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Bill Radke: And finally, the World Conker Championships have raised more than a half a million dollars for charity, so it’s sad to hear new allegations of conker tampering.

Conkers is a British game where you use a horse chestnut seed — that’s your conker — to shatter other peoples chestnuts. An upcoming tournament has been rocked by charges of artificial conker hardening by means of baking, varnishing, even soaking conkers in vinegar.

While latest allegations are disturbing, they are not new. In 1993, the conker authorities found signs of vinegar and high heat, and they disqualified ex-Monty Python member Michael Palin.