In the 1970s, the thrill of excitement when the ice cream van jingled was part of the magic of childhood. Those jingles are heard less often now - though paradoxically children are generally much fatter.
In those days there were 25,000 vans on the road. There are now 5,000 and these are overwhelmingly static at seaside resorts - only 500 are mobile.
A recent report says that these vehicles face extinction. I'm sure the main explanation is that in the 1970s most of us didn't have fridge freezers and by the 1990s, most of us did. So I can't be too sentimental about it. Would one wish to disinvent the fridge freezer? Or the internet which allows us to keep the freezer crammed full of ice cream by clicking away for a supermarket delivery.
Ice cream vans should not be protected from market forces. However, it seems altogether unreasonable for nanny state interventions from local councils to be pushing even more of them out of business.
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