Summary

  • The new World Conkers Champion is Matt Cross from Lincolnshire

  • Queen Conker is Margaret Blake from Corby, Northamptonshire

  • Broadcaster Mark Pougatch was among those vying for glory - but missed out on a place in the quarter finals "by a thread"

  • Last year's King Conker - who was rocked by allegations of cheating - was knocked out by a woman dressed as a bumble bee

Live: World Conker Championships

Live Reporting

Written by Laura Devlin. Edited by James Hore

  1. Emma says she’s ready to claim the title of Queen Conker

    Emma has her hair in pink rollers which are on her head. She is wearing a pink hooding and is standing in front of an arena where people are playing Conkers.Aimee Dexter/BBC

    Emma from Liverpool was the female runner up in 2022 and boldly declares: “I have come back to get what is rightfully mine.”

    We'll keep you posted of Emma's attempts to take the crown.

  2. Participants are going bonkers for conkers

    Two people are standing playing conkers on a white podium in an arena. There are trees and bushes surrounding the arena.Aimee Dexter/BBC

    Games are commencing and people are spectating as the first rounds of the championships take place.

  3. Conkers is like riding a bike - 'you never lose it'

    Stormtrooper standing in a field with a crowd of people facing the other way behind him. On his costumer is a green bib with World Conker Championships written on it and the number 55

    Stormtrooper Gary Brooks has travelled from the Dark Side - well, Warrington - for his first competition.

    "God help me if I need the toilet", he said of his "restrictive costume".

    "We had a little bit of practice last night, probably the first time I'd played since the late 1980s, but it's like riding a bike - you never lose it.

    "Given that, I can't see below my nose, it's a bit of an issue".

  4. What is a conker?

    Conkers on grassy ground surrounded by broken spiky green shells and leaves.National Trust/PA

    We're nearly two hours in on the live page, so it would be remiss not to address this burning question...

    A conker is essentially the glossy brown seed from the horse chestnut tree.

    According to the conservation charity, the Woodland Trust, the inedible fruits are poisonous and should not be eaten by humans or dogs.

    The edible sweet chestnut is not related to the horse chestnut. Their cases often contain two or three smaller nuts.They are delicious roasted.

    Conkers grow inside their green spiky cases that often split revealing the shiny fruit inside upon hitting the ground. They are often referred to as nuts but technically are fruit.

  5. Morris dancers perform for the crowds

    People were dressed in morris dancing clothing, wearing white shirts and black shorts with white socks. They were dancing on gravel.Aimee Dexter/BBC

    There's plenty going on here to keep the crowds entertained. Morris dancers from Peterborough are performing traditional dances with sticks and hankies.

  6. Practice makes perfect

    People were standing on the left practising playing conkers. People are crowded around an arena.Aimee Dexter/BBC

    After it was announced black bibs are up first, people have started to practice just outside of the arena.

  7. Full-on training regime for former champ

    A woman in a bee costume

    Stephanie may have mentioned once or twice that she was champion about 10 years ago.

    "The kudos - I am a world sporting champion," she says.

    "Every year it's a full-on-training regime - exercising, practicing, - no, it's good fun," she jokes.

    And yes, she is dressed as bee. No reason but she's buzzing.

  8. How is the game played?

    A bag of conkers, with leather straps, in a bag, sat on a table.World Conker Championships

    Each conker is threaded with a leather strip and competitors draw one from the bag

    If you're of a certain age, you might recall childhood autumns of bruised knuckles as you bashed conkers with friends and siblings.

    Soaking chestnuts in vinegar or even baking them to make them harder was among some of the methods used to produce a champion nut.

    Essentially a piece of string is threaded through a hole in the conker and you try and bash and your opponents conker, each person taking it in turns to have a strike.

    For the World Conker Championships, contestants take part in a series of rounds with all conkers and laces supplied.

    Conkers are drawn from a bag with players able to reject up to three conkers.

    A minimum distance of no less than 8 inches (20cm) of lace (string) "must be between knuckle and nut" for striking and receiving players.

    The game is decided when one of the conkers is smashed. If there is less than a third of a conker remaining it will be judged out.

  9. Infamous steel conker 'looked exactly like a real one'

    A man with grey hair is wearing a yellow tshirt, black jacket and has a string of conkers around his neck. He is standing in a field in front of two white signs that say 'steel conker detector' and 'scanner'

    The event has a tongue-in-cheek steel conker detector this year - just in case anyone was thinking of taking their chances with a replica nut.

    After David Jakins won the men's championships last year, the team caught wind that he had a steel conker which may have been used to outdo his competitors.

    Organiser St John Burkett said it launched a week-long investigation before eventually concluding there was no case to answer.

    "This steel conker, he made it 17 years ago, he used to be a toolmaker," he said.

    "It's a brilliant thing, it looks just exactly like a real conker."

  10. Parade to mark the start of the championships

    People dressed in different costumes were walking on a field. Some of them were carrying long wooden sticks in the air.Aimee Dexter/BBC

    An opening parade has now taken place, marking the start of today’s events.

    The parade includes a man dressed as a nun, alongside a firefighter and a giant yellow and black bumble bee. Yes, you read that correctly.

  11. A hot summer and a conker supply crisis

    Windsor Castle surrounded by lawns and trees with people walking and picnickingPA Media

    There were fears this year the event might have had to be cancelled due to the hot, dry British summer which caused conkers to fall from trees early.

    A nationwide hunt began, with suitably large nuts eventually being donated by the Royal estate at Windsor Castle as well as from locations across the country, Italy and France.

    Organiser Charles Whalley also said they had taken steps to ensure a plentiful supply of conkers, freezing 1,000 or so in September.

    He added conkers may be smaller this year but that would not effect people's enjoyment. Play on...

  12. Tayah the Old English Bulldog

    Tayah is a brown small Old English Bulldog standing in front of her owner on a field. Lee is wearing a black jumper.Aimee Dexter/BBC

    Tayah and her owner Lee are here from Redditch in The Midlands. Lee’s company is sponsering the event and he is even hoping to win a game of conkers...

  13. Traffic diversions in place

    Like all major sporting events, there can be a knock-on effect on the roads.

    Today's conkers spectacular is no exception and drivers are advised the A1 will be closed at Water Newton, with diversions put in place.

  14. Cheating controversy sees competitor numbers rise

    David Jakins is dressed in green and adorned with conkers. He is focusing on a game of conkers he is currently playing. He is wearing a black hat, and there are trees behind him.Reuters

    Organisers have told the BBC they have seen record numbers of entrants for the championships following the worldwide publicity following last year's cheating claims.

    It involved David Jakins who won the men's competition but there were claims he had cheated by - wait for it - swapping a real conker for a metal one.

    Mr Jakins, a competitor since 1977, denied using a steel horse chestnut at any point in the tournament, and said he kept a steel conker on him for "humour value".

    Organiser Charles Whalley said it had been proven through video evidence he did not cheat, but the extra publicity had been "absolutely incredible" as news of the scandal spread.

  15. Squirrel and tree going nuts for conkers

    Two people in fancy dress - one as a squirrel and another as a tree - stand next to each other in front of a candy floss stand and a merry-go-round. The sky is foggy and grey

    Dawn Hinkley - going incognito here - and partner Gary Ward, from Milton Keynes, have got into the spirit of the games.

    Dressed as a squirrel and tree, as you do, the couple are championship newbies after hearing about last year's King Conker controversy and are keen to watch the action get under way.

  16. Fundraising for very worthy causes

    A view of the event. Stalls arer set up in a green common. There is a giant conker surrounded by plants with a sign coming from the top of it. The sign has directions for the village hall, pub and toilets.Bethany Gwilliam/BBC

    Alongside the fun of the event, there is also a serious amount of money to be raised for charity.

    Since 1965 the competition has raised £430,000 for charities supporting the visually impaired, including the Northants Association for the Blind and Peterborough Talking Newspaper.

    The championships, which have been held at the Shuckburgh Arms for the last decade, is ticketed and entry costs £8 for adults and £5 for children. A family ticket is £20.

    Participants pay a registration fee only.

  17. It’s a foggy morning here in Southwick

    Two blue tents were situated on a field to the left of the image. People were walking through the tents and standing on the field.Aimee Dexter/BBC

    People have started walking through the entrance ready for the World Conker Championships today in Northamptonshire. They've arrived on a foggy morning. Hopefully it will brighten up as the day goes on.

  18. Record numbers of contestants lining up for top titles

    Two people are sat on thrones decorated with conkers. On the left is Kelci Banschbach, she has long light brown hair and is wearing a long dark olive winter coat. She has a crown on her head decorated with conkers. Next to her is an older man in a green and yellow cloak, he also has a conker themed crown and throne. Both smile with their trophies.World Conker Championships

    Kelci Banschbach, the women's champion, defeated King Conker, the men's champion, to become the first overall winner from America

    An impressive 256 adults are expected to go for the conker King and Queen titles, while about 60 children are taking part in the junior category.

    David Jakins who was crowned King for the first time last year, is expected to defend his title but the conker Queen, Kelci Banschbach from Indianapolis, will not be back today as she's home in the USA.

    She went down in history as the first American to be crowned a world conker champion after defeating Jakins.

    Incredibly she'd only taken up the hobby a year earlier after moving to Suffolk.

  19. Welcome to our coverage of the World Conker Championships

    A pile of brown conkers with the sun shining on them. It is a close up imageReuters

    Good morning!

    The conkers have been lovingly prepared and knuckles toughened for the competition which has been running since 1965.

    Held at Southwick, Northamptonshire, the event includes various categories including an adult and junior world champion.

    Last year's competition was mired by controversy after accusations of cheating were made - with the winner eventually exonerated.

    But as they say, all publicity is good publicity, and as a result this year's championships has seen a record number of entries.

    The event has kicked off at the Shuckburgh Arms and will run until about 16:00 BST.