My professional introduction as a lecturer to Italy, by means of work placements and seminars, took place through a EU agency, Comenius. Named after the renowned seventeenth century Czech pedagogue and philosopher, Comenius provides funds for teacher and student development within a EU framework. Among my Comenius experiences was a teacher exchange with a secondary school, the ‘Martin Luther King’ in Genoa. Looking through my report for this I realise how enjoyable and uplifting this time was for me. From Lavagna, a delightful resort facing the Tyrrenian sea, I would take the train daily to the school where I taught in the morning. In the afternoon, my return journey would allow a stop at one of the many beaches and coves on the Ligurian coast: Rapallo, Portofino, Nervi among many. It certainly made a difference from my more mundane journeys on London’s South Circular road…

Another EU funded venture was my time in Salzburg, again in an exchange with a secondary school. Summery Mediterranean waters were discarded for alpine winter snows, the characteristic Christkindlmarkt and gluhwein.

Again, reading through my Austrian report I see how enriching the experience was and how important it was in giving me further insights into the incredible variety that is Europe.

The EU funds also enabled me, at my college in London, to set up student interchanges and internet chat rooms between our students and their peers in continental European countries.

Of one seminar held in Athens I have particularly vivid memories: the Parthenon, revisited after many years, the very productive conferences and a wonderful evening in a bar in Piraeus listening to Rembetiko, the Greek equivalent of ‘the blues’.

What, however, is less admirable in retrospect is that the EU funds available for all these activities were not immediately apparent or publicized by our educational authority; it needed a particular member of the teaching staff, with whom I collaborated closely, to ‘discover’ these EU opportunities. Furthermore, the college gave no remission of time for the considerable paper-work involved in laying the foundations of a successful project to teaching staff.

The lecturer who had me interested in Comenius and related EU projects was truly inspirational. As she stated ‘the EU money’s there so why not use it?’ Regrettably, her attitude was an exception; other lecturers were less enthusiast about being involved and some were really not interested at all: ‘why should I spend time in this European nonsense?’ was what one person uttered.

Now all this happened years before the infamous 2016 referendum, so ill-conceived, so divisive and so, seemingly still without any satisfactory resolution. However, my experience does represent one important point: that, before the referendum highlighted it, the average inhabitant of the British Isles was not particularly interested in things dealing with the EU and, indeed, found large parts of the institution risible (as one can judge from episodes of that immortal sitcom ‘Yes Minister – and Prime Minister’, ‘Eurotrash’ and Terry Wogan’s memorable jibes when presenting the Eurovision Song Contest).

From lack of interest (apart from the extreme ERG section of the Tory party) before Cameron’s referendum to the positively hostile atmosphere of the leavers today towards the Nobel peace prize-awarded European Union is a sad path which is littered with gross misunderstandings, antiquated world views, utter provincialism, the most appalling descent into sub-parliamentary barbarism, the weird ideology that believes it is better to die ‘euro-free’ rather than strive to improve life quality and enhance chances for the new generations within Europe, the complete disregard of the lessons only history can teach us regarding the fall of empires and the blind following of emotive slogans…..

I have said before: delivering on ‘the will of the people’ is dangerously redolent of the phrase ‘the triumph of the will’, the title of the pioneering Riefenstahl film documenting and glorifying the rise of the Third Reich. The foundations for the present division of the UK into yet another ‘two nations’, more unbearable than those divisions between rich and poor, Tory and Labour, Left and Right, Irish and English, graduates and non-graduates were already present in popular attitudes for many years.

This horrendous division can only be described as a monstrous nuisance; like all nuisances the only way out is to get rid of it once and for all: may brexit be thrown into the cesspool of history for ever!