Well, I’ve been at the keyboard for more than 20 minutes, so it is probably time for one. Indeed, there was an era when hydration breaks were a major part of journalism.
The pioneering Boot & Flogger near London Bridge was widely regarded for its innovative hydration-therapy work that powered parts of the newsroom for years. Then we all got serious. Today’s newsroom staff walk around clutching personal flasks to ensure they are never more than an arm’s length from a hydration option. Quite right too. That 20-yard walk to the water dispenser is a killer. So serious are they about hydration that they even shun the carbonated option. Their commitment to still water runs deep.
The tea break was once an institution in factories too, but aggressive work practices and automation undermined all that, which is a shame because robots are partial to an Earl Grey or a chai latte.