Two letters to the editor reflect on the peculiarities of borders, with one highlighting a pub that straddles the England-Wales border and another recalling a politician's quip about Ireland's border.
The Bradford Arms: A Pub on the Border
Fiona Collins from Carrog, Denbighshire, responds to a previous letter about Spike Milligan's border-straddling pub in Puckoon. She notes that in the Welsh village of Llanymynech, Powys, the Bradford Arms hotel is literally divided by the England-Wales border. Sunday drinking was illegal in Wales until 1961, so in the 1950s, customers would crowd into the private bar on the English side, which was not subject to Welsh drinking laws. During the week, most patrons preferred the public bar on the Welsh side. Nowadays, patrons can drink in either bar without any linguistic surprises: if Welsh is spoken, it was already being spoken before you arrived.
A Beach as a Border
Stephen Pound, former Shadow Northern Ireland minister (2010-2019), recalls a senior Dublin politician who told him that Ireland's border is well-defined: it is called the beach. This remark highlights the absurdities of political borders in a lighthearted manner.
These letters demonstrate how borders can create unusual local customs and humorous anecdotes, from pub-goers crossing a line for a Sunday pint to a beach serving as a natural boundary.
