Any time is tea time

British people, it is fairly clear, were never far from a kettle and a good cup of tea. The iconic teapot with its delicate curves, surrounded by its cluster of mugs or cups, has long been a mainstay of British life.

Our national drink, made by adding a shrub from China to boiled water, is an appropriate mixture for what was once the world’s leading trading nation. Tea has had such a huge impact on British life that we have named an entire meal after it.

There are heartwarming images in these pictures – groups of friends and family in gatherings, eating, drinking, laughing, and exchanging gossip and news. Food and drink have also been at the heart of any excursion, whether that be cruising in an elegant boat on the banks of the Thames or out caravanning.

The ingredients we see are things like crusty bread, plum duff, teacakes and mashed potato. No curries, kebabs, pizzas or sushi on display. While we have far more variety in our diet these days, I’m not sure meals are richer experiences.

The intrusion of technology into our mealtimes now seems to have made them less intense and sociable.

HAPPY CAMPERS Life under canvas became increasingly popular between the two World Wars. Here three campers enjoy a picnic, with tea and buns, outside their tent in April 1931

TEA FOR ONE Edwardian music hall star Millie Legarde takes afternoon tea in her garden in 1905 as her spaniel begs to join in

HAPPY FAMILY In the Second World War food rationing severely restricted the nation’s diet. But as this picture of an ideal family in 1945 shows, a traditional teatime with bread and jam was still a treat to savour

WE’LL EAT AGAIN Schoolgirls from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, in their smart blazers enjoy a meal on a summer trip to the seaside near Hull in August 1948