Only One Scoop?!

by Anna Sugden

Summer has arrived here in England (for this week, at least!). Temperatures are hovering pleasantly in the high 70's, cricket is being played on the village greens and the best sign of summer of all ... the tinny notes of 'O Sole Mio' (better know to us over here as the music from the ice cream ad - Just One Cornetto) ringing across the neighbourhood as the ice cream van plies its trade.

The first ice cream van aka Mr Whippy (though, these days they aren't all the real deal!) appeared last weekend and all the neighbourhood kids (young and old) lined up for their favourite summer treat ... the 99. (see pic left). No idea why it's called a 99, but up and down the country everyone loves them.

The real 99 is a whipped ice cream with a Cadbury's chocolate Flake stuck in it. For special treats, you can have sauce on it - strawberry is my fave, though the kids like the blue one! You can also have an extra Flake!


The ice cream vans of my childhood also had a wonderful array of ice lollies - who wanted boring vanilla ice cream (even with the added extras) when you could have a Lolly Gobble Choc Bomb or a Zoom or a Fab?!

Other fond memories of the pre-Baskin Robbins, Haagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry's days are the ice cream desserts ... the Arctic Roll, the Neapolitan and (for the posh folks) the Vienetta!

And then, the really special treats ... the banana split and the knickebocker glory.



When I was a teenager, we lived in Virginia and there was a Farrells Ice Cream Parlour nearby. One of my favourite birthdays was at Farrells - complete with a Pikes Peak for the whole table. I couldn't find a pic of it, but the thing was HUGE!

Don't get me wrong, I love favour varieties too. My best friend growing up and I bonded over our love for mint chocolate chip ice cream.

But, you can't limit me to one scoop!

How can I choose between mint choc chip and strawberry cheesecake, Chunky Monkey, Cookie Dough, banana split, Cherry Garcia and the late lamented Uncanny Cashew and Wavy Gravy?!

Mmm ... time for the yummy boys of the ice to delve into the Lair's freezer and serve up some ice cream. So, grab a hockey hunk and give him your order *g*. [For P226 and any other BB males - we have some ice girls on hand too! But you'll have to be quick, those gals can really skate!] Triple scoops all round!

Do you have any fun ice cream memories - favourite desserts, ice lollies or other chiller delights?