The inside scoop? How ice cream vans handle the heat

As temperatures soar across London, many might assume it is a boom time for the capital's ice cream sellers.

But for Gus Bodur, better known across north-west London as Gussy the Ice Cream Man, heatwaves can be as much a challenge as an opportunity.

The warm weather tests both man and machine, leaving Gus and his children struggling to keep cool in the "glasshouse" of the van, while the machines pump out even more heat and battle to keep slushies frozen.

He told BBC London: "It's a bit tricky now because obviously we depend on the hot weather. You can't have ice cream in the cold and in the rain.

"But this heatwave has taken it to another level now. I think all ice cream sellers are struggling, and that is the truth."

Born in Whitechapel, Gus has been in the ice cream trade for about 50 years.

His father emigrated from Cyprus and began selling fresh fruit and ice cream from a stall in Piccadilly Circus in the late 1950s.

Now 62, Gus started trading with his father from the age of 14, during the summer holidays.

"I used to have three milk crates, so I used to stand on these milk crates and lift up the lid of the freezer and just serve ice cream. I was like the little Artful Dodger."

He eventually swapped the Piccadilly stall for an ice cream van and became a familiar sight around Golders Green, Hampstead and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

"I love what I do. I love meeting people every day. I think it's the greatest job on the planet."

Today, the family enterprise spans three generations, with Gus's children stepping into the business.

Gus regularly meets adults who remember buying ice creams from him as children - who now arrive with families of their own.

He said the community "was amazing".

"The kids are really amazing too. They're really respectful, they're not rude at all and they're very, very polite. Credit to the parents."

Gus's tips and tricks to keep cool while working, include a wet flannel on his head and drinking plenty of water - but he also recommends a cup of tea.

Asked whether he remembered a similar heatwave, he said he thinks back to 1976, "but this time, it's a different level. Much hotter and more consistent. It's not one day, it's one week, it's two weeks.

"We're just soldiers and we're trying to do the best that we can.

"We drink loads of water and try to serve our ice cream and give everybody a smile."

Daughter Chloe now owns her own van, while son Oliver regularly works in the van and at the parlour the family opened in Brent Cross Town in 2022.

Son-in-law Jaya develops recipes and makes ice cream for the business and the family is working towards the goal of seeing their products stocked on supermarket shelves.

Oli said his dad "raised us with as much pride as ever, and that's me and my sister doing what we do to help him. He wants us to do well in our lives.

Chloe added: "When you hear my dad speak, he'll always say, 'I want to leave something behind for my kids'.

"But we've got this mutual love going back towards him and appreciate the hard work that he's done so much that we're now working hard to create a legacy for him, and for my granddad's hard work as well."

While London's heatwaves may be getting hotter, some traditions remain unchanged.

Gus confirmed a Mr Whippy with a Flake and red sauce is still the capital's favourite.

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