The 44th World Conker Championship were held in Ashton, near Oundle, and more than 300 competitors took part in a bid to smash their way to the top of the tree.

But when the dust settled and the smashing stopped, it was Ray Kellock (62), of Rushden, who took the men's title, and Amy Farrow, of Essex, who took the ladies' title.

Mr Kellock, a mechanic, put the win down to his "kinetic energy theory".

He said: "I've got a scientific mind and it made me think. I decided that it was better to hold my conker still, let the opponent whale away and then make sure I hit their conker every time, but not too hard. It seemed to work."

Nine-year-old Thomas Whincup, of Stilton, Robert Winfield (13), of Kettering, and Rebecca Moss (15), of Warmington, took the three junior crowns. Competitors came from all over the world with a record 20 countries, including Benin, in western Africa, Switzerland and Ukraine battling it out to take the title from last year's homegrown winner Ady Hurrell, from Whittlesey.

Aston Conker Club secretary John Hadman said the day was a complete success, with about £24,000 raised for charity.

He said: "It's been wonderful; the weather has been great and everybody's happy. People come to the conker championships because it is a great event. We have built it up over the years into a really good family fun day out and it is a way for us to raise as much money as we can to give to charities for the visually impaired."

The first world championships were held in 1965, after a group of regulars at the local pub were thwarted by bad weather in their attempt to organise a fishing expedition.

The suggestion that they play conkers was made and taken up, and the rest is history. Since 1988, there has been a women's championship, and junior and team competitions were added recently.