Binge Thinking

World Record Anyone? - Ros Palmer

Flush from his recent string of Award wins and always up for a new challenge, Andy Gilbert and a Go MAD team are entering the World Conker Championships on 10.10.10.

Next October, Andy, Harriett Gilbert, Ian Chakravorty and John Bullock will be choosing their best horse chestnuts (conkers to you and me) and stringing them with minds focused on winning the World title and a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

And there is still time for you to get a team together and enter! Simply choose your best and bravest and visit the World Conker Championships site by 12 November. Go to: http://www.worldconkerchampionships.com/html/how_to_enter.php.

Organised by Ashton Conker Club, the competition first took place in 1965 and has grown year-on-year ever since. Nowadays, teams from all over the world meet for the competition. The competitors play on eight white podiums in the playing arena and go through rounds until the winner emerges and is lead to the Conker Throne and crowned with conkers. As well as being a fantastic fun family day out with stalls and sideshows, there is a serious point: to raise money for charities for the blind and the visually impaired. In 2008 the event raised £25,000, bringing the all-time grand total raised to over £359,000!