Work on £500k Oswestry park improvements completed
It said the changes were designed to "encourage more use for all ages" and the nearby Meadows School had been involved.
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All today's news and views on the Pilgrims in two update has been created and reviewed by our journalists, using AI to help summarise the most up-to-date Plymouth Argyle news. It's read aloud by an AI on BBC Sounds
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The real meaning behind 99 Flake's name - and it's not what you might think
The origin of the 99 Flake's name has been revealed, and it's not what you might think. As the UK cools down from yet another heatwave, many Britons will have found themselves re-familiarised with the tuneful sound of ice cream vans, and while some prefer the fruity refreshment of an ice lolly, the treat seemingly most synonymous with British summers is the 99 Flake. Though it's a treat loved around the nation, few of its fans know the true origin behind the 99 Flake's moniker. The creamy vanilla soft-serve has been at the heart of cost controversy over the years, with many complaining that the treat has become unaffordable, and many believing the name represents its original cost of 99p. However, the real reason has nothing to do with its price. The moniker was given as a way to entice Italian customers visiting the UK. A company representative said: 'An ice cream served in a cone with a Flake 99 is the UK's favourite ice cream. In the days of the monarchy in Italy, the King had an elite guard consisting of 99 soldiers. 'Subsequently, anything really special or first class was known as '99', as reported by The Mirror. 'When Cadbury launched its small Flake for ice creams in 1930, the UK ice cream industry was dominated by ex-pat Italians. So, to appeal to Italians, we called our superb Flake a '99'.' The treat, piled high with delicious swirls of creamy vanilla ice cream, is known for being served in a wafer cone and topped with a Flake chocolate. Though a Cadbury's Flake can be purchased from most UK-based shops, it was originally designed by the confectioner 'for ice cream and culinary use'. Its cuboid structure was designed specifically to fit into a wafer, and by the 1930s, it was being sold in half-sized portions for serving in an ice cream cone. The Flake itself was first invented ten years earlier in the 1920s when an employee at the Birmingham-based chocolatiers noticed that when the excess chocolate from the moulds used to create other chocolate bars was drained off, it poured out in thin streams. When it cooled, the chocolate would then set in distinctive ripples of chocolate with crumbling properties. The original craftsperson behind the treat is reportedly unclear, though some think it was down to the invention of Stefano Arcari, an Italian who owned an ice cream shop in Scotland at 99 Portobello High Street - hence the name. It's thought that Arcari would snap pieces of flake in half and wedge them into ice creams sold to customers. 'It has been a family legend for as long as I can remember that my grandad invented the '99', but the problem is, we have no proof,' Tanya Arcari, Stephen's granddaughter, told the BBC. 'My dad always said that my grandad broke a Flake in half - before the short '99' Flakes were manufactured - and stuck it in an ice cream. 'We're not sure of the exact date he did that, but it was not long after he opened the shop in 1922.' Other theories include one which claims that the '99' Flake was so-called to honour the i Ragazzi del 99, 'the Boys of '99'. They were a group of soldiers born in 1899 and so the last to enlist in the First World War. While the original name origin of the iconic ice cream may be unclear, there is one thing about the 99 Flake that can be said for sure - it's price is rising. Prices for a single 99 flake have spiked to shocking highs of £5.75 - showing the drastic shift as Britain's favourite cone becomes unaffordable for much of the country. Recent reports revealed some ice cream fans flogging Mr Whippy for as much as £5.70 at one popular tourist destination in Coventry. One UK citizen called Emma visited Coombe Abbey along with her young son on Tuesday, April 2. The mother said she was 'taken aback' by the cost of ice creams which were priced at £5.70 for a twin with flake. Emma decided to go ahead with buying the treats and reluctantly forked out £7.90 for the pair. If the prices were clearly displayed, the 37-year-old said she would have 'avoided' the kiosk, which is run by No Ordinary Hospitality Management. However, a spokesman for NOHM said the prices were clearly displayed. A spokesman for No Ordinary Hospitality Management said: 'Items from the kiosk start at £2.50 and all prices are clearly displayed on the board. 'We work as hard as we possibly can to offer refreshments and treats to suit all budgets but we have had to increase the prices of these particular ice creams due to a 26 per cent rise in the cost of ingredients and a 10 per cent rise in staffing costs. 'We are in regular contact with our suppliers and our ice cream prices are in line with other outlets which have fixed costs.' Additionally, outside a stall on the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park, which is run by the Royal Parks charity, prices for a 99 are edging towards £6 - with extra toppings costing 25p extra. Parents lining up with small children grimly accepted the rocketing costs as they prepared to fork out on the soft-whip desert. One father, who was waiting his turn, told MailOnline: 'It is not the price - everything is increasing everywhere. The prices are increasing.
BBC News
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Spud Truck serves up free food to Jersey families
Hundreds of free, freshly-baked potatoes with a variety of toppings have been served to Jersey families in need over the school summer Spud Truck mobile food initiative is serving between 800 and 1,000 potatoes a week, said the charity behind the scheme, Caring is served from the Spud Truck at Hope Valley from 16:30 to 18:00 BST every weekday."It's flat out, and there's a lot of preparation involved, but it is absolutely all worth it," Yvonne Corbin, chief executive of Caring Cooks, told BBC Radio Jersey. Running the truck costs about £1,500 to £2,000 a week, roughly £12,000 for the summer. But Ms Corbin said the support from local businesses and funders had been strong. "People love the Spud Truck, the idea of it, the whole premise of it," she said."If anyone feels the need to take away that financial burden, they can come along and have a meal. "And, for the amount of happiness and joy it brings, it's worth every penny."It's great for the children too. They're interacting, there are things to do. It's like a summer club."The Jersey Child Care Trust said in May that nearly a quarter of the island's children lived in relative poverty, meaning their family's income was at least 60% under the median.
