When I told my mum I'd visited this ice cream parlour today I nearly blew her mind - she used to love this place when she worked around here more than ten years ago.
Decades later, it's still going strong and appears not to have changed one bit. Simply saying "Ices" on the front, its exterior looks like a relic to 70s Glasgow where Italian style business was a-booming! The inside of this place is filled with old goodness, including sweets your gran will remember well. Whoppers ring any bells? They are actually making a come back but it's nice to see an ice cream shop with lots of jars behind the counter. The guy has even labelled the Bourneville bar "Old Jamaica", I didn't even know it used to be called that.
It's got loads of old plastic diner style tables and chairs set out in shiny black, white and red, and is cozy enough to come in for a chip roll and a chat. Looks like this place is occupied by bus drivers and train conductors making a stop off for their lunch before resuming transit around the city. The staff certainly have that old community spirit feel about them. Teas, coffees and rolls are cheap and cheerful, and simple flavours of ice cream are in abundance.
One stand out feature of this establishment stares outward at passers by....and no, it's not front of house staff! It is the eeriest wee dummy guy I have ever seen in my life! Mechanically operated and more at home in some spooky fairground, the wee creep lifts his arm and licks his ice cream while having his beady, flashing little eyes on you that are powered by ice blue strobe bulbs! It's vulgar, but it's certainly a landmark. I couldn't get a good picture of him today and was worried he'd possess me but I found one on Flickr I'll post up so you can see for yourself. I have expect this thing to appear at my window at three in the morning, he is a Hammer House of Horror nightmare realised. I'll post up the picture so you can see for yourself! Gave me the heebie jeebies, but this modest, 70s style road diner is a treat. read more