Beyond Brexit: Reunited French, British tunnelers look ahead

One tunneling from France, or digging from Britain, two men smashed with pummeling jackhammers through last slivers of rock separating ir nations. 

Through newly created hole, Graham Fagg, of Dover, England, and Philippe Cozette, of Calais, France, enthusiastically grasped each or's outstretched hands. n, y posed with ir nations' flags for photos that brocast a mess of friendship to world. French and British, neighbors until n separated by seas and with a long history of war and rivalry but also of alliances and miration, were w physically and permanently joined, seemingly closer than ever. 

How poignant and instructive those ims w look, as Brexit drives Britain and France apart. 

On that historic day on Dec. 1, 1990, in ir hard hats and under billions of tons of rock and seawater deep under English Channel, neir Fagg, Cozette, r anyone could have foreseen that ever-closer bonds of unity and shared ambitions embodied by newly dug Eurotunnel would unravel in less than 30 years.

“A fabulous moment,” Cozette says of that watershed that turned Fagg and him into symbols of cooperation and inexorable march of human techlogy and will. “On our side, re were tears.”

"History me," Fagg recalls. “Time passes so quickly, doesn't it?” 

Because y were such important protagonists in Anglo-French history, and because Britain's departure Friday from European Union represents ar momentous milestone for both ir nations, Associated Press brought Cozette and Fagg back toger this week. 

Because ir unique story never gets old. And because it offers pointers about where France and Britain might go next. 
In cosy front room of Fagg's Dover home, t underground this time, men howled with laughter as y watched archive foot of mselves vigorously digging ir way to ir first meeting, nearly 30 years ago as y joined two parts of underwater tunnel into one.

Cozette, w 66, recalled how he got Fagg's first name wrong, saying “welcome to France, Bob,” as y shook hands through opening. 

Later, in celebrations at Dover Castle, “We sang ‘La Marseillaise’ and ‘God Save Queen,'" he said.

“French and English toger. It was nice, super.”

Fagg, w 71, recalled Champagne, wine and nibbles that French plied him with, such a contrast to fare on British side: “Tea, coffee and water and sandwiches.”

Because British tunnelers weren't allowed to smoke in ir half of tunnel, y'd he over to French side to light up.
And takeaway from this reunion, Cozette and Fagg's first in nearly five years? 

Perhaps this: Brexit is certainly a new chapter in ties between France and Britain, but it most certainly is t end. 

In part, y both agreed, because of tunnel y helped build.

“ British me a choice. You have to respect that,” Cozette said. "But links that have been created over centuries between our two countries, and in particular our two regions, because of ir proximity but also because of tunnel, y are very important for me.”

“I think we'll get used to it," he ded. “Things will go back to way y were, before Britain was part of Europe.” 
In 1975, and like a large majority of Britons, Fagg voted “Yes” in a referendum that asked  wher Britain should stay in European Community, EU's predecessor.

But when Britain was asked again in 2016, Fagg n voted with small majority that wanted out. 

EU, he feels, has become too big and overbearing, “a colossus, a very expensive colossus.”

But, on ground, Fagg is t expecting massive change.

“Before we joined ( EU), people still used to go to France, y used to come from France to here,” Fagg said. “I don't think it's going to be any different.”

And three deces after ir first handshake, and like Britain and France, Cozette and Fagg are ding new twists to ir story, too.

Unbekwnst in vance to anyone, Fagg used reunion to spring a surprise on his French friend. 

In ir first encounter in tunnel, Fagg h been embarrassed when Cozette presented him with a gift: a piece of chalk dug up from tunnel on French side.

“I attached a red, white and blue ribbon to it, colors of England and France," Cozette recalled.

Fagg hn't h time to prepare a gift of his own. Only previous night, at end of his shift, h his boss told Fagg that he'd been selected to make breakthrough next morning.

“I said, ‘You're bloody joking,'" he recalled. “I said, 'I've got plans for tomorrow.'"

response from his boss: “'You're going to have to change m.'" 

So when Cozette h given him chunk of chalk, Fagg in return gifted Frenchman only thing he h handy: his identification token that all tunnelers h to carry, like soldiers' dog tags, so y could be identified if y were involved in an accident.

“I still have his token at home,” Cozette said.

w, it was Cozette's turn to be caught empty handed.

His turn to be embarrassed when Fagg presented him with a stone, encrusted with crystals, that he'd dug up from beginnings of ar cross-Channel tunnel in 1974 that was later scrapped.

Fagg couldn't hide his delight as Cozette squirmed.

“I've been waiting all m years!" Fagg said.

Friendship, it seems, always has ar episode up its sleeve.