A MAMMOTH veggie grown on Britain's windswept east coast is heading to the Midlands this weekend -and hopefully straight into the record books!

Fourteen-year-old Joe Hallam's giant green squash, lovingly nurtured on his grandfather's Lincolnshire plot, and promising to tip the scales at more than 600 lbs, is making its debut appearance at Worcestershire's Malvern Autumn Garden & Country Show on Saturday and Sunday.

Travelling by trailer, with a television film crew in hot pursuit, the hefty specimen, which according to Joe's mum, looks more like a giant Bramley apple, is on course to beat the current British record of 569 lbs. Just one problem, it has grown so big that grandfatherPeter Hallam is now struggling to get it through the garden gate!

The Malvern Autumn Garden & Country Show, now in its eleventh year, boasts one of the largest gatherings of amateur growers in the country.

Event organiser, the Three Counties Agricultural Society (TCAS) is gathering together muscles and fork lifts in preparation for the impending arrival of some of the country's largest produce and, of course, their growers.

There are no junior classes for giant vegetables, so Joe is facing some stiff competition from his fellow 'grown-up' growers, but according to his mum and grand-dad, he is not the slightest bit fazed by the prospect.

'We live in a cottage in the middle of nowhere', said mum Frances, 'so Joe has grown up with his grand-dad's passion for gardening. He already holds the world record for the number of trusses on a tomato (185), and wins lots of classes at shows. In fact, he thoughtfully took one of his smaller squashes to the Bottesford Show at Nottingham recently, to give others a chance of winning!

He loves going across to Malvern, and was determined to save his most perfect specimen for the autumn show. We are obviously very proud of him and if he doesn't win his class, it certainly looks as though he might just add the British record to his collection.'

The giant green squash will be en route to Malvern on Friday 23 September, arriving late afternoon.

Open Gardening is just one of a whole host of attractions at next weekend's event to include a spectacular RHS Flower Show, Children's Farm Park, family education trail, pottery workshops, cookery, dog agility, stunt bike displays, vintage cards and machinery and quality Christmas shopping.

A MAMMOTH veggie grown on Britain's windswept east coast is heading to the Midlands this weekend -and hopefully straight into the record books!

Fourteen-year-old Joe Hallam's giant green squash, lovingly nurtured on his grandfather's Lincolnshire plot, and promising to tip the scales at more than 600 lbs, is making its debut appearance at Worcestershire's Malvern Autumn Garden & Country Show on Saturday and Sunday.

Travelling by trailer, with a television film crew in hot pursuit, the hefty specimen, which according to Joe's mum, looks more like a giant Bramley apple, is on course to beat the current British record of 569 lbs. Just one problem, it has grown so big that grandfatherPeter Hallam is now struggling to get it through the garden gate!

The Malvern Autumn Garden & Country Show, now in its eleventh year, boasts one of the largest gatherings of amateur growers in the country.

Event organiser, the Three Counties Agricultural Society (TCAS) is gathering together muscles and fork lifts in preparation for the impending arrival of some of the country's largest produce and, of course, their growers.

There are no junior classes for giant vegetables, so Joe is facing some stiff competition from his fellow 'grown-up' growers, but according to his mum and grand-dad, he is not the slightest bit fazed by the prospect.

'We live in a cottage in the middle of nowhere', said mum Frances, 'so Joe has grown up with his grand-dad's passion for gardening. He already holds the world record for the number of trusses on a tomato (185), and wins lots of classes at shows. In fact, he thoughtfully took one of his smaller squashes to the Bottesford Show at Nottingham recently, to give others a chance of winning!

He loves going across to Malvern, and was determined to save his most perfect specimen for the autumn show. We are obviously very proud of him and if he doesn't win his class, it certainly looks as though he might just add the British record to his collection.'

The giant green squash will be en route to Malvern on Friday 23 September, arriving late afternoon.

Open Gardening is just one of a whole host of attractions at next weekend's event to include a spectacular RHS Flower Show, Children's Farm Park, family education trail, pottery workshops, cookery, dog agility, stunt bike displays, vintage cards and machinery and quality Christmas shopping.