Conkers

On a beautiful fall day in 2009, it caught my eye while looking out the window of the Howard Arms.

In the center of the 'Lower Green' of Ilmington, (a village in the English Cotswolds), stood quite an imposing tree.

Upon inquiry, I was told that it was a 'conker' tree.

CONKER tree?

And the nuts from the tree were used to play a favorite childhood game.

 A hole is bored through the conker & a string inserted through it.

Children then swing their conker to collide with that of their opponent.

The conker that survives intact wins the match.

This autumn pastime has been an English tradition for generations.


(I later learned that the "conker" is actually one & the same as a horsechestnut tree.)

Then just last week, as we were traveling down I-65  & I was perusing the October issue of
Country Living (British Edition)

 and there they were again....Conkers.

Upon flipping through the pages I found that this year's World Conker Championship had been held on the 10th of October.

It seems their appeal reaches beyond childhood!

Note:Mark your calendar for the 9th of October, 2011.

Next year's championship will be scheduled as usual on the second Sunday of October on the Village Green at Ashton in Northhamptshire.

Reading suggestion:  1.Trees , byMartin, Zim & Barlowe
           2. Wikipedia: conker