The family farm based between Totton and Marchwood has opened its yearly ‘Pumpkin Time’ event which now holds a new world record.

The pumpkin pyramid has been named the largest Cucurbita Mosaic by Guinness World Records, being made up of over 10,000 squash and pumpkins. 

This year’s pumpkin display featured a tribute to Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, by depicting the animated musicals main character Jack Skellington – The Pumpkin King, for the films 30th anniversary. 

Farm owners Ian, Louise, and Tom Nelson constructed this years display which measured at 193.35 m² (2,081 ft² 543 in²), in around five hours with a team of 10 staff.

On receiving the title, Tom said: “We feel officially amazing.

“Although we didn’t build the mosaic for the recognition, it was fantastic to receive the accolade and it has meant a lot to the team who has spent many hours building the seasonal displays.

“We always ask people on social media what they would like the pyramid to be. The top answer was actually the Lionesses this year, but we were struggling to make it work so number two was The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

The mosaic was built up of orange and white pumpkins, Gem Rolet squash (which is black in colour) and the Crown Prince squash which adds its grey colour to the piece. 

All of these vegetables belong to the same family, the Cucurbita family – hence the unusual record title. 

In previous years, Sunnyfields has aimed to get the World Record for the largest and heaviest pumpkins not only in England but the World. 

The Nelson family transform their farm every year, welcoming visitors from far and wide to see their changing displays and pick a pumpkin just in time for Halloween.

The giant pumpkin pyramid display has previously featured Paddington Bear saying a big thank you to Her Majesty the Queen, a huge pumpkin carriage the year Cinderella was the pantomime in Southampton, and notably an enormous pumpkin wearing a face mask after the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Jane Austen, country girl turned literary heroine. As the year marks the 20th anniversary of her death, it is only fitting that a book be released in her honour. 85 year-old Anne-Marie Edwards launched her book “Jane Austen’s England, A Walking Guide” which takes a look at the places Jane love to visit and what inspired some of her writing.

Coffee could bring more good than harm says a recent study by The University of Southampton.

The benefits were seen in drinking a moderate three to four cups of coffee a day and have been seen to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and the greatest benefit being in liver conditions.

In order to get a better understanding of the effects of coffee consumption on health, Dr. Robin Poole, specialist registrar in Public Health at UOS, led a team in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh to carry out an umbrella review of over 200 studies from observational and clinical trials.

For students, high quantities of coffee can make the world go round whilst juggling academic responsibilities and social engagements. When asked if students should be limiting their daily cups of coffee, Dr. Poole said, ‘Our research suggested that drinking 3 or 4 cups of coffee a day had stronger links with some benefits than drinking less or drinking more than that amount. Reassuringly, drinking more than 3 or 4 cups was not associated with harm, but the level of benefit was reduced.’

‘There may be factors such as smoking, alcohol, nutrition, income, and education that may also be linked to drinking coffee and linked to the outcomes that may lead to false associations of benefit or harm.’

‘We would suggest students who are already drinking this amount of coffee, to continue to enjoy it, but try and make it as healthy as possible by avoiding adding too much sugar, syrup, or accompanying the beverage with biscuits, cakes, and pastries. Additionally, the magnitude of the benefit from drinking coffee is actually quite small compared to the benefits or stopping smoking, drinking less alcohol, or taking more physical activity on risk of various health outcomes. So students who wish to become as healthy as possible should target those lifestyle factors first!’