{"id":34295,"date":"2024-01-29T17:46:46","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T16:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/3a35cdd6-b130-4e07-82d1-c34cf2a9cbbe"},"modified":"2024-01-29T18:39:22","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T17:39:22","slug":"what-is-conkers-and-how-do-you-find-the-best-conker","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/what-is-conkers-and-how-do-you-find-the-best-conker\/","title":{"rendered":"What is conkers and how do you find the best conker?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prepare for battle with conkers this autumn <\/p>

By countryfile\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 29 January 2024 at 16:46 PM<\/p>

\n\n

What are conkers <\/h2>

Conkers are the brown shiny seeds of a horse chestnut.<\/a> In autumn spiked husks containing the conker fall to the ground and get picked up by children eager to find a winning conker inside.<\/p>

How to play conkers<\/h2>

Conkers is a game where conkers are hung on string and struck against each other. Played between two players, each player takes it in turn to strike their opponent’s conker with their own. Points are then given on whether the conker survives. A winning conker is highly prized.<\/p>

It\u2019s not known where the word \u2018conker\u2019 comes from, but some theories point to the French cogner<\/em>, meaning \u2018to hit\u2019.<\/p>

When was conkers first played?<\/h2>

The first ever UK game was supposedly played on the Isle of Wight in 1848 and its popularity spread quickly after that.<\/p>

What make the best conkers?<\/h2>

Horse chestnut seeds ripen within their iconic spiky green casing, which splits, dropping the seeds to the ground when they are ready. The best ones to look out for are firm and symmetrical\u2013 giving them the best advantage once you\u2019ve drilled a hole in the middle and threaded through your string.<\/p>

Apparently one way to tell if a conker is any good is to see whether it floats in water. If it does \u2013 bin it, as means it likely has internal damage. Ways of strengthening conkers include soaking them in vinegar, baking them and even using nail varnish \u2013 though we at BBC Countryfile Magazine <\/em>Towers think that may be cheating. <\/p>

There\u2019s also a World Conker Championships<\/a><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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