My lovely, lovely, lovely horse...

[venta]

If the papers are to be believed, the under-18s of this country are unregenerated ASBO-winning delinquents. This has never worried me particularly. Eve told Adam that the kids were not all right and would soon be turning to murder, thus setting a pattern for all eternity. History does not contain a single era where teenagers have been held up as a shining example. However, of late I've become worried. I now have incontrovertible evidence that it's time we started to panic.

Look:



If that's not shocking evidence of moral degeneracy in today's youth, I don't know what is.

This picture was taken on a rainy residential street in Reading. In the last week, I've seen the same scene (only sunnier) in Greenwich and in North London. Conkers just lying about on the ground.

This did not happen in my day. We were down in the park, throwing sticks up into the horse chestnut trees to get the conkers down. In August.

Which yes, wasn't a great idea, because the conkers were all pale and squashy and, come Autumn, there were none left to ripen. The odd rogue which had managed to stay on the tree and fall naturally to the pavement would have been snatched up the instant it was spotted.

What is going on ? Are all the kids at home playing Wii Conkas® or something ? Where will it all end ?

Comments

[stegzy.livejournal.com]

Several possible reasons:-

a) Conkers are dangerous these days.
b) Conkers might take someone's eye out
c) Some children might be allergic to conkers
d) Some children might mistake conkers for a tube of smarties.

[uitlander]

I have to report that my evening walks around Burghfield reveal children avidly collecting conkers, although few appear to have made the cognitive leap of throwing sticks up into the branches to encourage them. Sometimes its nice to live in a cultural backwater.

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I was one of those weirdos who liked collecting them rather than fighting with them.

I will admit to disappointment that the duo do not yet have the conker bug.

[phlebas.livejournal.com]

I have a conker sitting on the table beside my keyboard. I think it is maybe two years old.

[brrm.livejournal.com]

There is a massive bag of conkers outside my neighbours' front door (they have kids). There must be a good couple of hundred conkers in there. Balance restored?

[ebee.livejournal.com]

Thank god its not just me being deeply perturbed by this autumn awfulness!
I know that nearly every school in the UK has banned the collection or playing of conkers on school grounds due to the risk of errant varnishing and over hardening of conkers then used as projectile devices into the eyes of poor unsuspecting brats...but as a 'give it a go' childminder I'm very saddened at the lack of enthusiasm evident from my charges on the after-school run past a tree where my delighted pouncing on conkers was met with evident derision and disgust at my having 'touched nature'...yes, Wii versions must be much cleaner and remove the even slight sense of excitement. Gone gone gone to the dogs I say..its as bad as not being able ot make things out of toilet or kitchen roll tubes lest MRSA be found lurking on them!