-
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 17
Work 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.frComment
-
Is anyone else surprised the Italians even noticed they'd been "invaded"?Originally posted by NotAllThere View PostHis heart is in the right place - shame we can't say the same about his brain...Comment
-
-
Turning your tank 180 degrees would mean exposing the most vulnerable part...Originally posted by vetran View Post
Comment
-
The wine bottles on the back?Comment
-
The point of the joke was that the reverse gears are factory fitted for quick retreat in the Italian Army.Originally posted by AtW View PostComment
Comment