- Visitors can check out the Forum FAQ by clicking this link. You have to register before you can post: click the REGISTER link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. View our Forum Privacy Policy.
- Want to receive the latest contracting news and advice straight to your inbox? Sign up to the ContractorUK newsletter here. Every sign up will also be entered into a draw to WIN £100 Amazon vouchers!
Belgium invades France
Collapse
X
-
Belgium invades France
His heart is in the right place - shame we can't say the same about his brain... -
This is the story for all those who are scared to click on a linky -
The boundary between France and Belgium is believed to have been inadvertently redrawn by a farmer who found the 200-year-old border stone marking the divide in an inconvenient location for his tractor.
The Belgian farmer could theoretically face criminal charges after making Belgium bigger by moving the stone that has marked the border since after the defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo.
A local amateur historian taking a walk in forest near to the Belgian village of Erquelinnes discovered two weeks ago that the stone dating back to 1819 had been moved 2.29 metres (7.5ft). The farmer’s perimeter fence had also been shifted.
The Franco-Belgian border, stretching 390 miles (620km), was formally established under the Treaty of Kortrijk of 1820.
While amused by the enlargement of his town, David Lavaux, the mayor of Erquelinnes, gently pointed out that the farmer was legally obliged to move the border stone back – and that it would be best not “to create a diplomatic incident”.
“We have no interest in expanding the town, or the country.He made Belgium bigger and France smaller. It’s not a good idea,” Lavaux told the French TV channel TF1. “I was happy, my town was bigger. But the mayor of Bousignies-sur-Roc didn’t agree.
“If [the farmer] shows goodwill, he won’t have a problem, we will settle this issue amicably,” Lavaux added with a smile.
If the farmer fails to comply, the issue could be referred to the Belgian foreign ministry, which might have to summon a Franco-Belgian border commission, dormant since 1930, to settle the exact delimitation of the border.
“We should be able to avoid a new border war,” Aurélie Welonek, the mayor of Bousignies-sur-Roc, told La Voix du Nord.
"You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR -
Cursed be he that moveth his neighbour's landmark!
-- Deuteronomy ch 27 v 17Work in the public sector? Read the IR35 FAQ hereComment
-
Reminds me of the time Switzerland invaded Italy. Some lads on military service decided to take a train that cut across Italy to get to the south canton on Ticino. Caused quite a diplomatic incident - armed foreign troups invading!Down with racism. Long live miscegenation!Comment
-
In other news white flags out of stock on Amazon.frAlways forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.Comment
-
Originally posted by NotAllThere View PostReminds me of the time Switzerland invaded Italy. Some lads on military service decided to take a train that cut across Italy to get to the south canton on Ticino. Caused quite a diplomatic incident - armed foreign troups invading!His heart is in the right place - shame we can't say the same about his brain...Comment
-
Originally posted by Mordac View Post
Is anyone else surprised the Italians even noticed they'd been "invaded"?Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.Comment
-
Originally posted by vetran View PostThey were testing the 5 reverse gears on their tanks?
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by AtW View Post
Turning your tank 180 degrees would mean exposing the most vulnerable part...Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.Comment
- Home
- News & Features
- First Timers
- IR35 / S660 / BN66
- Employee Benefit Trusts
- Agency Workers Regulations
- MSC Legislation
- Limited Companies
- Dividends
- Umbrella Company
- VAT / Flat Rate VAT
- Job News & Guides
- Money News & Guides
- Guide to Contracts
- Successful Contracting
- Contracting Overseas
- Contractor Calculators
- MVL
- Contractor Expenses
Advertisers
Contractor Services
CUK News
- Streamline Your Retirement with iSIPP: A Solution for Contractor Pensions Sep 1 09:13
- Making the most of pension lump sums: overview for contractors Sep 1 08:36
- Umbrella company tribunal cases are opening up; are your wages subject to unlawful deductions, too? Aug 31 08:38
- Contractors, relabelling 'labour' as 'services' to appear 'fully contracted out' won't dupe IR35 inspectors Aug 31 08:30
- How often does HMRC check tax returns? Aug 30 08:27
- Work-life balance as an IT contractor: 5 top tips from a tech recruiter Aug 30 08:20
- Autumn Statement 2023 tipped to prioritise mental health, in a boost for UK workplaces Aug 29 08:33
- Final reminder for contractors to respond to the umbrella consultation (closing today) Aug 29 08:09
- Top 5 most in demand cyber security contract roles Aug 25 08:38
- Changes to the right to request flexible working are incoming, but how will contractors be affected? Aug 24 08:25
Comment