Crossing the line just one simple step

Don't  you consider it incredible that a simple, human-drawn line cutting across the landscape can mark the boundary between completely different ways of living, thinking and being?

I was reminded of that watching footage of the leaders of North and South Korea meeting late last week at the border village of Panmunjom in the peninsula's demilitarised zone.

North Korea's Kim Jong-un took a step from the cinders on his side of the frontier, over the paving slab marking the border and on to the grey pebbles of South Korea, where President Moon Jae-in was waiting. Then, having made that huge stride into enemy territory, Kim invited Moon to visit the North, which he did briefly, across the paver, before they both returned to the South.

I wonder what was going through their minds as they stepped into the other's country? That it was such a momentous pace into another world? Were they fearful of what might happen on the other side? Did they want to turn back?

Borders fascinate me, particularly their arbitrariness. I once wrote a 1500-word stage three geography essay on why rivers make such good frontiers. It was very interesting - hard to believe, I know.

I've got a couple of border stories to share.

We were travelling around Ireland in the mid-1990s and found the remnants of the border between the republic and Northern Ireland, close to Belleek. It took a bit of locating but in the end we could see where the road narrowed and became a lot more potholed on the republic's side, and there were a number of huts and sheds alongside which presumably were once to do with customs or army checkpoints.

My second experience was when I was on an Amtrak train from Seattle to Vancouver in 2000. We crossed the United States-Canada border by the Peace Arch.

The first Canadian I saw was sitting on a bench at White Rock and gave the train a one-fingered salute as we went by. I'm sure Mr Kim and Mr Moon didn't have to put up with that kind of welcome.

Now, who remembers The Goodies (Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie and Graeme Garden)? I can still recall when they went to Wales and crossed the border on their three-person tandem, to be greeted by the sign ``Please Drive Caerphilly''.

A bit cheesy but very funny.

Autumn leaves

How are the leaves looking at your place? Bit soggy now?

With all these entries coming in, I feel like a tonne of leaves has dropped on my head. Wet leaves too. And there's just a bit of my face poking out from a pile of hundreds of your favourite autumn photos.

Our call for your best and most vivid pictures of the delights of the season continues to echo around the region. Thanks for all your glorious photos. But could I ask that you select only one or, at the most, two images?

We've decided that the last day for entries will be this Friday. We can then decide on a lucky winner and announce that next week.