Tea drinking has changed dramatically since Samuel Pepys drank the first recorded cup of tea in 1660. Initially, tea was consumed by men in coffee houses and by women in the home following a strict code of conduct, and tea was so expensive that only the extremely wealthy could afford it.

Today however, tea holds a unique position in British culture; it is hard to imagine the British without their afternoon cuppa. This lively and beautifully illustrated book tells the story of how tea has become Britain's national drink.

Whether in blossom and laden with fruit, orchards are places of great beauty. Throughout history, they have played an important role in country, and also city, life, providing not just food and drink, but also a haven for wildlife and a setting for age-old customs and social gatherings.

Some of Britain's surviving orchards are almost 600 years old. But when did orchards first appear? Why are there over 3,000 varieties of apple, so varied in colour, shape, texture and taste? What is wassailing and who did it? Why has England lost almost two-thirds of its orchards since 1950 - and...