Arsenal may have just consolidated their place at the top of the Premier League with an emphatic victory over their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, but there’s a different kind of title race taking place south of the river this weekend.
If our love for the game of football transcends age, then so should one of the ultimate games from our childhoods that you probably haven’t tried out in years. Yes, of course we are talking about conkers.
When a game is that synonymous with being banned from school playgrounds, you know it probably has some fire to it, and you can unearth that passion at the annual Peckham Conker Championships this weekend.
For those poor souls that haven’t played it before, the game works like this. You take your conker – you know them, the seeds of a horse chestnut tree you see all over the floor in autumn – and attach it too a piece of a string. Then, you and your opponent will take turns in hitting your conker until only one breaks and the victorious party is left standing. A healthy dose of chaotic fun, which we can all use sometimes.
Anyway, this weekend (October 8), you’ll find the path to greatness over at the Brick Brewery Tap Room between 3-6pm. There’s two separate competitions; one for children (aged 4-15), and one for adults (16+). The prize? Well, aside from eternal glory (at least until next year) and your name etched in history, the winners will receive a ‘golden nut’, which is a 23-carat conker that you can add to your trophy cabinets.
Battle Royale rules apply – where, and I quote, “stampsies, nut-pimping and any sort of cheating is very much encouraged”. The game is the game.
Sign up to the conker competition here.
Find it at the Brick Brewery Tap Room, Blenheim Grove, Peckham Rye, SE15 4QL (nearest station is Peckham Rye).