Britain’s oldest ice cream man? Must be 99 (no, 103)
COOL customer Giovanni Rozzo is hitting the road again to become Britain’s oldest ice cream man at the age of 103.
Giovanni has been handed the keys to a classic Bedford HA van after his family raised £15,000 to restore a vehicle identical to one he drove in the 1960s.
He officially retired in 1995 after spending 27 years selling ice creams in the centre of Cambridge where he became a much-loved local character.
Now the grandad of four is set to get behind the wheel of the fully functional van again – but only for special events such as weddings and fetes.
His new van comes complete with a built-in-freezer and a supply of Rossi’s of London ice cream, with the sound of O Sole Mio tinkling out over the speaker.
The father of three, who is also Britain’s oldest driver, said: “The van is exactly like the one I had in 1966, and I’m delighted to have it.
“It is very exciting to get behind the wheel again.”
Back in the 1960s Giovanni donned a smart uniform with his Lyons Maid van, selling cornets and lollies to all.
Honoured
His grandson Carl Rozzo said: “He’s long been retired from running his ice cream business in the city but he’s very proud of it.
“We felt it would be nice to see if we could get him the same van that he actually started out in, in 1966, as a present.
“We managed to find one, and have spent some money on properly restoring it and rebuilding the engine.
“It’s called a Batmobile, because like Batman’s car, it’s got a bulbous front and tail fins.
“I don’t imagine he’ll go out selling on the streets again, but he could maybe take it to special events, like weddings.”
Giovanni, who learned to drive at the age of 20 while serving in the Italian army, emigrated to Britain from Italy in the early 1950s to look for work.
He began his career in England as a train driver for British Rail for six years, before working as a milkman for the Co-op. He moved to Cambridge and established a successful ice cream business – at one stage operating six vans in and around the city.
He carried on driving one of the vans himself until he retired, aged 82, and still motors around Cambridge in his trusty blue 23-year-old Mitsubishi Lancer.
In 2005, he was honoured by the Italian government by being made a Cavaliere, the Italian equivalent of a knighthood, for his services heading up a number of Italian organisations in the UK.
Amazingly, widowed Giovanni has only ever had two speeding fines and one parking ticket during his lengthy motoring career.