Coffee, Street Names and the Flavour of Brexit

In his essay, ‘The Idea of Europe’, George Steiner identifies several characteristics of European countries that distinguish them from other nation states. 

These features include coffee houses; cities and towns that lend themselves to walking; street names that celebrate writers, artists, scientists and statesmen, and a twin heritage that echoes both Athens and Jerusalem – embodied, for example, in the classical columns of town halls and the Christian architecture of churches.

Steiner finally associates the idea of Europe not with a boring monoculture but instead with social and cultural diversity, a kind of mosaic of languages, arts, tradition and trade.

Even though the United Kingdom formally starts to divorce itself from Europe this week, its people and culture - never mind its geography - still partake of this rich mosaic.

That does not mean there are not significant differences, of course. An English coffee shop is likely to serve you scalding and flavourless coffee (or large-volume Americanised slop). I once entered a café in the north of England and asked what kinds of coffee they offered. ‘Cup or mug,’ came the blunt reply.

You can indeed walk with ease around most English towns and cities, but their High Streets are increasingly indistinguishable and tend to look the same.  Whereas people prefer to stroll on the continent, people in the UK seem always in a rush. Often I find I’m the only one walking or jogging up the stairs of the escalator in the Metro. Natives of Milan seem to see little need to accelerate their journey to work. In Italy generally, people tend to walk with a fantastic sense of languor along the pavements as if taking part in a parade, whereas in the UK they scurry along – perhaps compelled by the relentless wind and rain.

The number of artists and scientists celebrated in UK street names is few compared to the streets and Metro stops in continental Europe. Yet you will find the same mixture of cathedrals and churches, and Greco-Roman public buildings in each. 

I confess that I lament Brexit. As a citizen, I feel English, but I also feel European.  I married a woman from Ireland. I have lived in Athens and Milan; I’ve written two novels set in Paris; my brother-in-law works for the European Commission in Brussels, and I cherish the literature and culture, as well as the food that the continent offers.

The school will with pride continue to fly the trinity of UK, Italian and European Union flags, and continue to celebrate the similar yet diverse cultures these emblems represent.  We will continue to educate a generation of students who have been fortunate enough to benefit until now from a sense that our nations share a common purpose and the same basic set of values.

Speaking as a UK citizen, it is my fervent if dissident hope that this generation of students might one day be able to provide the kind of leadership that allows Britain once more to take its place alongside our continental neighbours in an enlarged and reunited Europe.

I doubt that Boris Johnson will have the honour of a street or Metro station named after him in Paris, Madrid or Rome. But as a Classicist (Johnson studied Latin and Greek at Oxford) he might come to recognise our common cultural roots, or even come to see how the froth of a cappuccino conceals a bitter taste that might yet enlighten us all.