STORY: This is 'conkers', a traditional British children's gameThe goal is to smash the other player's horse chestnutDate: October 7, 2023Hundreds of Londoners gathered to play at the Peckham Conkers ChampionshipsSome revealed their competitive secrets

[Couple]WOMAN: “Strategy…”MAN: “Oh, strategy. I think the fresher the conker…”WOMAN: “I’ve kept this conker for three rounds!”MAN: “Have you? Yeah, there we go. But you need a new fresh conker, rather than, like, an old one.”[Players]BECCA: “I’d say force and strategy.”GABS: “I’d say you need strategy to hit the opponent. But force to win.”

[Christopher Quigley, Festival organizer]“So, if you want to win a game of conkers, it’s all about accuracy. It’s all about having a strong nut. And a little bit of luck thrown in. So, the aim of the game of conkers is to smash the other person’s nut and you do that by literally by trying to smash the other person’s conker. Obviously, the strength of the conker makes a difference, so that’s where the luck comes in.”