An ice treat for Easter

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, March 23, 2013, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.
 

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An ice treat for Easter
A big day out! 

RICHARD THOMAS heads to Mumbles for a Joe’s Ice Cream and some sightseeing. 

WHY? With the sun returning Joe’s Ice Cream Parlour in Mumbles is the best place to head to for an ice cream this Easter. Just across the road is the Tivoli Amusements Arcade where you can win a prize on the cranes and play on the slot machines. There are also other neat places to visit nearby like the fabulous 225 metre Mumbles Pier built in 1807, Mumbles Lighthouse completed in 1794 and Oystermouth Castle built in the 13th century.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Joe’s Ice Cream has been famous for its unique blend of Italian ice cream and Welsh ingredients since it was first established in 1922. Although Joe’s do have different flavours, it’s the original vanilla ice cream that you want to go for, as there’s not another ice cream quite so rich and tasty. The inside of the Mumbles parlour is adorned with photos of the ice cream parlour’s founder, Joe Cascarini, and there is also plenty of space, making it the perfect option for large families or groups.
ANY HISTORY? Once a small fishing village, Mumbles was discovered by wealthy Victorians in the 19th century and has been a highly popular holiday retreat ever since. In 1898 Luigi Cascarini came over to Swansea from the Abruzzi Mountains in Italy. Astonished to discover that there were no cafes open to the workers of the Swansea valley, Luigi decided to setup a haven for the working classes open from dusk till dawn. Before long, Luigi had opened a chain of cafes and when his eldest son, Joe, was old enough he brought him over to Wales from Italy to run the café on St Helens Road. A passionate ice cream lover, Joe brought with him from Italy a secret recipe from his home in Italy and Joe’s Ice Cream was born.
LOOK OUT FOR? There's a wide range of flavours and sizes to suit everybody at Joe's. The ice cream parlour have also started selling a collection of hats, mugs and other merchindise, to find out more go to www.joes-icecream.co.uk.
WHAT TO TAKE? Don’t forget to bring a camera with you to take some photos of the spectacular views of the bay and Mumbles Head.
WHEN TO GO? Joe's Ice Cream Parlour in Mumbles is open every Saturday between 9.30am and 6.30am. The parlour is also open on Sundays between 11am and 6pm and on weekdays between 9.30am to 5.30pm, except Mondays when they open at 10.30am.
TELL ME MORE: Joe’s Ice Cream Mumbles Parlour is located on Mumbles Road, next to the post office, but it is probably best to park in the nearby Quarry pay and display car park. For sat-nav users the Quarry car park postcode is SA3 4LQ.
Visit www.richardthomas.com.