On Sunday, September 20, a very special ice cream was served at Pendennis Point and near the Docks in Falmouth.

In a tribute to popular ice cream seller Alan Hitchens, who passed away after catching coronavirus, his famous 'Jazzer' ice cream was served for the day by Richard Pacy, who looked on him as a father figure, and his family.

Richard and his wife and daughter took a couple of the vans from Alan's fleet out to Pendennis Point and the lay-by near the Docks and served ice creams from them for the first time in seven months.

Falmouth Packet:

Richard Pacy and his wife Jo deal with the queue. Picture: Colin Higgs

Richard said: "It was absolutely amazing, really busy. Quite a lot of locals came up so excited and happy to see Alan's vans out and about again."

Alan, who was born and bred in Falmouth, passed away after catching coronavirus on Monday, April 13, just seven months before his 70th birthday.

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Alan was widely known in the area, and throughout Cornwall, for his family's ice cream business Falmouth Dairy and its famous 'Jazzer' ice cream, comprising of a cone filled with marshmallow, topped with three scoops of ice cream, whipped cream and a choice of sprinkles.

Alan's grandfather started the ice cream business before his parents, Bernard and Sylvia, took it over and for many years also had an ice cream shop and bakery in Falmouth's Killigrew Street.

Falmouth Packet:

Richard's daughter Katlyn Pacy. Picture: Colin Higgs

His 13 vans were a daily fixture at Falmouth seafront, Falmouth Docks, 'Daisy Park' on Castle Drive and Pendennis Point. They could always be found at local events, including Penryn Fair Day every year and during the St Day banger racing season, as well as Falmouth beaches including Swanpool and Gyllyngvase in years gone by, outside Trago Mills and Custom House Quay, and next to the King Harry Ferry. Alan and his staff would also always enter a float in Falmouth Carnival.

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Richard Pacy began working for Alan aged 12 and subsequently went on to live with him when his parents moved away.

Richard added: "On the Saturday we spent nine hours cleaning the two vans to get them ready to go out. I live in Barnstaple so it's a two and a half hour drive. We finished at nine o clock and drove home.

"Then on Sunday we got up at six to travel back down and start the day.

"When I started driving out of the yard that was really weird. I haven't taken a van out for 20 years!

Falmouth Packet:

The contents of the famous "Jazzer" cone. Picture: Colin Higgs

"The 'Jazzers' went really well. We haven't sold them for 20 years but people were still saying 'Ah, you're doing the Jazzer!' We sold quite a lot of them.

"My phone hasn't stopped with people that used to work there and our old customers getting in touch saying 'When are you out again? I missed the 'Jazzer'!'

"One customer came back again and again in the same day.

"I feel so proud, Alan would have been so happy with what we did. Especially me taking the van out - I think he'd have been well happy with that."