We All Scream for ICE CREAM!
As a kid, I remember the ice cream van driving around my neighbourhood on certain evenings. You know the ice cream man is coming just be keeping an ear out for the distinct music which plays on a loop. Oddly enough, I was actually afraid of the music….and if I were out in the garden, I’d freeze and just watch the van drive pass! (maybe it’s because the music reminded my of the creepy carnival music from the movie IT)
But there were occasions (when an adult was outside with me, thus giving me an ounce of ‘courage’) when I would run to the gate and wave to the driver. I never paid attention to how much the green-coloured ice cream cost, but I loved the taste 
Yes, folks – lime flavoured green ‘shell’ with a vanilla centre!
This picture here, from Keith Nelson, shows a smiling man in a topi, with a Magnolia Cold Storage box on a bicycle. How many of you remember this? We’d love to hear from you.
Hawkers used to do their rounds with a carrying pole attached with two baskets on either side (I still saw this occasionally when I was little) before they switched to bicycles and tricycles. In the 80′s, motorcycles with or without a sidecar gained popularity. After this and until now, vans are used. This shows how the world has progressed.
The cork hat was popular up to the 50′s.
Was it the army lines in the background with tree trunks fencing?
Maurice Smith one of our friends on Facebook wrotr:
“Maurice Smith. I remember the icey icey man as he called himself, he would arrive at Columbo camp in 1958 to sell his ice cream. He often sold all he had in his box.”
So LMS you were probably right first time and it is an army camp as Keith Nelson,our donor, was based in Ipoh in 1959/1960.
hi folks,
as far as i remember, there were 2 military camps in ipoh. one was at ashby road and the other on the road to TR, just after the intersection of Tasek road and tambun road.
i lived in canning gardens long enough, that i beg to differ with you folks. ashby road was pretty ulu, as the short cut had not been built to enter into canning.
secondly, 59-60, british army was still at ashby road, n the folks could get all their goodies from the px.
the tambun road camp was used by the gurkas, and i know the road frontage of the camp very well. used to go to tr water falls very frequently.
i think the pix shows government quarters, because, whether brit or malaysian army, one would assume you would have a formidable fence, and surely would not be so close to the buildings.
Mucho experience in defense department facilities.
Hi Alan y, I think you may have forgotten Colombo Camp (see http://www.ipohworld.org/search8/result.asp?strid=4517 ) which although close to the Asby Road camp was actually separate and was approached via what is today Lebuh Raya Cecil Rae and stretched from there to Jalan Papan.
Despite what it says in the above link about lack of photos, there are more pics of Colombo Camp at http://www.ipohworld.org/search8/result.asp?strid=4799
Yes, how can I forget. So between cecil raye n the polis station further down this road. I used to play badminton inside the camp, which was long dismantled, when we played in the early 60′s. There were only concrete pads left and no buildings. Recalled sighting cobras while bicycling to the badminton courts in the camp. From the courts, we could see the army movie theater and the soccer field at ashby road.
The field force quarters was later constructed in this same site.
In the 70′s and 80′s, there was a stylish young ice- cream man with colourful jacket complete with necktie with a mototised 3 – wheeler driving around Ipoh Garden/Canning Garden area.Anyone remember him or does anyone has photos to show ?
Jim, left Ipoh by then. Also do not recall during trips back to canning n Ipoh garden.
However do remember gentleman on tricycle with the topi hat in the early 60′s in canning. Favorite was durian ice cream on a piece of yellow colored bread.
I seem to have fine recollections when it comes to food!
Cheers al
It’s truly said that our ancestors have given us so much… even they have given us the ways to do business. Previously, people on cycles go and sell ice creams to children and now this trend has converted to ice cream vans and is growing popularly.