Happy days

In a Dorset resort overrun with amusement arcades and tacky souvenir shops, Rossi's Ices holds its own

Weymouth may not be what it was, but Rossi's Ices ice-cream parlour is as it always has been. It was opened by Fulvio Figliolini's grandfather when he arrived from northern Italy in the Twenties and is still run by Fulvio, the last member of the family. Knickerbocker glories, milkshakes and ice-cream sodas are its raison d'etre, but most people drink tea or coffee.

Weymouth may not be what it was, but Rossi's Ices ice-cream parlour is as it always has been. It was opened by Fulvio Figliolini's grandfather when he arrived from northern Italy in the Twenties and is still run by Fulvio, the last member of the family. Knickerbocker glories, milkshakes and ice-cream sodas are its raison d'etre, but most people drink tea or coffee.

In its unflavoured state, Rossi's ice cream - made to the same recipe since 1937 - is the base for the shakes, sundaes and floats that are enjoyed by all generations. While most opt for a warming Ovaltine or Bovril when the weather cools, there's the occasional nostalgic request for a knickerbocker glory or garish banana split, peach or pear melba or pineapple sundae made with tinned fruit - the way they rarely make them elsewhere.

It's not just the menu (such as it is) that harks back to a bygone age: the chrome, yellow and blue interior has Formica tabletops and cheery post-war posters of ice cream eating children. Fulvio and his staff work seven days a week through the summer, then they shut up shop for the winter - when a hot cup of cocoa could be just the ticket.

Rossi's Ices, 92 The Esplanade, Weymouth, Dorset, telephone 01305 785557. Open daily 10am-6pm until 10 October.

Hot Bovril

"An old-fashioned drink," says Fulvio, preferred by older customers especially when it's blustery. Stir one teaspoon of Bovril into a mug of boiling water. Add a sprinkling of white pepper and salt to taste.

Milkshake

Blend together one teaspoon of Crusha fruit syrup with a scoop of ice cream and just over half a pint of milk. Pour over syrup and whisk.Ice-cream soda

One scoop of ice cream in a knickerbocker glory glass topped with "whatever's fizzy" (cola, lemonade), for a traditional frothy ice-cream soda.