Kelvin's world record Millenniun berry in 2013
weighing 41 pennyweights 11 grains

 KELVIN'S MARTON WIN AS SQUIRREL ROBS MARIE

Kelvin Archer with his winning berry at Marton

 The curse of the worst growing season for years continued when  even world champion Kelvin Archer could not pull off a real whopper from his gooseberry trees for Marton show today. But Kelvin,  growing berries for 40 years, still swept the board at the show at the Waggon and Horses, near Congleton. His top berry, a Millennium hitting the scales at 30 pennyweights 04 grains, was  down on previous years but bigger than  most weighed at Mid-Cheshire shows - with the exception of Lower Withington. It was there John Porter has provided the biggest berry of the season, an Ann Archer of 34 pennyweights 08 grains. Ironically, Kelvin, competing at the same show a week ago, originated the winning berry named after his wife! His word for the season: "Rubbish..." The Marton event was disappointing for the youngest grower, Marie Wilshaw from Mossley, who two years ago at 12 produced the biggest berry at any show. Her Balmarsh variety weighed 34 pennyweights 20 grains but her tender years disqualified her from receiving the trophy as the area's top grower. Now, after joining the ranks of the seniors she hoped her winning ways would continue this year but she had nothing to show and was sidelined to watch as a spectator. 
"It is really sad for her because this year is her first as a senior grower, but she had nothing left on her trees," said a member."It is thought a squirrel may have got among the berries and made a meal of them." With only the Over Peover show to be held tomorrow (Sunday) it was expected that John Porter would be this year's

Marie Wilshaw with her monster berry two years ago

Mid-Cheshire Gooseberry Association champion, Meanwhile, the Marton show, which has only seven growers, and Over Peover show are hoping to gather more members for next seasons battle of the berries.
**Pictures copyright Emma 
Williams and Space Press
++Click images to enlarge

JODRELL BANK HAS ITS EARTHLY
 STATUS INCREASED
    
 World-renowned Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope which scooped the world with the Daily Express to capture the first pictures of the moon's surface from a  Russian spacecraft has been awarded increased listed building status. The giant Lovell Telescope, named after its founder the late Sir Bernard Lovell, was Grade 1 listed in 1988. Now, six further structures 
on the site in the parish of Goostrey have been listed, including the Mark 11 Telescope, awarded Grade 1 status, and the remains of a searchlight aerial developed in the mid-1940s by John Atherton Clegg, given Grade 11.
 The award has been made on the 60th anniversary of the Lovell telescope' giant leap in radio astronomy to capture radio signals from millions of miles in outer space. The sprawling complex, arguably the first of its kind in the world, was first used for the science in 1945 when Sir Bernard, working for the university's physics department moved to the Cheshire countryside to escape the city's radio interference. 
 The astonishing images of the moon  the moon were intercepted by Jodrell  Bank from Russia's Luna 9 after its moon landing in February 1966 by scientists and technicians from the Manchester-office of the Daily Express using a picture receiver.
The increased status and protection for Jodrell Bank was welcomed by Professor Teresa Anderson, director of the discovery centre and by Professor Tim O'Brien, associate director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics. 
Professor  O'Brien said: "We are delighted and very proud the pivotal role played by Jodrell Bank in the development of radio astronomy has been celebrated with these new listings.
And Professor Anderson  said that Jodrell Bank had welcomed millions of visitors, drawn by its
landmark structures. "Science is a hugely important part of our cultural heritage and we are pleased to see that recognised and protected with these new designations," she added.
Scientists working at Jodrell Bank, an iconic monster-like structure which can be seen for miles rising above the countryside, tracked the world's first space ships and Luna 9's first in landing on a a celestial body.
It has captured millions of radio signals from the universe, but so far little green men on planets far out in space have eluded them..!