gooseberry

I think what you are suggesting is NOT your best way to go. I have several bushes and they are tedious but can be brought to shapes and sizes that give good production and better access for weeding and picking.
If you google something like "pruning gooseberries" you will find several references including a  video. There are several basic cheap books around as well. Personally i prefer a diagram to streams of words.
Overall you are looking to keep the best positioned branches but perhaps shorten them a little, cut out very low branches completely and then prune in a way that makes new branches grow where you want them to be. BUT you do this November to March NOT now. Pruning is not my favourite job but it is worth it as over a year or three you get the bush into a wineglass shape or even more upright which makes weeding easier, picking easier and the fruit ripens better and bigger. Best of luck.

they do root very easily - I found some prunings from February that had taken root where they fell so I stuck them in a gap and the plants are doing very well 

all noted. thanx everyone

I've got a couple of gooseberry bushes growing out of the bowl at the top of the trunk of my crack willow tree, so I guess they seed pretty easily as well

  Makes a change from buddleia I suppose