The word conjures up images of 1950s small town America: in the mind's eye an an ice cream 'parlour' is all candy pinks and blues, with booths and high stools and plenty of shiny chrome.
It's no surprise that these kick-back havens offering all manner of multi-colour treats - from ice cream sundaes and waffles to towering knickbocker glorys topped with syrups and wafers - caught on in the UK where the word parlour was previously the name given back in the day to the stuffy back room you kept tidy for guests to your home.
Now US-style ice cream parlours are hugely popular, as are the growing numbers of their English rivals which basically proves that anywhere you can sit in to linger over the likes of chocolate, vanilla, pistachio and strawberry ripple is onto a winner. Of course ice cream is usually associated with the kind of weather we're currently enjoying but that hasn't stopped families huddling over a takeaway cone on a blustery sea front as it's a treat that can be enjoyed any time and almost anywhere, no matter what the weather whips up outside.
