Let's crack some nuts!' Peckham is bonkers for conkers

The sign beside the queue for conkers seemed a tad dramatic: “You won’t die, but you might lose an eye.” But an hour later, in the midst of a chestnut-ridden battlefield, I wondered what this frantic game could cost me.

- Sammy Gecsoyler

At the Peckham Conker Championships in south London at the weekend, the strong winds didn’t put many off and, by the time it began, it was heaving with punters ready to do one thing.

“I’m here to crack some nuts,” said Navid Akram. Despite being a complete novice, the 32-year-old was confident: “I wanna show I am the conquering beast.”