It’s summer time!

 

It’s summer time!

I

Ice-cream van by the River Ouse, York

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

 I know it must be because I’ve just heard an ice-cream van chiming its melodious siren song.

I’m amazed that ice-cream van owners and drivers still exist. Anyone can buy ice lollies and ice-cream at shopping outlets large or small, and yet, every year, like returning swallows and chiffchaffs, out trundle the clunky-looking vans, with their improbable names.

Sir Whippy, Mr Softee, and others are heard long before they appear. Do children still urge their parents to let them rush to the van with coins in their hot, little hands to buy a Flake or a Nobbly Bobbly, or even a slightly dull ice lolly?

Have parents become canny enough to trick their children? Do they tell them the jingle only plays when the van is empty of ice-cream confections? Perhaps they say it’s a warning to steer clear of strangers.

Ice-cream trucks are often hired for events like school fêtes, sporting events, children’s parties, wedding receptions. I wonder, though, how much demand there is ‘out of season.’

Ice-cream tricycles or bicycles are less commonly seen, but for someone wanting to set up in business, they can be an affordable option, starting at around £2,000. A second-hand van, properly equipped, will cost around £40,000 and a new one easily £20,000 more.