The Gooseberry Show
When: 7th August 2018, open to the public from 2pm
Where: St. Hedda’s School Room, Egton Bridge, near Whitby, North Yorkshire
£: Free
What is it?
The annual Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show is the oldest surviving gooseberry show in the country. It was first established in 1800 and is hosted by the Egton Bridge Old Gooseberry Society.
Every year keen gardeners enter their biggest gooseberries into the show. There are four classes; red gooseberries, yellow ones, green ones and white ones (and I bet you thought gooseberries were simply green).
The humble gooseberry (Photo: Pavel Leman)
The heaviest gooseberry is determined by an old-fashioned apothecary scale, measured in drams and grains. Past record winners have weighed in at 33 drams (that’s the size of a golf ball). In 2009 a new world record was set, at 35 drams exactly. This has yet to be beaten, but perhaps this year will produce a record breaker.
So, why not show some respect to this much side-lined fruit, and help keep this tradition going, by popping along to see the array of berries on display? This year, there will be live music and afternoon teas, and the event will finish at around 6pm with the prize giving.
More info: www.egtongooseberryshow.org.uk