Conkers!

I remember those days of throwing a small branch or whatever I could find weighty enough to bring down the conkers from the Horse Chestnut Tree. Then put them in the oven to harden and hopefully make them shatter proof - make a hole in the conker and thread on to a shoe lace or length of string and challenge someone to a conker duel and fight to the death (of the conker)  - mines a 49er what's yours?
Does this happen in countries other than the UK?