I remember when bottles of water were first sold in shops, we thought it was ridiculous – only idiots would pay for something running freely from every tap. When we were thirsty, I said even more primly, we had a drink when we were next in a place with a water supply. But I wonder, were many people always thirsty, in the millenniums before water bottles? [ Why is everyone lugging huge water bottles about? But I am still not going to drink water unless I feel thirsty, and I am certainly not going to displace the knitting and notebook in my bag with a heavy bottle.

Source: The Irish Times March 09, 2026 15:04 UTC