12 FACTS ABOUT THE BRITISH ICE CREAM VAN

For many years, the arrival of the ice cream van was as much a part of summer as awaiting O level results or unwatchable ITV Seaside Specials on ITV. Here are 12 facts about this famous institution:

• Walls introduced its ‘Stop Me And Buy One’ tricycles in 1923.
• Ice cream vendors using a horse and cart were not uncommon as late as the 1930s.
• In the 1950s, the standard practice was to make a fresh batch of “hard scoop” ice cream at four in the morning. The vendor would then store it in the cool box of their Morris J-Type. These containers used pre-frozen “eutectic” plates, which were known to remove the skin from your fingers.
• The Mister Softee brand dates from 1954 and was invented in Philadelphia. Three years later, Smith’s Delivery Vehicles obtained the UK rights to the brand and entered as a partnership with Lyons.

• And so when the Mister Softee Karrier BF’s debuted at the 1958 Commercial Motor Show, they reprinted a mobile “soft scoop” factory – albeit at a steep price of £3,200.
• In that same year, DominicFacchino, the British agent for Carpigiani instant ice cream-making equipment, established the rival Mr. Whippy chain. His first six vans operated in
• In 1960 the Barnet firm Tonis changed their name to Tonibell”. Their Bedford CAs featured a distinctive roof-mounted cow mascot and a blue paint finish; the famous pink livery would not be introduced until 1969.
• By 1961 there were 34 Mr. Softee depots across the UK and 150 Mr. Whippy vans nationwide, with plans for another 175.
• In 1962 Bryan Whitby created his first custom-built ice-cream van – a converted Austin A35 that offered ‘Diploma Quality’ products. You can read more of the history of Whitby Morrison here - https://www.whitbymorrison.com/about/history-timelines/.
• 1963 saw Walls acquire 350 Thames Anglia 307E “mobile kiosks”. These were all LHD to minimise the risk of injury as the vendor could exit directly onto the kerb.
• Ron Peters, the MD of Tonibell, introduced the ice cream van chime to Britain. His vans were equipped with a music box bought from Switzerland.
• All major ice cream vendors went on to commission their own chimes, asides from Mr. Whippy, who favoured the (copyright-free) According to Commercial Motor, the most used tune is O Sole Mio. One problem with the early chimes was that in the pre-transistor era, they tended to drain the van’s battery…

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