They came, they saw, they conkered – these are just some of the people that went nuts at the World Conker Championships this Sunday.
We can’t be sure if playing with horse chestnuts was as popular in Julius Caesar’s time as it is in modern day Britain but this year’s contestants meant business.
At least 300 participants from all corners of the world arrived at the Shuckburgh Arms pub in Southwick, Northamptonshire.
No costumes were off limits to the delight of some 5,000 spectators cheering on conkerers.
Stephanie Withall – a previous champion – donned a bee outfit to pay homage to her job as a beekeeper.
There was an Elvis lookalike, a Spider-Man, and a contestant dressed as a beer bottle.
Unlike at the schoolyard, rules state competitors are not allowed to bring their own lucky nuts.
Instead, they must use one provided by the event organisers, drawn from a ‘blind’ bag.
To win, the opponent’s conker must be smashed and if both are destroyed at the same time, new ones are drawn.
Additionally, a minimum distance of no less than 20cm of lace must be between knuckle and nut for both the ‘striking’ and ‘receiving’ players.
After a series of intense games, Fee Aylmore was crowned champion for women, while Randy Topolinski, from Calgary in Canada, became men’s champion.
Ms Aylmore, a school nurse who lives a few miles from Southwick, said that it took her 31 yeard of playing to master the game.
‘If you want something badly enough, keep doing it,’ the 49-year-old said.
‘It took me 31 years of playing but eventually I won this year and I am totally thrilled.’
The art of conkering must run in her family, as her dad, David Jakins, who is also known as King Conker, ‘is the chap who officially starts the championships off’.
She added that he was ‘super pleased’ to find out that she won.
‘Finally, all his efforts of teaching me how to play paid off,’ Ms Aylmore said.
James Packer, chairman of the World Conker Championships, who lives in Coalville, Leicestershire, said: ‘The women’s champion has been trying to win it for more than30 years – she’s finally managed to achieve that today.
‘The men’s champion is from Calgary, Canada – it’s one of the few times the trophy has been taken abroad.’
He added that seeing people at the event has been ‘tremendous’.
‘It’s been a very friendly, fun, family afternoon.’
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