Saturday 6 October 2012

Silsden’s best-known gardener is Vincent Throup, pictured above displaying an onion weighing 12 pounds 6 ounces.who has twice held the world record for the heaviest onion. Born in April 1933 into a farming family at Higher House (near Swartha Hill on the moor leading to Bradley), Vincent’s determination to recapture the world title is undiminished in sight of his 80th birthday. He set a new world record of 9 pounds 11½ ounces in 1989 (the previous best was 6 pounds 2 ounces). In 1990, Vincent beat his own record with an onion weighing 10 pounds 14 ounces. In 2010, he produced a personal best of 14 pounds. The  present world best weighs 18 pounds 1 ounce, grown by Vincent's arch-rival Peter Glazebrook, of Newark. The world championships take place at the Harrogate Autumn Show in September. Vincent is pictured below with two onions entered in competitions for quality as opposed to weight.