Memories of Summers past

As kids, every Saturday morning, my sister and I were dropped off at the Odeon Cinema Club, where the highlight for me was a Zoom ice lolly during the intermission. The only way I was persuaded to go to church on a Sunday was the bribe of an ice cream float at Sabini’s Ice Cream Parlour after the service. The jingling Greensleeves melody announced the arrival of the ice cream van on our street – “Mum, Mum, the Ice Cream Man’s here, can I have a cider lolly, they’re my favourite, pleeeease Mum, Pleeeeeease?” An Oyster Deluxe, a 99 with raspberry syrup, frozen Jubblys – memories of summer – the summer holidays – when six weeks off school promised an eternity of adventure. I’d leave home on my bike straight after breakfast to ‘explore’ and home at night for tea with an ice cream from Mister Whippy – the perfect dessert.

This summer has been the hottest since the one I always remember as the hottest – the summer of ’76, when Hyde Park was so scorched it looked more like the Sahara!

Images above the Mister Microsoftee Ice Cream Van – bringing back those nostalgic memories at an Open Agency Summer Party.