Catching Acorns and Conkers

An extract from the book 40 Humourous British Traditions

Autumn is the time when items fall from trees with great regularity. Acorns and conkers can be caught in great numbers. In Ludlow in the first week of October there’s a festival that tests contestants’ catching stamina to the full.

This is the Ludlow Catching Acorns and Conkers Festival, a contest that takes place between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on seven consecutive days. The trees used in the festival are either English oak trees or horse chestnut trees and a different tree is used each day.