I used to love ice cream. I ate it all the time, in vast quantities. Mostly vanilla, but in my youth enjoyed mango, pineapple, strawberry and peach flavour as well. I loved ‘ice blocks’ as well (non-dairy frozen treats), especially the fruit ones.
No longer. I rarely eat any ice cream, and when I do regret it. Even ice blocks aren’t much to my taste. Unlike some people.
I was thinking about this recently. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I do eat, since the list seems to get shorter all the time. But compared to my youth, the absence of ice cream from my diet is notable.
That’s a Bubble O’Bill, an ice cream that was my favorite as a kid. It’s a ice cream cowboy with a chocolate back and bubblegum nose! He looks like this:
Appetizing isn’t it? I loved these guys; not only did you get a frosty snack but the bubblegum just seemed like extra bang for your $0.40. For a child, this deal was irresistible.
Bubble O’Bill was actually an American invention, released in 1985. It wasn’t too successful here though, but found its ideal market in always-sunny Australia. I remember when they were released; an immediate other option to the always-purchased Heart ice cream. The bubblegum nose meant they couldn’t be sold at school, but I’d buy them all the time at the corner shop.
The bubblegum nose was occasionally strange colours (a green nose?!) and I seem to recall there used to be quotes on the stick as well. The best was when he was a bit deformed, or his nose was on backwards. Such rare versions were prized, and consumed with a smile. It was the pinnacle of frozen novelties, and always money well spent!
Of course there were other ice creams I liked:
And Bubble O’Bill success led to similar treats:
That even continue today:
And in my teenage, sophisticated years I tended to prefer this guy:
But even up to me leaving Oz in ’93 used to still buy the occasional Bill.
In England we had some whipped ice cream at the ‘steam fair’ that reminded a lot of what I ate in my youth. I wondered why I don’t ever eat any during my annual trips. Next time, I think I’ll have to make it a point to get a Bubble O’Bill, even if just for old times sake.
And if – when – I do, you can look forward to a review write here on the blog 🙂
