THERE is more to conkers than the traditional autumnal past time of conker fights — just ask chemistry teacher Dr Kristy Turner.

She was in Oundle in Northamptonshire for the World Conker Championships filming for BBC's hit television series Countryfile explaining how to make acetone from the from the humble seed of the horse chestnut tree.

While modern day gladiators were fighting for glory armed with a nut and 12 inch piece of string, the Bolton School boys' division teacher was explaining an experiment devised by Chaim Weitzmann at the University of Manchester to make acetone from conkers by bacterial fermentation. The acetone produced was used in the production of cordite for explosives in World War One.

Dr Turner, also lectures at the University of Manchester, said: "Filming went well on Sunday. I was filming with Naomi Wilkinson, who is a new presenter.

"It was much more difficult than I thought and took quite a long time to get the shots they needed as it was shot with a single camera.

"Also being outside we quite often had to pause for planes going overhead which interfered with the sound."

Researchers for the programmer contacted Manchester University because the piece of chemistry that needed explaining was developed by a chemist at Manchester.

Dr Turner said:"They sent out an email to all the Science and Engineering Faculty at Manchester and asked if anyone wanted to do it, and quite a few people came forwards actually.

"Part of the brief was being able to explain it to the presenter, and being a teacher, my explanations tend to be more accessible. I think that’s what got me through rather than anyone else."

Dr Turner said: "It was exciting until I realised that I had to go through with it."

Although she doesn't watch the show, many of her pupils will be tuning into the autumn special edition of the show on October 23.

Dr Turner said: "I don’t get chance to watch much TV! My daughter watches it and my mother watches it, but I don’t watch much TV.

"My students think it’s quite cool.

"They’re quite excited, really, because their parents and grandparents watch it!

"Some of them have been involved in the preparation here in the lab crushing up conkers for the experiment I’ll be doing, so they’re quite excited that something they’ve been doing will be on the telly."