I scream, you scream, we all scream, for ice-cream

[furie]

I was out for my evening constitutional yesterday, when I heard the jovial tinkle of electronically cackling bells, playing a rather fetching rendition of "Popeye the sailor man".

It's been some time since I last "stopped him to buy one" and it got me thinking about the entire ice-cream van phenomenon.

Firstly, is there anyone under the age of 20 who actually knows Popeye, or his theme tune? Why do they carry on playing the tune?

On top of that thought though, does anyone "Stop me and buy one!" any more?

When I was a child, it was special summer treat to have my Grandad offer me a fudgerydoo, or for him to offer to help my sister eat out of her clamshell. We'd hear the bells, and knew it was time for him to come in drooling, ready to offer us a treat.

I still visit a static van if I'm out and about at a "tourist" place, but I really can't remember the last time I made an effort to go out onto the street to get an ice-cream.

How about you?

 

[Hixee]

It might just be that I had nothing better to do with my time 10 years ago than eat mud and ice-cream, but I seem to remember the ice-cream van coming down the street at least once a fortnight. The guy had the music so ****ing loud, it was almost enough to put you off actually.

You're right though, it must be two or three years since I last saw/heard him come down the street. Shame really, I seem to remember he always used to do quite well down our street because of all the kids.

As for the tunes, I can't really say I remember much of them, however I do recognise the sound sometimes. It's just one of those sounds that isn't part of summer life anymore.

 

[Ian]

Firstly, is there anyone under the age of 20 who actually knows Popeye, or his theme tune? Why do they carry on playing the tune?

Ok, I'm over 20 so I know who Popeye is, but the ice cream vans down here never played the Popeye tune. it's more like the first few bars of the Coronation Street theme tune repeated 10 times.

On top of that thought though, does anyone "Stop me and buy one!" any more?

I always thought that the "stop me and buy one" term was for choc ice sellers at the cinema..?

When I was a child, it was special summer treat to have my Grandad offer me a fudgerydoo, or for him to offer to help my sister eat out of her clamshell. We'd hear the bells, and knew it was time for him to come in drooling, ready to offer us a treat.

*snigger* Just like a Pixar film, there's one for the adults to get.

I still visit a static van if I'm out and about at a "tourist" place, but I really can't remember the last time I made an effort to go out onto the street to get an ice-cream.

How about you?

The ice cream van visits my street at least twice a week if the weather is nice. I've had a couple of 99's from it (with flake, nuts and sauce) but not every time.

 

[Snoo]

Only once in a while. Don't fancy it much.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

I know the Popeye theme tune! But, our ice cream trucks definitely do not play it.

Anyway yah, it's definitely a sign of summer that I enjoy hearing, but with me not really liking ice cream and my sister being lactose intolerant, it's not something we really go running for .

 

[A-Kid]

The last mobile ice cream van I saw in this area was many, many years ago... we simply don't have them any more.

 

[Dave]

There is one that comes along to my road, but by the time you've got your money he's already pissed off.

But there are loads at the seafront, so if I was that fussed I'd go there.

 

[nealbie]

Down in Alder **** Pete's fleet of Whippy's stalk the streets 24/7 (we're all convinced he's a drug baron - he owns a big **** off mansion with a swimming pool and tennis court). They're awesome =]

 

[ciallkennett]

They come, they go. They're just too expensive now. A 99 is now at £1.29, and you have to pay excessive amounts to have a flake.

Hence why I never rush out to get one. Haven't had one in a good 2 or 3 years.

The death of the ice-cream man/woman is approaching.

 

[RCF]

Since almost every day one comes to my neighborhood, I occasionally run from the house with change from my mom's purse.

 

[kimahri]

We've just got them back driving round this year.

They play Andy Pandy here though. Some do anyway.

 

[F.A.S.T.]

Firstly, is there anyone under the age of 20 who actually knows Popeye, or his theme tune?

Ya man, I actually remember watching a couple episodes way back when. Some weird local channel still had it running Saturday mornings.

On top of that thought though, does anyone "Stop me and buy one!" any more?

No, the last time I bought anything from them was when I was 10.

 

[jokerman]

There is one who goes round where I live. it's a coupleof years since I actually got one though, as he tends to visit during weather that isn't appropriate for Mr Whippy.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't really eat ice cream that often, usually only when someone buys me one

About ice cream vans, I can't remember if I have ever seen one in Sweden that sells individual ice creams, soft ice cream or similar. We do however have one driving around selling big packs of ice creams that you have in your freezer, like a mobile ice cream supermarket. It's really convenient, but they have one of the most annoying tunes around...

 

[Uncle Arly]

Ours comes down about once a week during the summer months.

Me and my mum did go and get one a few weeks back. =D.

 

[bazpa]

I can get between 4 & 6 Cornettos for £1 from my local freezer shop so I buy all my ice cream from there. They do still drive round the estates here but I haven't heard one for years actually down our street.

 

[Mike]

There's a van that goes past my house every single day if there's even a possibilty the kids might be off school!
For some reason, we used to have 2 go past within about an hour of eachother, even though I live down a dead-end road. But the bloke in the yellow van (which did awsome scoop ice cream) died of cancer a few years ago, so now we just have a lady in a blue van (who doesn't do scoop ice cream, but she does sell penny sweets for a penny each!) who's been coming down our road for donks.

If I don't go for an ice cream, it's either a Cola Sunny lolly, Lemonade lolly or a Cherry Brandy lolly.

 

[CreditCrazy]

They come around my street everyday. I won't get one while at home, but they're also parked right outside of the schools where they make a ton of money. We usually just get candy though.

 

[Gavin]

We get one twice a day during school holidays, who parks very annoyingly right outside my bedroom window playing the Match of the Day theme tune. If my brother's spawn are here, I will use them as an excuse to go out and buy one. Otherwise, he can **** right off.

 

[thx]

There is/was an ice-cream van coming just around 60m from where I lived as a kid, it had this really simple, custom-made tune playing. It's a chain ice-cream van, which also actually stop here in Sweden about 200m from my studenthouse and obviously play the same tune.

At the most popular times I guess we got ice-cream from it, maybe 5 times a year? But the thing is that it's quite different, seeing as they pretty much only sell big packs, bags of ice-cream, not individual cones/sticks for themselves. Other than England, I've seen one 'proper' ice-cream van in Helsinki called Tony Bell, that looks quite fishy and very tacky, thas a very simple bell jingling when it drives by.