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World conker champion found with steel chestnut, cleared of cheating

(www.theguardian.com)
424 points notamy | 8 comments | 15 Oct 24 03:12 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
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umanwizard ◴[15 Oct 24 03:33 UTC] No.41844648[source]▶
Is this game well-known enough in Britain and Ireland that readers will know what on earth is being alleged just from reading this article? Or are you expected to have to google it?

Apparently it’s a game where you take turns swinging a chestnut on a string and trying to hit the opponent’s chestnut and break it. Yes, I can see how a steel fake chestnut would be an advantage here, though I’m amazed it wouldn’t be instantly obvious to even a casual observer that the look and sound were wrong. So maybe I’m still missing something.

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mikeodds ◴[15 Oct 24 03:38 UTC] No.41844680[source]▶
Innate knowledge to Brits, similar to knowing a swan might break your arm
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DougN7 ◴[15 Oct 24 03:48 UTC] No.41844753[source]▶
Lol, I don’t understand what THAT means! A swan might break your arm?!?
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1. beezlewax ◴[15 Oct 24 04:33 UTC] No.41844960[source]▶
Ye and the queen eats swans for breakfast or something like that.
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2. Nursie ◴[15 Oct 24 04:37 UTC] No.41844993[source]▶
All swans are owned by the crown and the monarch has the exclusive right to kill and eat them.

Or at least that's the way I heard it, come to think of it I have no idea at all if that's true. Stops people killing and eating swans though. Not that many would anyway these days.

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3. inopinatus ◴[15 Oct 24 05:03 UTC] No.41845108[source]▶
it is a custom more honour’d in the breach than the observance
4. lmm ◴[15 Oct 24 05:54 UTC] No.41845351[source]▶
St John's College serves swan on formal occasions sometimes, because they have some connection to the royal family that means they have special permission. (Or used to in the Queen Elizabeth days, I don't know if they still do under Charles)
5. globular-toast ◴[15 Oct 24 06:03 UTC] No.41845398[source]▶
Apart from the ones at Abbotsbury swannery. Those ones are privately owned. It is true to say all mute swans in Britain are owned by someone, though.
6. seanhunter ◴[15 Oct 24 06:13 UTC] No.41845445[source]▶
Less often since September 2022.
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7. louthy ◴[15 Oct 24 11:47 UTC] No.41847523[source]▶
We still have a queen, just not the one we want ;)
8. louthy ◴[15 Oct 24 11:48 UTC] No.41847531[source]▶
> All swans

Not all, just mute swans; so not Bewick’s or whoopers (if I remember correctly)

Edit:

“His Majesty specifically owns any unclaimed mute swan in open water in both England and Wales in a ceremonial fashion. This has been a law since medieval times. His ownership is shared with the Worshipful Company of Dyers, granted to them by the Crown in the 1400s.”

https://royalcentral.co.uk/uk/king/does-the-king-really-own-...