

If we are to regard Russia as part of Europe, how far then will Europe extend? To Vladivostok? The future of Britain concerns me less than the future of Europe, and about this latter I cannot yet make up my mind. I became a European 21 years ago and was reviled by the Daily Mirror for deserting the old island. I shall be lucky to see the close of the millennium, but I have a fair chance of sourly rejoicing in Britain’s joining the continent by dry land. I shall almost certainly die before the 90s reach their end. As for what we expect, much depends on how old we are. We enter the 1990s sober, serious, aware of the existence of evil, not so sure what goodness is, cautiously optimistic, a little bewildered by changes that no fiction, however fantastic, would accept. “Gay” has changed its meaning and innocent wickedness is no more. T he only 90s we have known of up to now are the gay or naughty ones.
