Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie
“There was a time when the most dangerous thing in a British autumn was a well-aimed conker. Children threaded them on string, soaked them in vinegar, baked them in the oven and smashed them together until one shattered. Knuckles were bruised. Pride was punctured. Nobody died. That was before the clipboard came to town. In South Tyneside the council decided to fell six horse chestnut trees lining a suburban road. The trees had done nothing wrong except produce conkers. A boy had fallen out of one, and children had been throwing sticks to knock the conkers down. The answer was not to teach children to climb with care, or to throw with better aim. It was to remove the trees. Residents protested. The chainsaws won. Elsewhere a head teacher told pupils not to walk under a conker tree without a helmet.” (10/19/26)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/conkers-custard-pies-and-the-cult-of-caution