GARDENING Club members who are interested in vegetables, especially of the giant kind, can have a wonderful day out at the end of September when the MetroCentre, at Gateshead, holds its first Giant Vegetable Championships.

Taking place on September 29 - 30, there will be a wide array of valuable prizes for the heaviest pumpkin, marrow and onion.

Compered by well-known BBC Night Network radio host Keith Proud, the weigh-in will take place at 12 noon on Saturday, September 29.

The competition is open to all, with entries being free and accepted up until 7am on the 29th.

The winning entries will become the property of the organisers, the Gateshead MetroCentre.

In addition to the competition, there will be displays by local and specialist gardening societies.

The ladies from The Westmorland Gazette Gardening Club will, of course, be there to meet members.

If your specialist or local society would like to put on a display, call Judith Scanlan at the MetroCentre, tel: 0191-493-0200.

It is anticipated that over the two days of the show 200,000 people will visit the MetroCentre.

Keen vegetable gardeners and club members who are interested in entering the competition can obtain an entry form from The Westmorland Gazette Gardening Club, PO Box 50, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 3XD.