THE ever-popular giant vegetable competition at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show was almost cancelled this year after the huge scales used to weigh them broke – but thankfully they were fixed in time for judging.
Luck was definitely on the side of newcomer Craig Pearson, from Mansfield, who won the heavy cabbage class with a specimen weighing in at 27.4kgs at his first major giant veg show.
It was also a match made in heaven for Mansfield couple Laura Litchfield and Chris Marriott, who share the gardening duties at home and went away with prizes for the heaviest carrot at 3.835kg and beetroot at 17.84kg.
Show director Nick Smith said: “Our autumn show always starts on a Friday and so we have had quite a few on the 13th over the years. It certainly proved to be unlucky during the giant veg judging this morning, but the problem was quickly resolved and we certainly put the scales through their paces with the heaviest pumpkin weighing in at 291.7kgs!”
The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show is running until Sunday, September 15 at the Great Yorkshire Showground.
The show also features two fruit and veg competitions, displays by over 50 top UK plant nurseries and more than 5,000 autumn blooms.
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