26/05/2024
A visit to Reeth isn’t complete without an ice cream! What a lovely round up of the last 25 years in business, we hope there’s many more to come!
The Ice Cream Parlour is 25 years old this year!!
In April 1999 Peter and I were married. We were looking for a new business. The plan was that I would carry on teaching and Peter would run the business. I was keen on a place in the Orkneys islands but the only properties that came up there were petrol stations!
Then we found Mavis Brown's White House Craft Shop in Reeth. We loved it - the village, the view, the pubs and the people.
It wasn't long before we had come up with the idea of an Ice Cream Parlour.
People tell us now that they thought it was a crazy idea and they thought we would only last a few months.
We took possession of the property in January 1999, married in April and spent our honey moon decorating and running back and forth to Band Q.
We opened one sunny day in May. I can't remember the exact date. We were all s***k and span, dressed in our best with crisp new aprons. We tried to scoop our first ice cream and to our horror found that it was not as easy as we had imagined. We had a hasty practise and produced such messy ice creams that we shut up shop and took off for the day. We visited as many ice-cream outlets as possible and watched avidly as they skilfully scooped the soft stuff! After an evening of practice we tried again!
We have never looked back. One of the things Peter and I loved best about our new life was meeting such a host of interesting and different people. Ice cream appeals to everyone from all walks of life. Characters from every corner of Britain and indeed the world began to walk through our doors and we have loved serving them and appreciating their differences. Some have become regulars, others have visited every year and we have made such lovely friends.
After a couple of years we welcomed our first baby, Eva and three years later, Ralph. I reduced my teaching hours to mornings only. When we got busy in the afternoons I would pop the baby in the pram, run along the cobbles to send them to sleep, and then grab my scoop. My poor children had terrible sleeping habits!
Scooping Ice cream kept us busy and we didn't have time for many family holidays, however Swaledale is such a beautiful place to live that we really didn't need holidays. We often cooked breakfast at the water splash and enjoyed picnic teas in the Orchard.
The Swaledale festival brought talented musicians through our doors and Peter's guitar hanging on the wall provided opportunity for impromptu concerts. I particularly remember when three cellists walking the coast to coast stopped for an ice cream and spent the afternoon playing beautiful music in the sunshine outside the parlour.
Marrick Priory have always been great friends and we have regularly opened in the evenings for parties of children to enjoy an ice cream and play the puzzles and games. One school used to bring their musical instruments and the parlour would burst with the sound of enthusiastic if not tuneful trumpets, flutes and recorders! We have long suffering neighbours!
The tour de France was a great occasion. There was such an exciting build up. We dressed the parlour up with bicycle wheels and bunting and called on all our lovely student work force to help. When the race came through we locked up and ran to watch and I remember returning to see a wall of people turn from the road and head in our direction. We served into the evening when people came with beer glasses in hand.
I cannot believe how fast the years have flown by. When Peter passed away in September2021 I wondered whether it was time to move on. However it didn't take me long to realise that the Ice cream Parlour and Reeth was the place where we had been our happiest and so I chose to stay.
I have made a few changes during the past two years. I often smile to myself when I think what Peter would say about my snazzy new till and my host of vintage teapots!
He was always a bit grumpy about serving teas and coffees, especially when someone might want a 'decaf cappuccino with oat milk!' You're in bloody Yorkshire now you know' he was once heard to say!
Our coffee continues to be popular and we are really enjoying serving the delicious cakes made by the talented bakers at the Angel share bakery.
Many of our young student work force have grown up and moved on to successful jobs and new enthusiastic youngsters have replaced them. Maggie and Ann have joined our merry band of scoopers and help me so much in the smooth running of the parlour. We love to provide a place for people to meet up. The Craft Group and the Reeth Writers regularly meet at the parlour and we have stayed open over the winter months and welcomed hardy locals looking for a treat and a friendly chat.
And so 25 years have passed and
I would very much like to say a heartfelt thankyou to all our lovely customers and friends who have supported us, made us smile and helped to make those years so very happy.
Happy Birthday Cuckoo Hill View Ice cream Parlour!
