By DAVID COULTER

Last updated at 11:19, Friday, 17 October 2008

WIDESPREAD disease which has ravaged Tynedale’s horse chestnuts has failed to conquer one of district’s most offbeat attractions.

The 16th annual Bardon Mill and Roman Empire Conker Championships will go ahead tomorrow, despite a reported 40 per cent decline in the number of conkers available.

Alarm bells rang on Sunday when a combing of Bardon Mill hedgerows failed to find a single conker.

But it takes more than the efforts of a cohort of leaf miner moths and legions of the pseudonomas syringae virus to stop the intrepid conkerers.

They sent search parties as far away as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Cambridge to ensure there will be abundant conkers available for the big day.

Chairman of the championships committee, Chris Barker, said: “Our community event will definitely go ahead, with four different trophies to play for.

“We have some conkers already that have been imported and we hope that our usual team of collectors will make up the rest – but we want to be sure.”

The committee has also contacted the organisers of the rival World Conker Championships in Peterborough, who have fraternally agreed to supply conkers if needed.

Another committee member, Paul Mingard, said: “Our appeal for conkers has worked. We have got them from various places, particularly from Market Deeping, in Peterborough.”

There will be competitions for four different age groups, ranging from the very young to the very old. There will also be the usual various stalls as well as charity fund-raising activities.

The event starts at midday on Bardon Mill village green.

First published at 13:38, Thursday, 16 October 2008
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk