D Di Mascio

Ok, we'll test your theory out then Rob, food topics, and whether I'll get a response from this post. D Di Mascio, surely all Cov kids remember this institution. I can remember collecting dandelion leaves for our local seller for his rabbits and in return receiving an ice cream. Then one day, shock and horror, Mr. Whippy, followed by Mr. Softie came on the scene. People flocked to buy from these new vendors and when D Di came round with his rather outdated float a little later in the evening, most people had had their fill and there were few takers. What happened to D Di, when did it stop trading?

I had a book out from our local library, some months ago, which was the complete history of D.Di`s. It is a fascinating story and there are quite a few nostalgic pictures of their vehicles and premises. From memory, I think the family just decided to stop trading in the 70`s.

Would be interested to read the said book Greg. I'm a Cov Kid in exile, so no library ticket I'm afraid. Any thoughts???

Not wishing to stifle debate on the subject here, but newbies might want to catch up on the thread started by the late Larry Broadhurst. That particular forum is now locked but the posts in it can still be read. To quote from one of the articles referenced in the thread:

Quoting from my own post in the Telegraph forum in answer to the same question:

Growing up in Hillfields I loved D Di's ice cream, it was so delicious, yellow and creamy. I used to enjoy sitting inside the ice cream parlour and eating it from the glass dishes they served it in. My dad often used to fetch us kids one home on a Sunday when he came from the Howitzers Club at lunchtime - yummy. The book is on Amazon for sale at around £10, haven't read it myself so can't comment.

It was years before I knew they even had a parlour. The first place I ever lived in Coventry was Hawkins Road in Earlsdon. My mum thought cornets were a waste of money so we sat on the kerb with empty teacups in hand waiting for the van to come around: "Bing-bong, bing-bong". Then we handed the cups to the driver, he filled them for us, then we went back inside the house to eat the ice creams with a spoon. Every other kid had a cornet so I wanted a cornet!

Hello. D Di. Fabulous. An institution almost in Coventry. At one time their depot was in Broad St., Foleshill. At my Sunday school, a delivery of D Di was often the high point for games afternoons. Yum yum. I want one now.

With all this talk of ice cream vans it reminds me of the times in the early 50's when my pet monkey whenever he heard the chimes of the van would do his best to escape, he often succeeded and then would join the queue of children and when it was his turn the seller would break off the end of a cornet and give him a small ice cream, he would then join the other kids sitting on the wall and finish it off. Some things he did were not so funny. Alan

And on days when the fair was in town the ice cream vans were all massed together on Hearsall Common!

I also used to LOVE the expectation of a visit from the D Di van If I was REALLY lucky my mum would send me out to the van with (what seemed to be) a large mixing type bowl to get 6d of ice cream. There seemed to be loads for that money - I think cornets were 3d - but you seemed to get far more than two cornets worth! And the delight of having RASPBERRY JUICE - heaven!

The RASPBERRY JUICE? Why did we call it 'MONKEY JUICE'? Or was that just me?

Guess that's just you Philip!! (stands back and waits for hornets nest to open!)

Afraid I have declare I was part of the "monkey pack", as I remember calling it monkey juice too, TonyS I remember the day when the pink and white Mr Whippy van first called at my primary school, Sir Henry Parkes in Canley, for the first time. You can just imagine the chaos of mums and children at the front gate all trying to get served at once! Watching it swirl out of that machine the first time was just magic No, I didn't taste it that day 'cos my mum ushered me away very quickly

I never was quite quick enough, by the time I had heard the chimes of the Mr D Di van and my mum had found her purse he was off down the street! I remember a man coming up my street riding a tricycle with a 'fridge on it selling ice creams and lollies like a "Stop Me and Buy One Man". He told us never to put our hands in the 'fridge as it would tear the flesh off our fingers! He showed us his gloves that he used. Well meant, but scarey advice for little kids. Funny how those little things stick in your memory, as every since whenever I see dry-ice I think of him. Anyone else remember the "Stop Me and Buy One Man"?