Latest news with #MrWhippy
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I visited city named UK's worst place to live and one thing is misunderstood'
Despite its reputation as the 'worst place to live', Yorkshire Live reporter Samantha Teasdale found herself pleasantly surprised as she strolled through the city of Hull. While basking in the warm sunshine, a gentle breeze made it comfortable enough for her to explore the bustling streets with pride flags fluttering from numerous buildings. Having been warned of what to expect before leaving, Samantha arrived with trepidation. But instead she was met with a bustling city that charmed her. Arriving on a day when the city's university graduates were celebrating in gowns and caps, she looked back fondly on her own time as a student. Samantha said: "Memories of my own graduation brought a smile to my face, quickly replaced by the realisation that finding a quiet place to eat would be akin to Mission Impossible. "Luckily, just before reaching the marina, I stumbled upon Furley and Co., which had available tables inside. One glance at their menu and I knew I had to try the steak sarnie. "Served in toasted ciabatta with garlic butter, caramelised onions, melted cheddar and mozzarella cheese, it came with house slaw and garlic and rosemary potato wedges. It was the brunch of my dreams, featuring all my favourites (minus the onions, which I requested to be left out). "For a mere £18.50, including a drink, it was well worth it. The portion size was just right and it was easy to eat - no mess!" Once she'd had her fill of food in the city, Samantha strolled down to the marina. What would otherwise have been a serene scene was disturbed by ongoing construction - but this didn't deter her from enjoying the rest of the city. Samantha discovered a number of hidden gems tucked behind the work sites, including cafes and restaurants. As she continued, she found an ice cream parlour called Tasty that was perfect for the weather. Samantha opted for a 'Mr Whippy' with a flake. Despite being charged 50p for the topping, which is usually complimentary, she then found a relaxing scene at the waterfront. She said: "Contentedly perched on a bench by the aquarium at the marina, I gazed out at the sea and pondered how Hull seemed rather pleasant. Could it really be such a terrible place to live? "Granted, the construction isn't the most appealing sight, but it's temporary and often aimed at enhancing the area in the long run, even if it appears unsightly at present. After a period of relaxation, I had just enough time to delve deeper into the city. And I'm glad I did. "I stumbled upon several art galleries and museums that evoked memories of London's Trafalgar Square, albeit remarkably clean and tidy. It was free from graffiti and evidently well-maintained. "I would have loved to have visited the museums, art galleries and numerous shopping centres but it was time to head back and catch the train home. However, I can say for certain that I would love to return and explore the things that I missed on my stroll, as Hull holds many secrets and there are plenty of hidden shops to discover. "There is a lot of good in Hull, and although I probably didn't venture into the 'rough parts', I believe it's a place that is misunderstood and striving to rejuvenate itself."
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Woman orders ice cream for £5 and size leaves people totally floored
You wouldn't think spending this much on an ice cream would be a bargain – but it really is given the size that turned up after it was ordered. People are desperate to try it Remember the days when you could actually get a 99 ice cream cone for 99p? Unfortunately, inflation means this is a real rarity in 2025. Not to mention during the cost of living crisis. So when a woman ordered some soft serve for £5, you'd think she would be pretty miffed. But when it arrived, she was sure she'd actually found a total bargain. TikTok content creator @london_bite_and_vogue was presented with two towering ice cream cones that came in different colours. She purchased it from Kabul Korner in Harrow, London. At the eatery, you can get huge cones for less than a fiver. A single is £2.50 and a double is £3.50. The foodie opted for two of the single varieties, which come in various flavours including mango and pistachio. Park Holidays estimates that the average price for a Mr Whippy in London is £4.10 – and these are significantly smaller. People think it was well worth the money. Her short clip has garnered more than 525,800 views, 15,600 likes and more than 250 comments, at the time of writing. One said: 'Omg that can't be £2.' Another called it a 'bargain' and a third viewer commented: 'In Italy it will cost you 40 Euros each.' A seemingly big fan of the chilled dessert chimed in: 'Omg yes please I'll take 4.' Others highlighted the appearance of the ice cream as one viewer noted: 'That actually looks so pretty.' However, some people in the comments section weren't keen on the size of the ice cream. A viewer remarked: 'No thanks, way too big. I will stick with the regular ones, plus this is sugar overload!' Another questioned: 'Who could eat all that ice cream?' And another joked: 'This will take me a whole day to finish. By the time I finish it it's gonna be all over my clothes!' If you are planning to travel down to London to get one of the massive ice cream cones, we'd recommend sharing it with a friend before it melts. In the comments section, some also recommended bringing a plastic container along with you. That way, you can transfer the ice cream into the container to stop it spilling all down yourself. It's an ice cream lovers' dream, that's for sure!
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I found little-known UK spot where you can get huge ice cream for bargain price'
Ice cream is a classic summer dessert and a London foodie has found a hidden gem in the capital that serves giant soft-serve ice cream cones for less than you might think More and more it's getting harder to find small luxuries at a low price. As a result of inflation and the rising cost of living, many people have had to cut back on treats like takeaways or desserts but one London foodie has found a little-known spot in the capital city that sells a huge serving of ice cream for less than £5. The social media user @london_bite_and_vogue describes herself as a 'Desi foodie in London' and she focuses on hunting for vegetarian cuisine and hidden gems in the UK. In a video on TikTok, she showed an enormous soft serve ice cream cone that would be perfect to enjoy today (Sunday, July 20) as it is National Ice Cream Day. The clip shows the foodie using an ice cream machine to get two towering ice cream cones with different colours. It has gained significant attention with 525,800 views, 15,600 likes and more than 250 comments, at the time of writing. Although the TikTok user didn't say where she got the huge ice cream from, a user in the comments section revealed that it is from Kabul Korner restaurant and takeaway in Harrow, London. The eatery shared a post on Instagram promoting its huge ice cream cones where it stated that a single is £2.50 and a double is £3.50. This is quite reasonable as according to Park Holidays, the average price for a Mr Whippy in London is £4.10 per ice cream cone. Kabul Korner offers ice cream in various flavours, including mango and pistachio. Viewers who saw the TikTok video by the 'Desi foodie' were shocked at the price of the ice cream. One said: 'Omg that can't be £2.' Another called it a 'bargain' and a third viewer commented: 'In Italy it will cost you 40 euros each.' A seemingly big fan of the chilled dessert chimed in: 'Omg yes please I'll take 4.' Others highlighted the appearance of the ice cream as one viewer noted: 'That actually looks so pretty.' However, some people in the comments section weren't keen on the size of the ice cream. A viewer remarked: 'No thanks, way too big. I will stick with the regular ones, plus this is sugar overload!' Another questioned: 'Who could eat all that ice cream?' Some viewers found humour in how big the ice cream is. One joked: 'This will take me a whole day to finish. By the time I finish it it's gonna be all over my clothes!' Someone who has tried the Kabul Korner giant ice cream shared: 'Been to this place. To start eating this ice cream from a respectable position, you have to hold it down in your ankles.' A different viewer gave a suggestion: 'Bring a large Tupperware so you can put the ice cream and cone in there. And share with friends and family. And save it from falling on the floor.' While a giant soft serve ice cream cone might not be everyone's idea of a great summer dessert, this treat from Kabul Korner is ideal for budget-conscious foodies or those who want something a bit different to a regular ice cream.
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Travel influencers reveal their best UK holidays – cheap caravan parks, secret beaches… and overhyped places to avoid
Plus, the completely free beach activity that will keep your kids occupied all day - and where to find it. HIDE AWAY Travel influencers reveal their best UK holidays – cheap caravan parks, secret beaches… and overhyped places to avoid Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) When the sun comes out, there is no better place to cool off than on a stripy deckchair with a Mr Whippy and a sea breeze. However, chances are, half the country will think so, too. So how do you avoid being packed cheek-to-jowl on heaving beaches? 9 UK Influencer Chantelle Champs (pictured with her daughters), explores further afield to go fossil hunting. Credit: Chantelle Champs 9 The beautiful and less-crowded Charmouth Beach in Dorset is known for its fossils and but not overrun with tourists. Credit: Getty To find out, we asked seven top family travel influencers for their favourite off-the-beaten-track beach or the place they go to handle the heat, combat the crowds, and avoid the rush... Swap Lime Regis for Charmouth Lifestyle Influencer Chantelle Champs loves popular Lyme Regis in Dorset, but she takes her three girls to nearby Charmouth to go fossil hunting. She says: "We love finding new places to explore and a few years ago we booked a last minute break to Lyme Regis in Dorset. We had never been before but the trip was a hit and everyone loved it. We've ended up going back every year since. Dorset has a great coastline and there are so many different beaches to explore, you are not restricted to one area. This is great because in the school holidays, Lyme Regis is really popular, so you can easily go a bit further along the coast and find a quieter spot. Our favourite place is Charmouth Beach. It's beautiful and looks so much more natural and undiscovered than Lyme Regis itself. I love the beach, but I am not much of a sunbather and with three girls under 12, we like interesting places that keep us all occupied. The English holiday park named the best in the country – with beach views, indoor swimming pool and deluxe caravans Our favourite activity as a family is searching for fossils, which is really fun and costs absolutely nothing. It kept us all entertained all day. We usually find a few different pieces which we collect and take home as souvenirs. In between Lyme Regis and Charmouth is also the area of East Cliff. This is an old Victorian dump site. You can still find fossils here, but we also found the base of a ceramic pot from the Ritz London, which we all got very excited about. You can also see a statue of Mary Anning, who was one of the first female palaeontologists in the UK. She found her first fossils at the age of 12, so my girls know her story well. It's the most easy-going, laid back place to go in summer and we hardly spend any money. You can rent a little cottage close to the beach for less than £100 a night. It's one of our favourite UK holidays." 9 9 Howey (pictured with his son, Jaivon) prefer the beaches off-season when they have the beach to themselves. Credit: Howey Ejegi 'Pay what you can' attractions Howey Ejegi, a digital creator at @howeydon and and dad from Dundee in Scotland, saves the beach for cooler days and heads to the Scottish Deer Centre with son, Jaivon (both pictured above) instead. He says: "Living on the Fife coast, we have some of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland a short drive from us. However, in summer, everyone has the same idea and they get really packed, with traffic jams and car parks all full. Aberdour Silver Sands is probably the most popular beach but we prefer to go in spring or autumn. It's not as hot, but sometimes we get the place almost to ourselves, so it feels like a secret beach. When it starts to get busy with locals and tourists, Jaivon and I prefer to head inland to the Scottish Deer Centre near Cupar. This wildlife park spans 55 acres and has 12 species of deer, wolves, otters, elk and bears. What's great about this place is that they have a 'pay as you please' admission, so guests pay what they can afford. It's a great incentive to encourage visitors from lower-income areas to experience the park without worrying about the admittance price. We love it. It's really educational and you can easily spend the whole day there, staying for lunch or bringing your own picnic. I know people head to the beach for a cheap day out in the school holidays, but this is our favourite local spot when the coast gets too crowded." 9 Kerry and her family have found a sweet spot to go surfing and it's much calmer than nearby Newquay. Credit: KERRY WHELPDALE Quiet Cornwall in peak summer Lifestyle vlogger Kerry Whelpdale and her two energetic sons love to surf, but instead of hauling their boards to Newquay's busy Fistral Beach, they ride waves a bit further along the coast . She says: "We love surfing and there is no better place to do that than in Cornwall. However, everyone knows that Newquay is far too busy, especially in summer. Even if you are able to find a decent place to stay, it likely won't be cheap. We found a solution to this and not only is it a bargain, but we also often get the beach to ourselves first thing in the morning - and it never gets overcrowded. We stay at the Park Dean Newquay Holiday Park. It's just up the coast from the busy town of Newquay and ideally located to explore the whole area. Better still, Watergate Bay beach is walking distance from your accommodation - extra handy when you are carrying your own surf board! We booked a Glamping Pod for £100 a night for all four of us in the school holidays. The pods are so cute and we had our own kitchen to make lunch and dinner, which was so nice after an active day surfing. The resort itself has evening entertainment for families but we didn't even indulge last time. Everyone was so tired, we had pizza on the deck and chilled out in our pod until the next morning. If you have younger kids, it's absolutely ideal. There are three outdoor pools and a splash park with waterslides. For those who want to surf, the beach closest to the park is really quiet if you get up early to catch the first waves and I highly recommend it. It's definitely busier after lunch, but nowhere near the crowds that fill up the main beach in Newquay. It's a family favourite for us, but get in quick as the pods get booked up fast in the Easter and summer holidays." 9 Vicki (pictured in Southsea with her son Reggie) says people underestimate the coast in Portsmouth where the beaches are never as busy as they are in Brighton. Credit: VICKY PHILPOTT Swap Brighton for Portsmouth Vicky Philpott from avoids busy Brighton and heads to the island city of Portsmouth with her family. She says: "When it's sunny, people flock to Brighton in East Sussex for a beach day, and I am always baffled why they don't think a little bit outside the box. We skip the crowds of Brighton Beach on a sunny day and head to Southsea Beach instead. It's just 1 hour and 30 minutes from London on the fast train and has such a chilled vibe. There's plenty of cool coffee shops and the charming Albert Road has lots of independent shops, too. It's just like Brighton, but quite a bit cheaper, you can get a coffee there for £2, whereas the going rate in Brighton is double that! On the beach there's always enough space to spread out without hordes of day-trippers. My toddler, Reggie, loves playing with stones on the big pebbly stretch and there's a little splash park on the seafront, as well as a park, zip line, golf and pedalo boats at Canoe Lake boating pond just over the road. The pier has rides and arcades and,, of course a great fish and chip shop too - although you'll pay a bit more to eat here (£13 for haddock and chips), considering the prime location. If you want to stretch out the afternoon, get an alfresco bistro table at Greek Cuisine Tony and you can enjoy £7.50 gyros on the pier - easily enough for two to share - while watching the paddleboarders and swimmers do their thing." 9 Nolfolk has beautiful beaches but the Holme Dunes Nature Reserve is a favourite spot for blogger, Jane, and her son Miles (pictured). Credit: JANE GORMAN Secret beaches in picture-perfect nature reserves Jane Gorman, a content creator and blogger from and @jayneytravels, avoids the saturated south coast and instead spends sunny days at Holme Dunes Nature Reserve. She says: "We live just outside of Reading, but rather than battle the crowds on the south coast during the summer months, we head to Norfolk instead. This is a very underrated coastline and home to some wonderful, endless beaches. Our best-kept secret is the Holme Dunes Nature Reserve. This stunning stretch is a little bit further off the beaten track than busy seaside towns like Sheringham and Cromer but it's perfectly unspoilt and a paradise for nature lovers. As well as thick fluffy sand, you can watch out for rare sightings of black-tailed godwit and ring ouzel. You won't have to battle for a place to pop down a towel, but do bring a cooler and snacks for everyone as there are no facilities on the beach. However, there is a fascinating visitor centre and cafe near the entrance, so if you have little ones, you're not too far from the real world. Parking is cheap and easy, too. Whilst not exactly a secret, we usually end the day at Wells-next-the-Sea. It's less busy at teatime and you can walk along the beach past the colourful beach huts. The beachfront cafe serves a big sourdough pizza for £12 and a tub of ice cream for £4.50. Enjoy both with your legs dangling over the sea wall." 9 Victoria (pictured above Soar Mill Cove) is known for finding unique and interesting locations through her blog Credit: VICTORIA WATTS KENNEDY Private paradise in hidden sandy coves Victoria Watts Kennedy from travel blog is known for exploring lesser-known places around the world. Here in the UK is no exception. She says: "Devon is beautiful but in the summer, the beaches and villages along the coast are some of the busiest in the UK. Instead of heading to popular Salcombe, we have a secret spot that we go to every year. Soar Mill Cove is a beautiful, isolated little bay, hidden along the rugged coast, just 15 minutes from Salcombe. It's the effort to get there that makes Soar Mill Cove so special. It's beautiful when viewed from the cliff, but take the mile-long path that winds down the headland and you'll find a golden, sandy beach. The tiny, sandy inlet, backed by magnificent cliffs, feels like your own personal paradise – and the journey to get there is all part of the fun, especially with kids. It's easy to park the car at the Soar Mill Cove Hotel at the top of the hill. Parking is only £5 for the day. If you want to splash the cash, the hotel is in a top location, but rooms start at £180. For a budget option, you can stay three nights at the Challaborough Bay Holiday Park for only £249. It's a 35-minute drive from Soar Mill Cove." 9 Macca and his family (pictured) love the Northern beaches near Durham Credit: Macca Sherifi Ditch the busy south coast for the wild North East Macca Sherifi, from travel blog An Adventurous World, says the south coast gets all the hype but when he wants to escape with wife, Chloe, and two-year-old Cooper, they head north. He says: "When it comes to beach destinations, people always flock to the south coast, but the north of England has beautiful beaches too. I am firmly flying the flag for Durham and Northumberland in the north east. Take Seaham Beach, which on a bright and sunny day is absolutely gorgeous, with mile after mile of golden sands and craggy rock pools just waiting to be explored. My two-year-old loves searching for colourful sea glass, as well as the odd pebble. Seaham Beach is known for being one of the most colourful beaches in the UK for these colourful gems. It's an activity that is great for any age and I must admit, I enjoy the challenge too! We can be there for hours and spend next to nothing all day. If you venture a bit further down the coast, you can also see the Seaham Beach caves, which is ideal for teenagers or older kids. It really is a beautiful spot, and very close to Durham, which has very affordable hotels to base yourself in, meaning it's really good for anyone on a budget too."
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘I loved selling ice-cream there': the 13-year battle for a Mr Whippy pitch in Greenwich
When he was growing up, Paul St Hilaire Jr thought his dad was the next best thing to Willy Wonka: no one else's dad sold ice-cream for a living. 'I remember sitting in the van, eating my Mr Whippy and feeling superior to children queueing up outside,' St Hilaire Jr remembered. But for the past 13 years, the son – now a solicitor – has been fighting to get his dad's ice-cream pitch back in a David and Goliath battle with the local council. The family have been to court about 10 times. Next month they will take their case to the high court. 'It would be funny if it wasn't so heartbreaking,' said St Hilaire Sr, 70. 'All this fuss, upset and expense over ice-cream.' St Hilaire Sr began trading on King William Walk in Greenwich in the early 1980s to support his seven children, who now largely work in the NHS and education. The contested pitch on the historic boulevard is one of the most popular spots in Greenwich: look north, and you can see the Royal Naval College and the Cutty Sark – look south, and you can see the park and the Royal Observatory. 'I loved selling ice-cream there, it was beautiful and busy,' said St Hilaire Sr. 'My customers came from all over the world but had one similarity: they didn't want the expensive ice-cream sold by the National Maritime Museum nearby – they wanted a Mr Whippy.' But in 2004, the council started regulating ice-cream vans. King William Walk was closed for business because it was too narrow to accommodate ice-cream punters and pedestrians alike. In 2011, however, the National Maritime Museum opened its Sammy Ofer wing, substantially widening a section of King William Walk. The St Hilaires saw a chance to nab the best ice-cream pitch in Greenwich and applied for a licence. That's when battle commenced: the council rejected the application and held firm to its decision: 'King William Walk is a narrow and busy historic street,' said a spokesperson. 'We need to make sure everyone can move around safely and easily, so there are restrictions on street trading here to avoid queues blocking the way.' In fact, the St Hilaires challenged this claim in the magistrates court in 2013 and won, the magistrate granting them the gold-ticket licence the council had refused. But Greenwich council doubled down, paying lawyers £52,000 to appeal against the case in Woolwich crown court in 2015. Again, the ruling came back in favour of the St Hilaires. This time, the council was ordered to grant the licence and reimburse the family £4,500 in costs. When St Hilaire Sr applied to renew his street trading licence, however, it was rejected – on the basis that the council had, without consultation or publicity, decided the entirely of King William Walk was no longer an approved street on which to trade. St Hilaire Jr points out that the claim the pavement is too narrow at the contested pitch was rejected by both the magistrate in 2013 and the judge in 2015. But the council also says that it consulted on the proposal for itinerant ice-cream vans on the walk. 'The majority of responses agreed with our approach,' it said. St Hilaire Jr disagrees. 'There were just 25 responses to the consultation,' he said. 'If you discount all the internal ones and the public ones citing the same overcrowding concern the courts rejected over a decade ago, that consultation comes out in our favour.' In any case, he added, the consultation was about itinerant vans. What the family want is a permanent pitch. 'The council made the decision against permanent pitches because they claimed to have had 13 complaints against my dad,' said St Hilaire Jr. 'But the so-called complaints weren't complaints at all; they were just questions about trading,' he said. 'There wasn't a single complaint about my dad.' In fact, the only complaint against St Hilaire Sr was found in an email written by a local councillor and released under the Freedom of Information Act, who called him a 'pest'. 'When I took them to the ombudsman, they were found guilty of service failure maladministration and [the ombudsman] ordered them to reconsider,' said St Hilaire Jr. It is not the first time, St Hilaire Jr said, that the council has used concerning tactics. 'At one point, a member of the council called my employer, suggesting I was helping my dad during working hours,' he said. 'But I wasn't, so that didn't work.' He said the family feel victimised by the council's focus on them, pointing to 19 enforcement notices levied against his father between April and May 2016. 'We successfully contested every single fine and enforcement notice, but each one cost us considerable time and money,' he said. The council even lowered the kerb at exactly the place where St Hilaire Sr parked his van – at a cost of £4,138. The museum's own ice-cream van now trades just metres away from the contested pitch. After the ombudsman told the council to reconsider its stance on permanent pitches … nothing happened. In the hiatus, St Hilaire Sr was forced to sell his ice-cream van. He now works as a lorry driver. Then, amazingly, in 2021, the council told the St Hilaires part of the walk was to be designated for street trading. A few months later, however, this decision was reversed. The council has never explained why. Finally in 2023, Greenwich council confirmed the walk was not designated for street trading. It is St Hilaire's challenge to this that will be decided at the high court next month. As for the council's statement that there are many other places to trade from, St Hilaire Jr said he has repeatedly asked the council to give them a different site. 'They've never given us a date for any of the meetings they vaguely mention might happen – and have now said they can't see us because court proceedings are ongoing.'
