I used to read the British comics Cor!! and Whizzer and Chips* when I was a kid, and remember the stories about conker fights. Little did I know that it's an actual sport. The good news is that this year's 42nd World Conker Championships has gone ahead despite fears that drought last year would produce nuts that were too small and too soft for competition.
* It was two comics in one; I was a Chipite, while my brother was a Whizz Kid. Toonhound has more about the comics here.