Dawlish News

Patrick has just walked into the room with his face (and most of the rest of him) covered in chocolate ice cream. He's having a good day - this is his third helping and he's not even out of his pyjamas - but he's come to tell me that I'm a Mean Mum because I didn't let him have "squirty cream" on it. I started my usual speech about Having to Draw the Line Somewhere, but he'd already left the room to sulk in front of Cartoon Network. If Patrick had been a bit more thoughtful, he'd have hung around to hear another of my favourite speeches, too; the one about how, in my day, ice cream was a rare treat, not something to be guzzled on a daily basis before breakfast. I remember, on special occasions, my dad taking me to our local ice cream parlour for a knickerbocker glory. The anticipation was as delicious as the big event itself, but last time I tried to explain all this to my son, he just gave me a glazed look and reminded me to buy strawberry syrup next time I went shopping. However, there are some advantages to living with an ice cream addict. He's a walking, talking connoisseur; a gold mine of information on all things vanilla (or chocolate, or strawberry...). If ever you're stuck for a decent gelato joint, he's guaranteed to have the scoop on the best in the vicinity. And, in an exclusive deal with The Independent on Sunday, he's kindly agreed to share his top five chill-out zones. First is Gay's Creamery in Dawlish, Devon (01626 863341), 20 Brunswick Place. This holds a special spot in Patrick's heart not only because it serves ices made from fresh Devonshire cream, but also because, if you ask nicely, you can have it topped with a gigantic dollop of the clotted variety, just to give your arteries a double whammy.