Remembering Mr Softee

Remembering Mr Softee

Thinking about all those playtime games and also the hot summer days led me to another thought ”ice cream”.

When I was young we didn't have a refrigerator. We had a cold pantry with a stone floor which kept things cool in an English summer but you wouldn't have tried to keep ice cream there. So in summer it was always a special treat when Dad would give us a florin ( 2 shillings) and tell us to go get ice cream. Off we would run to the nearest convenience shop that opened on Sundays and buy a square block of ice cream. Always plain vanilla. My sister and I would run home as fast as we could so it wouldn't melt and Mum would slice the ice cream up and put it in between wafers for us to eat. What a delight!

By the time we had moved to Montreal , we had even hotter summers and although we now had a refrigerator and bought blocks of ice cream, the best treat ever was when Mr Softee and his travelling ice cream van came by. We knew he was coming by the cheerful tunes he played as he came around the street. You could hear him coming from two streets over and the cry came out “Mr Softee Mr Softee!! It was amazing as children and adults suddenly materialized from whereever they were and all enjoyed the lovely soft ice cream.

I still enjoy ice cream but none tasted as good as those we had on those hot summer days. They were very special.

If you want to really remember Mr Softee and his catchy jingle check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsCDGY8e0P8