On a cold Winter’s Day, nothing beats a bowl of homemade soup.

This month has been declared ‘National Soup Month’. Whether you feel ill, fancy an entrée to go with your main course or if you are needing heated up whilst watching your favourite sports team, a hot bowl of liquid goodness provides everyone with an internal blanket of comfort.

It is believed that the first bowl of soup was prepared around 20,000 BC. It is assumed that early people began cooking broths as soon as they discovered making mud vessels or clay pots. Some historical documents state that soups had become part of the regular menu in many civilizations from 6000 BC onwards.

A YouGov poll shows that over a quarter (37%) of the British public picked tomato as their most-loved soup, while potato and leek came in second, and chicken third.

Arguably the most popular tomato soup comes from American giant Heinz. Their cream of tomato soup was first stocked in the UK at Fortnum and Mason in 1910. The store celebrated the 100th anniversary in 2010 with a week-long celebration, featuring unique food items created by head chef Damon Shore, including a fruit cake made with the soup accompanied with vanilla ice cream.

Soup can be enjoyed cold as well as hot. Different variations of Gazpacho, a soup made of raw, blended vegetables, is enjoyed throughout Spain and Portugal during the summer months. This is due to it’s refreshing and cool taste.

Eating soup is also often cited as way to help people lose weight, as eating a bowlful before a meal is said to make you feel full earlier and cut back on other food. It is claimed that more than 10 billion bowls of soup are eaten in the US each year.

Cans of Campbell’s soup suddenly became an iconic image in popular culture as American artist Andy Warhol dedicated his first solo painting exhibit to 32 different varieties of the food, from Cream of Celery to Turkey Noodle. Now, the late artist is recognised as the most famous figure in pop art.

Today’s nostalgia section takes a look at North Cumbrians of all ages preparing and enjoying bowls of soup. Let us know if you see someone you recognise.