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Ice Cream

barrie

barrie

master brummie
Its a nice day here today, so I've got the french windows open, and I've just heard the chimes from the ice cream van, the weather must be on the turn.

Barrie.
 
That's a nice scene you've painted Barrie, one we can all relate to so well. I liked the ice cream which came in those shells which used to squelch out at the sides. Failing that I'll have a wafer! I think you're right, we are on then cusp now, roll on spring, it can't come too soon. The birds certainly seem to think it's just around the corner. Viv.
 
Viv, our ice-cream man, Jolly Roger,still does those and the nougat filled wafers yum yum! Apparently he is in his 70's and still going strong, despite much opposition over the years. All the kids know him and he knows them and their families and his ice cream is still the best!
Sue
 
Sue, I've got this picture in my mind, of your ice cream man talking like Robert Newton acting the part of Long John Silver.

Har Har jim lad.

Barrie.
 
Talking, or should that be typing? about ice cream has just given me one of those odd flashbacks to days long gone. Prior to "soft" ice cream by the likes of "Mr Softee/whippy" did they not make a square section cone that held a square block of ice cream? In other words the same block could be either used for a wafer or in a cornet.

Further more, amIi imagining things or was there a round section cornet that took ice cream made from a round block? Whenever i think about pre soft ice cream I am always taken back to the cafe by the bus station in Lightwoods Park, Bearwood.....happy days.
 
Yes Bill I remember the cornets into which a square portion of ice cream could be dropped. And I remember unwrapping a small round single portion of ice cream too, like a roll, in grease proof type paper. My favourite was a dollop of ice cream into fizzy pop. How delicious was that! All frothy and sweet. My ice cream supping days were brought to an abrupt halt, however, when I had a summer job as a student at Midland Counties Dairy. Now you do not want to hear about what went on there! But the sound of the ice cream van on the Spring air described by Barrie in post #1 is a lovely image which takes me straight back to childhood. 'Greensleeves' was the favourite tune from our local van. Viv.
 
Also remember the cornets and wafers. The cornets had the name of the ice cream company embossed on them like 'Wall's" and they also had embossed lattice work around the cone. So did the wafers. There was quite a bit of embossed lattice work on them. I actually never really liked the wafer, but always ate it of course. When it became soggy I thought it was a bit unappetising. How picky am I ? ! Viv.
 
Lol Lynne. And you could never catch every bit of the dripping ice cream on hot days. Viv.
 
Oh Lynne that has made me smile, I still do that now, my kids think I am mad lol!
And I remember the greaseproof wrapped rectangular blocks of ice cream in the pre-shaped cone. There was an ice-cream man in Abington Park, Northampton when the girls were small who used to sell them.
Sue
 
Oh and eating all the ice-cream and the thicker bit and bottom of the cone till the "99" was left with the cornet round it - where is that ice-cream man, just fancy one now lol!!
Our Jolly Roger now has a fine space dust that he dips the kids ice-creams in as well as sauce, not sure I like the taste though.
Sue
 
Bill Parker said:
Talking, or should that be typing? about ice creal has just given me one of those odd flashbacks to days long gone. Prior to "soft" ice cream by the likes of "Mr Softee/whippy" did they not make a square section cone that held a square block of ice cream? In other words the same block could be either used for a wafer or in a cornet.

Further more, amIi imagining things or was there a round section cornet that took ice cream made from a round block? Whenever i think about pre soft ice cream I am always taken back to the cafe by the bus station in Lightwoods Park, Bearwood.....happy days.
Click to expand...

I remember both of those, wasn't the roly poly one called a Mellor Roll?

Barrie
 
My first recollections of ice cream were probably in the later stages of the war. My father was a part time AFS man (fire man) stationed in Shirley Rd, Hall Green. When he was on duty at week ends we would walk down with him from the Three Magpies to the station & call in at Jack Holbeaches(?) who was our local milkman & get ice cream. I think you had to take your own container - no cones in those days
 
John Baldry, I remember Holbeeches and went there often after about 1945 because I was born in 1940. I carried on going there until after I had left school and indeed I rented a garage from them for my first car.
My dad played Bowls for the Gospel Oak and played matches at the Maggies.
 
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John
I think you were very lucky to get ice cream in the war. I wouldn't remember it (born 1943), but, as I understand it, it would have been very rarely available.
Mike
 
Vivienne14 said:
Yes Bill I remember the cornets into which a square portion of ice cream could be dropped. And I remember unwrapping a small round single portion of ice cream too, like a roll, in grease proof type paper. My favourite was a dollop of ice cream into fizzy pop. How delicious was that! All frothy and sweet. My ice cream supping days were brought to an abrupt halt, however, when I had a summer job as a student at Midland Counties Dairy. Now you do not want to hear about what went on there! But the sound of the ice cream van on the Spring air described by Barrie in post #1 is a lovely image which takes me straight back to childhood. 'Greensleeves' was the favourite tune from our local van. Viv.
Click to expand...

Im glad you cleared that up Viv regarding the round section ones, I did start to wonder if I was imagining it.
 
Another point about ice cream retailing, the early vans that sold ice cream wereas far as I know, bsically fitted with well insulated cold containers that kept the pre chilled ice cream at low tempreture or some might have had some type of fridge equipment fitted, I am talking 50s here.

Around that late 50s our estate was regularly visited by many ice cream vans and then along came I think "Midland Counties" with what would be called by todays standard really large vans these made the ice cream in the van and had a continously running separate rear mounted engine that i assume powered the fridges and pumps etc.

These vans were quite hefty, and I think based on the Commer/Karrier chassis with twin rear wheels like the chassis that was used for Smiths mobile shops, probably "Gamecocks"? I'm fairly certain Mr Whippy/Softee with similar but smaller Commers came along a little later. Corgi toys did a nice model of the slightly later vans.

The rear engines were powered by TVO better known as "tractor vapourising oil" or parrafin if you like and the smell from the rear exhaust was very distinctive, in fact if I smell TVO fumes now I am transported back to those childhood times. Can any other "Anoraks" remember these Karriers/Commers? with twin rears?

NOT this type:

https://www.mrwhippy.co.uk/classic_icecream_vans.html
 
Bill
The 1950s vans you are talking about made, I presume, the "soft" ice cream. I have read that a certain Margaret Roberts was responsible for helping to develop this product at Lyons . Am not sure as to the accuracy of this, but she certainly worked at Lyons, and published a paper (which I have somewhere) on emulsifiers , so it is likely that there is another abomination (lots of air & water and not much substance) she is responsible for .
 
Bill, I will join your group then!!
And Rowan, we had Tonibell too, with the plastic balls with lids on, available in pink for girls and black and white for boys! - called Toniballs I think?
Sue
 
mikejee said:
Bill
The 1950s vans you are talking about made, I presume, the "soft" ice cream. I have read that a certain Margaret Roberts was responsible for helping to develop this product at Lyons . Am not sure as to the accuracy of this, but she certainly worked at Lyons, and published a paper (which I have somewhere) on emulsifiers , so it is likely that there is another abomination (lots of air & water and not much substance) she is responsible for .
Click to expand...

Hi Mike, I did a little bit of research this afternoon, I had the impression that the soft stuff was an American development nd was known as "custard" and was developed some time prior to its appearance in the UK which i still think was aroung the late 50s.
However I am quite happy to accept that it could have been much earlier, my interest lies more in the vehicles that sold it but what you say about those emulsifiers makes complete sence and as you say "Lots of air& water" would produce a soft texture.
 
Mikejee
I would agree with your comment on ice cream & the war but this was a dairy & I think it was made in-house. The reason I thought it was in the latter days of the war was the fact that my father was a 'voluntry' fireman & by the time the war in Europe finished he was no longer required.
 
My claim to fame is that I was the THIRD MR. Whippy ice cream man in the country.
The Fachino brothers, who made wafer biscuits, brought the idea of soft ice cream in mobiles vehicles from Italy.
They had the vans made, Commers and later Austins, and let them out on franchise.
My brother Stan took on the first one, becoming Mr. Whippy number 1, he then went into partnership with a Vic Dowley, Mr. Whippy number 2, I then became their first employee becoming Mr. Whippy number 3. Others followed later.
If anyone remembers buying ice cream from me in the Great Barr area and that side of Brum, please get in touch.
Attached is a picture of my van.
Paul Stacey, post No.26, Mr Whippy vans were pink and cream, the blue and cream was Mr. Softee, our big rival.
img062.jpg
My wife and little sister are also pictured.
 
This Ice Cream Man in the pic below worked in the Great Barr area and there is quite a lot of discussion in the thread 'The Ice Cream Man'

Ice_Cream_Van_1950.jpg
 
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