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Bryan aims to defend title
EGTON Bridge Old Gooseberry Show, one of the longest-running competitive events in the country, will be held again this year on Tuesday.
The first gooseberry show in Egton Bridge took place in 1800 when they were popular events throughout the north but they began to decline after World War One.
Last year's Egton Bridge winner, Bryan Nellist (73), became the world record holder with a berry weighing 35 drams or 2.19ozs and he was presented with the Harland Challenge Cup.
Bryan, who has won the events four times previously, is again entering a berry of the same variety, a Woodpecker, but he's not very optimistic about his chances this year.
He said: "It's a real comedown this year.
"We live by the river and we get some very severe frosts.
"The berries were setting and I covered them in April but I didn't bother after that and then in May, we got more bad frosts so the weights are a lot down this year.
"People say that everyone will be the same but I don't know, some people might have gone on covering them.
"It's also been amazingly dry and I have been watering them but they're not as ripe as they should be although one or two varieties are ripening now.
"The Woodpecker is usually very successful so we'll just have to wait and see what happens on Tuesday."
The only other gooseberry shows in the country are in Cheshire where there are eight gooseberry societies and
Mr Nellist said: "The boys in Cheshire may have fared better than we have up here."
Gooseberries come in red, yellow, green and white varieties – Mr Nellist's winning Woodpecker was a yellow variety.
The show is on Tuesday and it will open to the public at 2pm.
Prize-giving will take place at around 6.30pm while the Stape band will be playing from 5.30pm.
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Weather for Whitby
Saturday 19 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
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