Friday, October 14, 2005

In Conker News....

Why is that old English man playing conkers with Fidel Castro?


The venerable game of conkers has been all over our corner of the blogosphere recently chums, with both McTechWitch and Listmaker recounting an epic battle at their workplace between two expatriate Englishmen. However, dark news of sinister import comes our way from Norfolk, as the Eastern Daily Press breathlessly reports:

"The moth that spells doom for conkers, Tara Greaves reporting

First it was fear of litigation that threatened to end the age-old playground game but now nature is also taking its toll on East Anglia's conkers.

Scientists have found the larvae of the marauding horse chestnut leaf minor moth, which burrows into the leaves causing them to fall off prematurely, in Norfolk for the first time this year.

In extreme cases an entire tree can appear autumnal as early as August which means it produces fewer and smaller conkers."


The full story can be found here, but if you aren't inclined to follow the link I should at least share with you Tara Greaves' chilling final paragraphs (and the EDP's horrific copy editing):

"Both there are also human threats to the traditional game of conkers, which is in full swing at this time of year. Four years ago, Norwich City Council made the infamous decision to fell trees in Bluebell Road because it was worried children collecting nuts would be hit by cars leading to the council being sued.

The following year several Scout leaders classified the game as a dangerous sport and banned it from being played."


The only nuts Scout leaders want kids playing with are- hold it; easy, tiger, its a family blog.

2 comments:

Mondale said...

I WILL TAKE YOU ALL ON!!!!!!!!!!!!

Listmaker said...

bring on more conkers pics maestra.

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