100 ABSTRACTS - NUMBER 99 - ALMOST THERE!

A “first” this morning - I was up, dressed and ready to go out just after 6 o’clock but Mr. HCB was still snoring in bed!  He was tired after a day at cricket yesterday - a somewhat disappointing day when “rain stopped play” several times, but he said it was still enjoyable.  

I had a lovely early morning walk and have put a collage in as an extra - as I particularly wanted to show the little hedgehog, which I spotted running along by the wall of a garden.  I did stop and speak to him - and told him that his cousin, Hoggy, lived with us - mind you, I did wonder why a lady came out and looked at me very strangely - perhaps she doesn’t know that Blippers talk to anyone and anything!  Among the other shots are four of “my field” and some of the flowers I saw in various gardens, including a fence painted, I assume, to support the NHS. 

Well, I’m almost there - this is Number 99 in my 100 Abstracts Challenge for the Mamie Martin Fund, which helps impoverished girls in North Malawi to obtain a good secondary school education, so what else could I do but a “99” ice cream?  Obviously, there has been a little faffing and fartnarkling in my iColorama app and I hope you like the result.  This was Mr. HCB's choice, so if you don't, blame him!

I remember that when I was a child a Mazzotta’s Ice Cream van used to come round, playing its chimes - and often this was "Greensleeves" - to call the children out from that part of the street, and they used to flock out and queue up to get their favourite ice cream.  I’m sure the Italian in me knew, even back then, that ice cream was good!  I didn’t often have a “99” because even then - more than 60 years ago - they were quite expensive - so to have a “99” was a special treat, a wonderfully creamy whipped vanilla ice cream with a Cadbury’s chocolate flake stuck in it - often at a perky angle!

I always thought the name was to do with the price, but this was way before decimalisation!  I found this out from the internet:

“It all stems back to Italian soft ice cream makers working in County Durham in the 1920s who decided to incorporate a Cadbury’s Flake into their ice creams in order to increase interest and boost sales.

Their chosen combination proved very popular, so much so that they needed to devise a memorable name for their innovative creation.

'In the days of the monarchy in Italy the King has a specifically chosen guard consisting of 99 men, and subsequently anything really special or first class was known as ‘99’ - and that is how ‘99’ Flake came by its name', according to Cadbury’s and the cornet with the Flake placed temptingly in the top of the ice cream became very popular."

So now we all know - I couldn’t actually buy one from an ice cream van for today, so had to be content with a pack of 4 Cadbury’s Flake 99 Cones from Tesco’s and I have to say that the ice cream wasn’t quite as delicious as I remember it.

I asked Mr. HCB if he was willing to be in my “selfie” and he said he was, especially if he got to eat the 99 Flake Cone at the end of it, which of course he/we did.  

"Living life without a purpose 
     is like having an ice cream cone in your hand, 
          and letting it melt and drip without eating it;  
               it was yours to enjoy, but you lost it!"
Anon

P.S.  I am so grateful to all those who have sponsored me - more has come in today and my total so far, with Gift Aid, is £577 - just one day to go - but my VirginMoneyGiving page will be remain open for a couple more weeks for any who would still like to donate to this worthy cause.

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MaureenIles