Off the back of last year’s shock loss, Matthew Thomas was on the warpath to reclaim the title from his fiercest rival, Harry Ower.
Preparations began in early Spring, with seeds distributed amongst the team, and plots mapped out to enable maximum growth. 2024 has been a year in which contestants have been treated to a year of mild weather and record amounts of rain that pushed the growers to the edge!
Mixed fortunes
After a house move last year, Stewart and Helen Ower had acquired a vegetable plot that was ready to go! A strong start was soon disrupted, however, after deer invaded the garden and ate everything, bringing their competition to an abrupt end.
The plucky rookie, James Harrington made an impactful debut in the competition by forgetting to plant his seeds at all. He received an automatic disqualification when he suggested purchasing a finished pumpkin from the local supermarket.
Johnny Catchpole didn’t fare much better with a no-show due to sharing a garden with his neighbours. In a statement he told us: “It would be selfish of me to take over the entire garden with a behemoth pumpkin, and I don’t want to risk an eviction notice.”
Tom Ower kept his cards close to his chest until the big reveal.
The big weigh-in!
Months of WhatsApp messages exchanged updates on each contestant’s progress until the final weigh in took place the day before Halloween. Seven contestants started and three made it to the finish line, but only one would emerge victorious with the scales determining the final winner:
- 1st Place – Harry Ower
- 2nd Place – Matthew Thomas
- 3rd Place – Tom Ower with a prized Pineapple
Much to his unconstrained delight, Harry continued his winning streak in style, becoming the first person in Compass history to achieve two wins in a row. Commenting on his victory, he said: “I like to compare my relationship with Matthew to some of histories greats – Mr Miyagi and the Karate Kid or Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.
“In all great stories we know there comes a time where pupil becomes master; today is that day, with a second historic win in the greatly anticipated Compass pumpkin growing competition.
“I cannot thank miracle-gro fertilizer enough for its contributions to the crop produced this year. With the help of Google and some prime chicken manure I hope to make next year another victory.”
A two week trip to Florida, during which time his plot remained unsupervised, malnourished and parched, was ultimately Matt’s downfall. In a tearful statement, he said: “Competing against a family who’s surname is two letters away from grower is always going to be a challenge.
“But combine this with poor growing conditions in Shropshire during 2024, and a poorly planned holiday at the peak of the growing season, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
“I must do better next year, for my fans. A post incident investigation has been completed and procedures amended to avoid a recurrence.”
A chance for redemption?
So there ends another year of pumpkin growing for the Compass team! With just 364 days to the next weigh in, plans are already underway for next year’s competition.
- Will Harry achieve a threepeat?
- Will Matt get his redemption?
- Will Stewart and Helen unlock their potential?
- Will James remember to plant his seeds?
- Will Johnny find a suitable space for a plot?
- Will Tom actually produce a pumpkin for once?
- Or will the company’s newest employee – degree apprentice, Oisin – show them all how it’s done?
Tune in next year!
Images provided by Tom Ower, Compass