This Chime, It’s Personal

It’s finally happened.

We’ve now reached that stage of the year when if people weren’t losing their minds over the colour of a van.

They’re now crying at ice cream vans. 

Okay, so perhaps not literally crying at an ice cream van.

But certainly becoming triggered enough by the chime of one.

Enough to get an ice cream van firm actually banned on a street in Lowestoft. 

Now, we firmly believe that the only reason to see red when it comes to ice cream vans, is when they drive off too quickly.

You know the deal.

You’ll be rushing around, getting dressed enough to look presentable to the neighbours, and pretending you’re about to get a Flake 99 for your kid.

But by the time you get outside…

THE VAN HAS GONE. It’s enough to make a grown man cry.

In Lowestoft, however, the reason for the banishing of ice cream on wheels is to do with the fact that the driver sounded the music for too long.

The company, Lamarti’s, are based near Great Yarmouth and having to deal with the fallback.

They have been accused by a distraught resident of allowing chimes to exceed 12 seconds.

More than 20 seconds, in fact.

Did you know there are rules in place for ice cream van chimes?

Music should be blasted — okay, sorry, played nicely — for only 12 seconds.

Oh, and it can only be done when the van is still.

There is also a protocol on how loud you can sound the chimes, and how often (once every couple of minutes).

Just in case you wanted to ensure you’re up-to-date with the rules properly, all the details are published on the Gov website.

Click here for some nighttime reading.

2020, 2021… Please stop messing with us.

Who knows what 2022 will bring?

Complaints about Jerry the neighbour cleaning his van at 10am and waking up Sharon from next door?

Time will tell. 

Until then, let’s hope the only other ice cream van concerns in your life are to do with insuring one.

You’ll find all the information you need, right here.

99 Problems, But An Ice Cream Van Isn’t One

A few years ago we reported how ice cream vans were nearly “extinct.” That once familiar sound…now silent.

There is still a small army of ice cream van owners though, and many come here to CVI for their ice cream van insurance.

Our 3 minute form is just like the “99” of the van insurance industry. It’s simple, to the point, and you can finish it in 3 minutes.

Despite the ice cream van looking to be on its last round, that might not be the case. Not according to our inside expert in the ice cream industry.

We will refer to him as “Mr Whippy,” and what he told us shocked and stunned all of our staff here at CVI HQ.

Make no mistake about it: the ice cream industry still has 99 problems, but an ice cream van isn’t one…

What are we even talking about? Well, according to “Mr Whippy” there is a new ice cream van on the scene and if everything goes to plan then they will soon be on our roads, in force.

These brand new ice cream vans are powered by electricity…completely!

Not only are they electric vans but the ice cream making machines are also battery operated. Everything is electric, running all the way through the van like a bolt of lightning.

“I’ve got the power,” ice cream van owners will be saying around this nation of ours.

“That is one scoop of AC, and one scoop of DC,” they will go on to add.

So how could the electric ice cream van lead to a resurgence of the good old days of ice cream eating.

For one, they may start to get encouragement from local councils, who would welcome a “green machine” on the roads and ready to serve ice creams. They might even give government grants to encourage people to start an ice cream business.

It would be a novelty. That’s for sure. And it may even kick start a resurgence in the ice cream van. Who knows for sure?

What I do know is that ice cream van owners…

It doesn’t matter if you are petrol or electric…

AC or DC…

Work full time or part time…

You can get very cheap ice cream van insurance right here at the Nations Favourite.

Oh, and just to mention that our expert insider “Mr Whippy” is soon going to publish a book on how to start and run a profitable ice cream van business. It will be called “99 Tips to become an Ice Cream Millionaire.” Keep a look out for that one.

Ice Cream Van Drivers Fight Back, Not Going Quietly

The summer of rage is coming to end on August 31st, but ironically it could be ice cream men and women that need to cool down the most.

Regular readers of this blog will be only too aware about how ice cream vans are on their way out…with only 2500 left on UK roads.

This has obviously led to some frustration within the ice cream industry which was highlighted recently in an incident at Parkgate Shopping Park, Rotherham.

A couple by the name of Rob Tracy and Tracy Dixon decided it would be a good idea to buy two of their favourite ice creams, 99 cones, which they believed were priced at £1.50 each.

So they approached an ice cream van in Parkgate Shopping Park and placed the order. Unfortunately not everything went to plan.

With 3 English pounds in his hand Rob was getting ready to buy the ice creams and then enjoy a summers afternoon in Rotherham, but the ice cream man had other ideas.

Instead of asking for 3 pounds, the man in the ice cream van asked for 5 pounds, which left both Rob and Tracy stunned. This was NOT the advertised price, but also, a fiver for 2x 99 cones? That’s a bit of rip off they thought. I must admit, I’m in agreement with that one.

It isn’t like the good old days of ice cream eating if you ask me, where you could run after the ice cream van with 50p and still go back home with change in your pocket.

Back to the story and after a brief argument about the price, the ice cream van man (only known as Steve) did something completely unexpected…he threw the two 99 cones directly at Rob and Tracy.

We’ve heard right here on this blog about the summer of rage when it comes to van owners, but this really is taking things to the next level.

The ice creams hit Rob on his head and then went down his shoulder and back. This wasn’t the way he expected to be served his ice creams, I’m sure.

The couple’s German Shepherd dog also caught a bit of ice cream in the face. Coincidentally, the dog’s name is “Ice,” and he does enjoy eating ice cream according to Rob, but not when it is launched into his face.

At this point Rob and Tracy decided that enough was enough and they called in the Police, and when they arrived, after hearing both sides of the story they decided the best course of action was to send the ice cream man home for the day. Probably best.

Hopefully he was able to cool down a bit, and once relaxed, he might have even used the rest of the afternoon to compare van insurance quotes right here on this site.

Ice Cream Vans Almost “Extinct” Because Of…

The traditional ice cream van man or woman used to be an everyday sight and sound, even in the winter. Those days are nearly over it seems.

Did you know that in the 1970’s there were around a quarter of a million ice cream vans on UK roads? Fast forward to 2017 and it’s estimated there are around 2500.

So the writing is on the wall for the ice cream van trade by the looks of it, which is a shame because who doesn’t remember hearing the familiar sound of your local ice cream van when you were a kid, and then running out of the house to get a 99 flake or those ice creams with the bubble gum at the bottom.

It makes you wonder why such a popular national institution such as the ice cream van looks to be going the way of the dinosaurs.

According to the CEO of the Ice Cream Association there is one particular culprit that not many people realise…and it isn’t what you might think.

“Double Glazing” has been blamed for the near extinction of ice cream vans, mainly because it is claimed that children or their parents can no longer hear the familiar chimes of the van coming down the road.

Most kids are sat inside playing on their computer or surfing the internet and updating social media, blissfully unaware that an ice cream van is outside waiting for their pocket money.

Waiting…and waiting….and waiting…and waiting, that is what many ice cream van owners did, but because of double glazing nobody knew they were around, and this led to many selling their ice cream vans and then going down the local job centre to see what van driving jobs there was, no doubt.

One expert commented, “even if a van is right outside their house, people may not hear them. The whole point is to soundproof homes and keep them warm, but they are not good for ice cream vans.”

Is it all doom and gloom though? Maybe not, because a new company have just come up with a solution. It’s called Vantoot, which is an App that alerts users when the ice cream man or woman is about to come down the street. A good idea? Let’s wait and see.

The one thing I do know is that currently, as we speak, there are 2500 hard working ice cream van owners that go out on the roads of the UK to keep on selling the nations favourite snacks.

In my opinion, these people should be rewarded for their persistence and dedication to the tradition that we all know and remember, and what better way to do that than with cheap van insurance.

Right here, you can quickly and easily compare ice cream van insurance in order to save money so you can make more profit.

It only takes about 3 minutes to write down your details in the form (which is about the time it takes to serve a family with their favourite ice creams), and then, you instantly get quotes from over 40 insurance companies with potentially very cheap quotes for your ice cram van. Give it a try.

Step 1

Complete your quick and easy quote

Step 2

Reveal your van insurance policies

Step 3

Pick your favourite and get instant cover