Appledore, the Jackson Five and a 99 flake

This week a tv show called 'The Jacksons are coming' was shown on british television. The American popstars the Jackson 5 were apparently condisering moving to Devon and the film followed Tito and some of his brothers and extended family exploring the possibility of buying a property in Devon. One very telling moment when I realised that this was never going to work was when the Pop princes walked past a Hocking's ice cream van. Hockings have sold one flavour of ice cream (vanilla) alone from their ice cream vans since grandad Dave Hocking set up the business in 1936. Surely Americans, so used to choice would balk at this petty provincialism? I personally thought it quaint when I first bought an ice cream from the van on Appledore Quay, but was really miffed to find that even though they had only one flavour and so had presumeably been 'perfecting' it for the last 70+years, it was not the best vanilla ice cream I had ever eaten. Sadly it didn't even come close. As the Jackson's flew home at the end of the show, unlikely ever to return it seemed that Appledore had blown an opportunity. Perhaps in time things will change and next time we go for an ice cream in Devon there may be strawberry or chocolate or even raspberry ripple on offer; but somehow I doubt it.