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Day guests at St Cuthbert’s Hospice have been hitting it off with a few traditional games of conkers.

Ken Calvert, 82, of Bowburn and Alan Webb, 70, of Newton Hall, fought it out using some of the seasonal horse chestnuts littering the ground of the hospice in Merryoaks, Durham.

Ken said: “It was a lot of fun. The last time I played was at Askew Road School in Gateshead in about 1940. It took me back.”

And Alan said: “I enjoyed it. There’s a lot of variety here.”

Alan also played conkers with health care assistant Gill Pinkney, who said: “There’s always a good atmosphere in the hospice, but I’m so pleased we managed to play conkers.

“None of us were the best of shots but it was a good laugh for everybody.”

The hospice is currently marking Hospice Care Week. St Cuthbert’s Hospice, which needs £1.3m a year in donations this year, provides places for 75 day guests and 10 in patients.

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