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Sue and Stewart are English, but they live in Dordogne, in the pretty little village of Abjat sur Bandiat. They have introduced the game of Conkers in France, and even organised a national tournament, that is now quite famous !
History:
The game of Conkers is most probably English, although some French people pretend it was created in France, with snail shells!
Nobody eats conkers, even pigs, so during the Middle Ages, children used conkers to play (like you do now with marbles). The game became what it is today in the 20th century.
How do you play conkers?
Listen to Stewart!
Conkers in France:
One day in autumn, Sue was walking to the little grocery store in her village, and she saw a carpet of useless conkers on the ground; of course, while English children picke them all up, French children don't know the game. So she collected them.
The French people didn't understand, and some people even said " Crazy English people, they want to make soup with horse chestnuts!".
Then, Sue and Stewart decided to show this game to their French and English friends, and organised a little tournament. Year after year, more people joined in, especially after French people started to win. After several years, they decided to send the French champion to the International Conkers Championship, that takes place every year on the second saturday of october, in a small English village.
Today, the French Championship is a local event, with concerts and a vide-grenier, as well as experts from England, and even sponsors.
Stewart says this game has brought publicity to the village, and Abjat has become renowned for this stupid excentric game that gets people together.
If you are in Dordogne next october, don't miss the French Conkers Championship in Abjat sur Bandiat, on the first saturday of october.
Voc:
conker: marron d'Inde
pierce: percer,
hit: frapper
rebound: rebondir
string: ficelle