I have far far too many gooseberries this year, on my own now so I have picked them all and bottled the great majority. I have just trimmed all 7 bushes drastically, aiming for tall standards, forever supported by a stake. The berries all hang down so picking from year two will be very much easier. There will be no berries next year
I would cut off any low lying branches, cutting off at the main stem, fruit and all, then pick those in comfort. Do the same with any inner branches that you are sure you will want to remove to get the ideal open goblet shape. If you need to get at the fruit in the centre then wear long sleeves and gloves and if room, then work over a small bucket. I picked my last ones yesterday over a small bucket with gloves and it took a fraction of the time. Then I scalped my last two bushes, so now they are all one stem and one shoot, several have wonky stems but that doesn`t matter. I had enough gooseberries for two years this year so I am ok being without next year, while I concentrate on getting the standards going. I pick sitting on a kneeling stool and am almost 70 so have to look forward to making it easier
I have grown gooseberries for a long time but in a different place and I was younger. In my experience, pruning now does no physical harm to the plant, they are robust
