. Whitworth Christine 20.02, 3 E. Williams Ann Archer 19.06, 4 N. Hassall Edith Cavell 18.23, 5 P. Hassall Woodpecker 18.03, 6 G. Buckley Bank View 15.15, 7 D. Carter Belmarsh 15.10, 8 M. de Kretser Allostock 15.03,
9 C. Jones Fascination 13.18, 10 S. Worsley Mr Chairman 13.13, 11 V. Hedge Firbob 13.06, 12 G. Garner Newton Wonder 12.16, 13 S. Edwards Edith Cavell 7.09, 14 S. Griffiths Just Betty 5.18, 15 M. Cassidy Blackden Gem 4.18, 17 R. Ollerenshaw Blackden Gem 2.00
18 D. Hanmer Late entry
Twins
1 N. Hassall Bank View 31.16, 2 A. Whitworth Christine 28.02, 3 P. Hassall Montrose 25.13,4 M. de Kretser Millenium 22.14, 5 D.N. Hassall Newton Wonder 19.23, 6 V. Hedge Bank View 18.18, 7 E. Williams Bank View 15.14, 8 C. Jones Fascination 15.05, 9 S. Griffiths Bank View 6.03
Colour Reds
1 N. Hassall Just Betty 17.22, 2 A. Whitworth Christine 17.14, 3 A. Whitworth Christine 16.08, 4 N. Hassall Just Betty 15.05, 5 D.N. Hassall Blackden Gem 12.02, 6 D.N. Hassall Blackden Gem 11.21, 7 M. de Kretser Blackden Gem 10.17, 8 M. de Kretser Blackden Gem 9.01, 9 G. Buckley Blackden Gem 7.03, 10 G. Garner Just Betty 6.04
Colour Yellows
1 D.N. Hassall Millenium 22.10, 2 D.N. Hassall Millenium 19.19, 3 N. Hassall Woodpecker 18.19, 4 N. Hassall Woodpecker 18.11, 5 E. Williams Ann Archer 18.11, 6 P. Hassall Woodpecker 18.00, 7 E. Williams Ann Archer 16.20, 8 A. Whitworth Edith Cavell 13.20, 9 A. Whitworth Edith Cavell 13.05, 10 M. de Kretser Millenium 12.14
Colour Greens
1 N. Hassall Bank View 18.03, 2 N. Hassall Bank View 16.01, 3 M. de Kretser Allostock 14.14, 4 M. de Kretser Allostock 13.10, 5 V. Hedge Bank View 13.03, 6 A. Whitworth Surprise 12.18, 7 C. Jones Bank View 11.21, 8 C. Jones Bank View 11.10, 9 V. Hedge Bank View 10.18, 10 A. Whitworth Surprise 9.07
Colour Whites
1 D.N. Hassall Newton Wonder 22.15, 2 P. Hassall Newton Wonder 18.01, 3 D.N. Hassall Belmarsh 17.07, 4 P. Hassall Mr Chairman 15.01, 5 N. Hassall Belmarsh 14.20, 6 N. Hassall Belmarsh 14.16, 7 A. Whitworth Fascination 12.21, 8 M. de Kretser Mr Chairman 12.14
9 D. Carter Belmarsh 12.07, 10 G. Garner Jodrell White 11.13
Championship Show Plate N. Hassall Newton Wonder,
Red Show Plate 1 D.N. Hassall, 2 No Entries, 3 N. Hassall. Yellow Show Plate 1 No Entries, 2 No Entries, 3 D.N. Hassall. Green Show Plate
1 M. de Kretser, 2 G. Buckley, 3 S. Griffiths. White Show Plate 1 P. Hassall, 2 V. Hedge, 3 G. Garner.
Four sets of twins- N. Hassall
Mixed Plate A. Whitworth, Assorted Plate - D Hanmer
Total Points winner 1. N. Hassall, 2 D.N. Hassall,3 A. Whitworth
Points in Colour Class, 1 D.N. Hassall, 2 N. Hassall, 3 P. Hassall
Juniors Rose Worsley
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