I am taking the 8.55am Eurostar train from London to Amsterdam via Brussels on a foggy morning in the last days before the UK leaves the European Union.
Are people sad about the UK leaving? Happy? Relieved? What will they miss about being in Europe on a personal and general level? Why do people think it didn’t work out as regards remaining in the EU? Has Brexit changed people’s views of Britain? What is Britain losing?
I spoke to people of a variety of ages and nationalities, from a 20-year-old Belgian man to an 82-year-old British woman. I spoke to an Austrian, an Australian, an American, Japanese citizens, to Remainers and those who voted Leave.
At the Eurostar check-in at St Pancras, I meet the first of my interviewees, a young woman of Austrian nationality living in London and concerned about not being able to travel so easily between Britain and European countries. Indeed, many of the people I spoke to listed this curtailed freedom of movement as a key fear.
I had apprehensions about potentially grumpy passengers being unwilling to be interviewed, but most of those I approached were eager to talk, as if a valve had been released – indeed one, Derek Gould described it as his “pent-up rant for the last three-years”. Many shared the sense of a shifting identity on an individual and national level – about who we are, where we are going and what we might become.
On my return from Amsterdam, I see symbols of Britain while entering the Eurostar terminal at Brussels: a giant ornate teapot on see-through sliding doors leading into the building (the teapot splits in two when the doors open), and a huge red telephone box saying “THIS IS GREAT Britain” with “GREAT” highlighted in a red box and Britain demoted to a tiny font.
Will Britain still be so “great” after 31 January? The evening train journey back is more subdued, and soon after I mention the word “Brexit” a baby near me throws up. I speak to a young woman who is returning from a three-day trip she took to “get away from it all”, and she shares her increasing experiences of racism since the EU referendum and a sense of foreboding about the future. We both get chatting with a stranger on the seat opposite, an expat Brit living in Spain who is horrified about the situation. As the train pulls back into London, we part ways with a sense of shared sadness, yet community between us.
The emotion during my conversations with strangers on these train journeys about leaving the EU was palpable: from horror to sadness to relief that the deal has been done. Above all was a sense of uncertainty about what is to come; stepping off the train back into Britain feels like – as many said – taking a giant leap into the unknown.
Katerina Hadjimatheou
41, academic
British, lives in London
Holiday
I feel devastated about leaving the European Union. I think we’re going to lose opportunities and openness and the ability to be a force against China or the US, as independently I don’t feel we have as much power. And I’m also devastated for our kids and future generations and what their general outlook on the world will be. With this decision, we’re going to go back to being inward-looking and close-minded and I’m sensing that already.
Howard Smart
63, consultant physician in NHS
British, lives on Merseyside
Holiday
I’m just so horrified that we voted to leave on the whim of not knowing what we are leaving for – whether because of David Cameron shoring up a divided Conservative party or otherwise. It’s incredible we’ve got to this point not knowing what we are voting for. I’ve no reason to want to leave the EU, I think it’s done a lot for us. Liverpool, my home, probably wouldn’t have become European Capital of Culture if it wasn’t for the EU.
Hamza Denayer
20, footballer
Belgian, lives in Brussels
Holiday
I live in Brussels but my girlfriend lives in the UK so I visit a lot. I am feeling sad about Brexit and think it will change things for the worse. I’m worried about what will happen and whether I will be able to travel so easily to the UK to see my girlfriend so Brexit is affecting people’s personal lives – it’s not just a political thing. I would prefer the UK stays in Europe.
Pam Young
62, speech and language therapist
British, lives on Merseyside
Holiday
I’m very sad about leaving mainly because of the last 70-year history of peace. I can’t think of any real positives given to me by those who voted to leave. I’ve come across so many European people in my work in the NHS – Italian, Spanish, French – and I just so hope they don’t leave. I think they will be a big loss to us. Liverpool, where I live, is a very welcoming city and a Remainer city. But I think divisiveness and racism in the UK has increased and people are being made to feel unwelcome.
Terence Cooper
72, retired railway worker
British, lives in south-east London
Day trip
I’m having a day out. I’m not sure of my final destination yet – maybe Bruges. I’m glad it’s all finally sorted. I voted out and would vote out again but I didn’t vote for all the chaos, which has annoyed and upset me. It should have been a clean break. Although I voted out, I don’t think the referendum should have happened. I think it was an attempt to unite the Conservative party. I think there’ll be hiccups in the transition process, but I really don’t know how Britain will change.
Elisa Fogiel
22, law student
French, lives in Amsterdam
Holiday
I get upset to think about it. I consider the British to be our neighbours. What I feel is mainly sadness but maybe we have to respect what the people want. I feel sad as a European citizen. I think most of the people I talk to from Britain are young and were against Brexit. When I was 13 I stayed with host families in London and Newcastle and loved it – that’s when I learned to speak English. I love the country and would love to discover it more but it may be more complicated. Some friends wanted to move there and that may be difficult.
Johanna Bresnik
24, works in sports sales
Austrian, lives in London
Business trip
I think it’s a big mistake for Britain to be leaving the EU and I’m very sad about it. There are so many benefits to being in the EU, more benefits I believe than negatives. I travel a lot and this is the most important bit for me, being able to travel back and forth in Europe. This is my biggest fear – not being able to easily do so. Also, jobwise a lot of companies will be affected. Brexit has changed my views on Britain, to the negative.
Derek Gould
70, retired NHS consultant
British, lives in Liverpool
Holiday
I’m appalled. We’ve had the longest period of peace in Europe in human history and that’s the main driver for us being a union. Our economic union isn’t perfect, but we can’t make changes when we’ve left. Brexit has been imposed on us by the will of a minority elite. It’s taking us towards an autocracy and plutocracy. I abhor the idea of a transatlantic trade deal with Mr Trump. It’s not just about chlorinated chicken. Having worked in the NHS for years, central to my concerns are fears of privatisation. I feel I’m a European. I come from a family of immigrants. I see free movement as being a safe opportunity both ways. This has been my pent-up rant for the last three years.
Janis Champa
57, freelance
British, lives near Granada, Spain
Visiting family
I’m absolutely furious about it. I can’t understand why we’re doing something that’s going to be so hurtful. It’s mainly about racism I think, and that disgusts me. I’m very concerned about what has been legitimised by Brexit. I travel through Europe a lot, and I don’t know what will happen, whether I will lose my house or living. I get hopping mad about it – I think it’s self-harming. From the minute we leave, I will lobby to rejoin.
Eugene Hammond
28, director of a coffee company
British, lives in London
Going to see a health specialist
It isn’t quite clear what exactly is happening. I feel it’s going to get worse for the people who are in the worst social and economic quota. Inflation is going to happen. People my age are still going to be stuck in their parents’ houses, arguing with their parents. I think it’s happened because of greed, manipulation, and austerity. Britain is losing respect, credibility and trust. Even our royals are leaving.
Nanako Mochizuki/ Ayako Mizuochi
31, salesperson; 28, TV assistant
Japanese, live in London
Holiday
This is not affecting us personally but affecting many of our friends as so many Japanese live and work in London and the structure of companies is changing because of it. We’re two friends and going to visit Brussels for the first time and are hoping to travel more – and hoping Brexit won’t affect that. We’ll spend our time eating, shopping and drinking – and trying to forget about Brexit.
Steve Yarnell
59, enterprise director in logistics and distribution
British, lives in Saffron Walden
Business trip
I’m happy now the deal is done. I was on the fence as to whether it was a good idea or bad idea but now it’s done it’s a relief. I’m feeling positive about it and feel we should just move forward and enhance the position we are in. We have to look for the positive, move forward and make the best of whatever we do. I think the biggest fear for business is that we lose the freedom to trade freely.
Francine Ahade
60, accountant
French, lives in Lille
Holiday
I’m not sad about Brexit. For me, it’s not a bad thing. It’s good for Great Britain and Europe making them stronger. It will be a good transaction between France and Britain and was what the people wanted. I’m not happy about it, but also not sad. I’m going home to Lille today. I enjoy visiting London – my 26-year-old daughter lives there. She’s very happy living in London and also not sad about Brexit.
Michele Taylor
50, retired
American, lives in Phoenix, Arizona
Holiday
Most people in the US are more concerned with what’s going on with Prince Harry rather than Brexit, I think, and we have our own internal problems too. But I have a different view and care more because I have European descent. I think it’s like California wanting to be its own entity. I’m watching the Vikings series at the moment and it’s reminding me of that. I think the pound will be expensive and it will have a big effect on the economy. And I think people may use Paris more than London as a new posting for them.
Bruce Edmonds
59, academic
British, lives between Sheffield and Manchester
Business trip
As to what my identity is, I’d say I’m a European academic, so it’s directly damaged my sense of who I am. I think we will have lost that feeling of being European. I’m sad about it for sure. A lot of our research is done in joint European projects and if we do become disconnected from that, that will be a big loss. I think discontentment from the [financial] crash fed underlying resentment, including to politicians. It has damaged my view of what Britain was – an open country collaborating with people. I think Britain will stop being such a great nation.
Devi Thakrar
25, hospitality manager
British, lives in London
Holiday
I’m really sad – it’s going to be harder to travel and I love travelling in Europe; I’ve just been on a three-day trip to get away from it all. Will we need visas or not? I’m concerned for whether racism will go up, as it’s already at a level where it’s affecting a lot of people’s lives, including mine. I’ve experienced a lot of racism, including in Cornwall. A guy said we were holding up traffic and called the police on us. These things play on your mind.
Katharine Hoskyns
82, retired
British, lives in London
Visiting daughter in France
I’ll miss being able to pop over very easily without worrying about visas. It’s great being able to use the phone regularly to speak with my daughter and I’m worried about increased rates to call Europe. I remember when we became part of Europe after the war and there was a lot of hope about it. I think bad governance made this happen. Britain has changed, and become a divided nation, more extreme. I think all the prices will go up, there’ll be unemployment and the people who voted out of Europe will be regretting it.
Suresh Rajalingam
46, IT sales
Australian, lives in Sydney
Business trip
I work for a company which is Brussels-based. It’s painful for a lot of companies who are having to restructure and leave their London branch. It’s confusing and disrupting. I think they should have exited long ago. Aussies like to make jokes of “pommies” a lot and more so with the Brexit chaos – they think it’s typical British that they couldn’t sort this out without chaos. A lot of people travel to the UK from Australia and now there’s more uncertainty on the impact on travel.
Gavin Avery
48, works in fashion
British, lives between Shoreditch and Brussels
Business trip
I will miss a lot about being in the EU– including the sense of commonality and community with Europe. I work in Europe and will miss the seamless ability to go from one to the other. I will miss frictionless work and travel. I am sad, for sure. I think a lot of people felt discontented which led to this. My view of Britain has dramatically changed. I think Britain is becoming more parochial and losing encompassing vision.
Elisa dos Santos
39, housewife
Florianópolis, Brazil
Holiday
I’ve just been on holiday in London. I’m from Brazil and next I’m going to Amsterdam and then Paris. Everyone I know who comes to London loves the city and people; there are so many different things to see. We have beaches in Brazil but the UK has Windsor castle. I love Windsor castle and I love visiting. I love Prince Harry. I don’t feel sad about Brexit. It will be a good thing. We talk about Brexit a bit in Brazil and some people don’t like it but to be honest people are more interested in Prince Harry.