The above horse-drawn ice cream cart belonged to the Notarianni family who owned the Lyric Cafe (name on the cart). The Lyric Cafe was situated at 22 Golspie Street, Govan on the east side almost opposite the Salvation Army Hall – and not far from the gatehouse to Fairfield Shipbuilders. To date no image of the premises has been found. The building was demolished to make way for modern flats.
George Rountree remembers the evolution of mobile ice cream vending:
“Like most such establishments Notarianni’s was well run, and they operated a couple of ice cream carts. Early carts were completely open, simply large push-along barrows with a roofing cover supported by four pillars…….Later, tricycles were used. The big cool-box was mounted over the axle of the front wheels with the whole assembly pivoting for steering which was controlled by a long bar handle fixed to the box in front of the rider. Some horse-drawn carts in which the vendor stood were windowless, but Notarianni’s was regarded as ultra-modern. The vehicle was totally enclosed with sliding windows at the sides, much like modern ice cream vans. The family later acquired a motor van with a long engine bonnet from the cab forward resembling a Rolls Royce and may have been one, but I am probably wrong about this; it is likely to have been something much more humble such as a van body mounted on a light Albion chassis.”
The Centimenso records the family origins in Frosinone Province.
Note: There is a well-established Notarianni family business at Waterloo Road, Blackpool. Its website records that A Luigi Notarianni and his wife, Messalina, following in the footsteps of other family members came first to Paisley where they opened up their first ice cream parlour. In 1928, Luigi and Messalina moved to Blackpool where so many Glaswegians holidayed during the Glasgow Fair. (The History of Notarianni Ice Cream: http://notarianni.co.uk/)