Ice cream, you scream

When was the last time you bought an ice-cream from an Ice-Cream Van? I honestly can’t remember. What I do remember is as a little girl, getting very excited whenever I heard the jingly tune of the ‘Ice-cream man’ as he slowly circled his van around our Derby housing estate on summer days. I always ran to my Mum to ask if we could have one and was sometimes disappointed. Partly I’m sure because my Mum had to watch the pennies and partly because she also managed my expectations, an important and not always positive part of my upbringing. 

I do however remember the last time I bought an ice-cream and that was last week in Seville. A friend and I spent a short holiday in the stunning city, baking in 30 degree afternoon temperatures. A delicious ice-cream cone, scoffed daily, was the perfect medication to ward off the heat. As well as its famous ‘dulces’,  Seville is renowned for some of the best ‘helado’ in Spain. My friend and I are only too happy to confirm that reputation.

Meanwhile, back in the ‘Land of the Ice-Cream Van’, their fuming emissions are apparently causing consternation. Vans need to keep their engines running to keep the freezers working and so pump out noxious emissions, increasingly out of favour especially around children. To help keep the tradition of ice-cream vans alive, some councils are installing electric power sources in popular ice-cream spots so that it can be sold without a fume topping. And maybe we’ll see more ice-cream tricyles around the streets – very traditional and eco-friendly?