Gooseberry bush

I am mainly concerned for my gooseberry bush at the moment. It's started going brown in the leaves and I don't know why. I have many theories, over-watering, over exposure to sun, spider mites (just coz they're getting at everything else), or starting to die off for autumn. Does anyone have any ideas

 

I'm further north than you, but mine is still green and healthy *touch wood*, so I can't see it being down to dying off for autumn.

 

One of mine got eaten alive by caterpillars a couple of years ago. Absolutely decimated. It took me a little while to figure out why it was dying because the caterpillars in question were small and perfectly camouflaged. Even after I spotted one, I couldn't win because I'd pull loads off (once I knew what I was looking for), but they'd just be back an hour later (probably there all along but I'd missed them because they were so well camouflaged).

The good news is that after a full year of clinging to life by the skin of its teeth, this year it is lovely and green again although no sign of flowering or fruit from it, probably took too much of a battering and is still recovering.