At Prep' School, I was a big Conkers fan and player. At this time of year I was seldom without a few Conkers, some string, and a skewer in my pocket; the three essentials for any Conker aficionado.
We had all sort of scams for hardening Conkers. Some steeped them in Vinegar, others 'laid them down' for 12 months, some cooked them in ovens. I, on the other hand, had a much better idea.
Father had an old thick plank of Mahogany in his shed. I sawed about an inch and a half off one end, and cut it into small squares. These I whittled into Conker shaped spheres, and painted them to look indistinguishable from the real thing. Once a hole was drilled through the middle, I was in business.
I can't actually recall using them in anger, I was probably too ashamed, but I'm sure I showed them around. Anyway, the idea was good, and I would have become a supreme champion; until found-out!
I doubt if school children are allowed to play Conkers these days; the elf-n-safety, woke, dungaree wearing lovies wouldn't allow it. The little darlings might hurt themselves.
Stupid is as stupid does. My father, a supremely intelligent man if overbearing at times, would give you short shrift on your above reasoning. Life is full of risks. Some risks you do NOT take. Engage brain. Leave bravado in the under stairs cupboard. Throw away key.
ReplyDeleteAs to your last paragraph: Should your darling Kimbo have been hit in one of his eyes (luckily most of us have two) by some conker bearing little shit on the playground you'd have plenty to say. Trust me. I am not your mother but trust me nevertheless.
Which reminds me, apropos of nothing: My Maths teacher, a short man full of enthusiasm for his subject only equalled by the amount of disdain he had for those he taught, once opened a bottle of champagne. Anyone worthy of a sip of bubbly knows that you open the bottle AWAY from your face (and preferably not pointing at anyone else's). Law of physics. Cue Eye. No wonder he was so bad tempered for the rest of his teaching years.
U
You're being contrary yet again. My motto has always been 'Safety Last', that way you enjoy life far more than those wrapped in cotton wool.
DeleteFfs
DeleteIt was never played here, apparently life itself is the risk and that was enough.
ReplyDeleteYes, life is far riskier than Conkers, yet they don't ban 'life'.
DeleteI am sure that conkers are no longer allowed along with lots of other things but then, if you identify as a wolf/cat/dragon, there's no need for such things !!! Pushing our daughter along in the buggy, many moons ago { she is now in her forties ! }, we had collected some conkers on our way to pick our son up from school. I noticed lots of ' conker crumbs' in her lap and presumed she had eaten some. They are poisonous so it was a hospital visit where they made her sick and all was well !!!! XXXX
ReplyDeleteI believe that lots of people eat them every year, thinking they're Chestnuts.
DeleteYes, I think conkers are banned in school these days too. And of course, carrying a skewer in your pocket would certainly not be allowed, you could be arrested for carrying a dangerous weapon!
ReplyDeleteAnd no doubt the string would be seen as being for tying peoples hands behind their backs.
DeleteThey are beautiful to look at - especially when still in their half-open casing.
ReplyDeleteThat 'Conker brown' is beautiful. They really SHOULD be edible.
DeleteI had heard of William the Conqueror but not Crozier the Conkerer. I recall bruised knuckles from when I was accidentally whacked there. Very painful.
ReplyDeleteThose were 'Wounds of Honour'; not unlike a Rugby players 'Cauliflower Ears'.
DeleteConkers look like buckeyes, which is what we have here. I don't recall anyone throwing them, though.
ReplyDeleteThe conkers were on a string and you hit your opponents conker with your conker, also on a string. The aim was to break your opponents conker. They were not "thrown" around. My brothers would bake the conkers in the oven to harden them.
DeleteSo they're soft to begin with? I guess they would have to be to get a string through them. I'd never heard of them before.
DeleteNo, they are pretty hard but it was a schoolboy trick to put them in the oven to make them harder, or that was the theory, and then they would have a "winning" conker! It was considered cheating!
DeleteI too thought conkers were just chestnuts. I've just googled them. I still live and learn
ReplyDeleteThe thing to remember is that there are two types of chestnut trees, horse chestnut which bears the conkers and the sweet chestnut which bears the edible sweet chestnuts. The trees are totally different and the leaves totally different. I don't think there is any confusion in Britain. We all played conkers at school and at home and I don't recall there being any accidents and the common sense rule was that you held the string away from your body at waist level and the eyes were well clear.
DeleteSorry to have taken over your blog Cro. I was getting frustrated at the confusion about conkers and sweet chestnuts and playing conkers.
ReplyDeleteEven people in the UK confuse Horse with Sweet, and people are known to roast Conkers and attempt to eat them.
DeleteReally! Where do they come from, down from the hills or something?
DeleteProbably townies.
DeleteConkers sounds like a game many boys would like.
ReplyDeleteMy only experience with chestnuts is: roasted chestnuts at Christmas and I did not care for them.
Chestnuts are a HUGE business. Where I live in France it is a major crop. But don't confuse them with Conkers.
DeleteOh my old days
ReplyDeleteMine too.
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