This is absolutely fascinating. Thanks for this. I've never heard of a Gooseberry show in the US...
~mIEKAL
On Jul 5, 2010, at 3:00 AM, Clifford Cain - uk yahoo wrote:
> Following on from Earnest Plutko's enquiry regarding gooseberry shows here in the UK. Yes they still do take place.
> Their history goes back some 200 years when those working in the Lancashire cotton
mills grew and bred gooseberries for local competitions. They used to be local affairs, but with increased transportation, they declined. In 1845 there where 171 shows today there are 11, 10 in Cheshire and 1 in Yorkshire. A history of the shows can be found at
http://www.gardeningmasterclass.co.uk/h02-01-99-05.html> Two main shows; the main show is held at Egton Bridge near Whitby on the east coast and takes place on the first Tuesday of August. (They have a website
http://www.egtongooseberryshow.org.uk/index.htm where I leant that they have such competitions in Sweden.) In Cheshire (boundary changes, many of the towns where in Lancashire) the Goostry show sticks in my mind from childhood. Back in the early 70's this 9 year old was watching the
local news on tv and there was a report on the show. Three things stuck in my head - a gooseberry show, being held in a place called 'Goose tree' and hairy gooseberries. I wanted to grow red hairy ones, so next spring went to Woolworths and bought a plant for two and a half pennies; the variety was Careless - green and smooth! May not have worked out as I intended but got me interested.
> The main issue with the old varieties is that they are susceptible to American gooseberry mildew and the modern resistant berries are small. I have to admit to having given up trying to grow the old varieties organically; a number of them are sulphur shy.
> Competitions vary, some weigh the fruit in dram weights, the largest being 35 grams with is the equivalent of 62 grams / 2.19oz. Others work as a knock out competition, two berries going on the beam balance and the n challengers adding their heavies berries.
> Whilst they
did have gooseberry shows in the North East of England, their main obsession was with leeks, particularly pot leeks. Again they used to be numerous, but have declined. Local pubs used to host the competitions, prized being the likes of towels and sheets. I am at Gateshead show at the end of the month and will take photo's of the show and post them on Flickr.
>
> I know of your giant pumpkin competitions but did the tradition of gooseberry shows transfer to the States?
>
> Regards
> Clifford
> Doncaster, UK
>
>
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