Just Another Day

In this series I investigate the fantastic inventions that make our daily lives easier. I reveal the scintillating stories behind a kaleidoscopic range of everyday objects.

Take the humble British cuppa. I outline how and why tea became our national obsession, and reveal that the drink first came to Britain when Charles II married Catherine of Braganza in the mid seventeenth century. The Portuguese princess was a tea addict; her love of the leaf soon spread to the wealthy classes as a whole. Before this, ale had been Britain’s chosen morning beverage; even the Royal family sank a pint or two at breakfast time.

My curiosity also extends to Britain’s personal cleanliness. We may take our morning ablutions for granted, but the Romans took bathing extremely seriously. In Rome, there was a public bath house on every corner – much like our pubs today. I journey to the Somerset town of Bath, and relax in the best preserved ancient baths in northern Europe. Entrance was cheap and the baths were a social hub – a place to meet, play games, eat, drink and gossip.

I also delve into the history of the barbershop. Man has been fighting his battle with facial hair for thousands of years; the average British male will spend 3,000 hours of his life shaving. Contrary to popular belief, early man attempted to keep himself clean shaven. Cave paintings show beardless men, while Stone Age razors made of stone or horn have been excavated. Alexander the Great went beardless, apparently to show off his handsome profile, while beardlessness in Roman times distinguished masters from their slaves. Later, in Elizabeth I’s reign, a law was passed decreeing that any man with more than two weeks of beard growth should be taxed.

My whistle-stop tour celebrates the unsung saviours of everyday British life. From televisions and gin and tonic, to toothpaste and teabags, you will never look at your ‘boring’ daily routine in the same light again.