Conkers!

Doesn't anyone play conkers anymore?

You never see kids trying to knock them off the trees these days - when I was a kid you'd be on the hunt for a tree that hadn't been found. Plus you'd see loads of kids playing conkers in the street as well.

For anyone who has no clue what I'm ging on about, the proper name for a conker is a horse chestnut. And they look like this:

^^^^^

I used to get about 3 or 4 shopping plastic bag full of conkers. The football team used to have a yearly competition, but it was a nightmare having to make a hole and put a bit of string through it

I've split and renamed the thread. Surely there's more than just me and you 7KK7!

Doesn't anyone play conkers anymore?

You never see kids trying to knock them off the trees these days - when I was a kid you'd be on the hunt for a tree that hadn't been found. Plus you'd see loads of kids playing conkers in the street as well.

For anyone who has no clue what I'm ging on about, the proper name for a conker is a horse chestnut. And they look like this:

I did in primary school! About 10 years ago. Top game that was. Had a load of tricks to make the conker tougher, but I don't think they ever worked

I have just remembered a cracking conker game i used to play on the internet (mousebreaker.com i think it was on).

I'm going to go looking for it now

I always used to put vinegar on mine, Robbo.  Or rob my sisters nail varnish. 

It was a great game! And it's conker season now isn't it? Or near the end anyway.

Here's a link to an online game if you are now in the mood to play

http://www.mousebreaker.com/games/battlingconkers/play.php

we still play conkers round here, still a boss little game until people take it too seriously.

we still play conkers round here, still a boss little game until people take it too seriously.

Where is round here?

Where i live the kids probably think conkers is a new name for weed

round here is Toxteth, Liverpool mate. Usually on Prinny Park on by the library on Windsor Street.

round here is Toxteth, Liverpool mate. Usually on Prinny Park on by the library on Windsor Street.

Glad to hear it's still being played in Tocky.

I went past a conker tree today in Huyton and there were conkers all over the floor. Wonder if Huyton Red can start the trend again up that way.

Conkers is still played in school playgrounds today Kenny, but I don't think its as popular as it used to be, in fact some headteachers banned it when some kids got hit in the eye with a conker, ouch ........ 

What a game! I used to go conker hunting in the park with our kid! Climbing trees!

Me brother used to freeze his, although looking back after doing science for a few years, I reckon it probably did it more harm than good! His other trick was me auld fellas varnish for the doors! Handy being brought up with a painter and decorator for a Dad!

Glad to know I wasn't the only one chucking sticks up trees and god knows what else to try and get conkers to drop! Spent many happy hours playing at that as a kid, don't know what was better in the end, going conker hunting or playing the game!

Wasn't it a disappointment when you got a massive one to fall down, then you opened the shell and there was TWO little ones inside instead of the one MASSIVE one you were hoping for!

Did anyone else have an elaborate scoring system? I remember at school that if you had a "virgin" conker it was worth one point, and if you beat another one yours went to two points. In the end, we sometimes had conkers that were worth over 100 points because eventually the best ones would get beaten and you'd take all their points!

Treating conkers with vinegar or freezing them was frowned upon, and people caught "cheating" this way weren't appreciated!  The stuff you do as a kid!

Don't think the kids are so in to it as we used to be, it have something to do with having to wear body armour and protective glasses by the fascist school dictatorships.

Conkers is still played in school playgrounds today Kenny, but I don't think its as popular as it used to be, in fact some headteachers banned it when some kids got hit in the eye with a conker, ouch ........ 

Think you have hit the nail on the head, or conkers to conker, most schools have banned them, that's why you don't see many kids playing with them.

I remember when I used bake mine in the oven, to try and harden them up, put the whole in first, then slowly bake them, if you where lucky they would come out like a rock.