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Kids should have treats: Lowri Turner, holding son Merlin Connew, 6, with nephew Loki Thorssen, 5, with Tina, son Griffin Connew, 8 (right) and Noah Bordell, 6, (front) |
Ice cream van – we’re loving it
TV’s Lowri defends Highbury Fields vendor caught up in ‘obesity’ wrangle
LIFESTYLE TV presenter Lowri Turner is leading a queue of angry mothers in defending an ice-cream vendor under fire for contributing to childhood obesity.
Ms Turner said she was outraged at the criticism, voiced in the Tribune letters page last week, that Tina De Freitas, who parks along Highbury Fields, is the source of frustration and upset for Jane Lewis, whose children won’t take no for an answer.
The TV presenter and journalist said: “It’s the insanity of the childhood obesity hysteria. I’m training to be a nutritional therapist so you think I would be against it but kids should have treats. If we were to bin everything that could possibly cause a child to put on weight we would be only allowing them to eat lettuce. What’s much more of an issue is the number of fast food places there are.”
Ms Turner, a mother-of-three, has lived in Highbury for the past five years.
She said: “I can’t bear the idea that the council might take this letter seriously. Is nothing sacred? Of course we’re all concerned about childhood obesity but ice cream vans are a key part of my childhood. I remember being in my house, rushing to get money and bolting to get to it before it moved away.
“We often go by the van, say hi and don’t buy anything. It’s up to the parent to say no. The van is next to the playground so the idea is run about for an hour first.”
She added: “At this time, when everything is so grim it was fantastic to see Tina come back last week.
“It was a sign that winter is coming to an end. There was a line of outraged mothers here earlier. One was saying Tina replaced unlicensed vans that used to park by the bank and cause problems.”
Ms Turner said Ms De Frietas had become a valued member of the community, who often acted as an unofficial “lost and found” office, once helping relocate the TV presenter’s errant dog.
She added: “Tina’s been here for 12 years, she’s built up her business. She’s like having a post office in the middle of the field. It’s very social. There’s a general local outrage at the very idea that Tina might move on because she’s such a part of the community.”
Mother-of-two Gianna Cinalli, who has lived in Highbury all her life, said: “It’s part of the park. You see smiling happy children in the queue on a summer day. It’s the madness of this society where they put tax on alcohol rather than educate people.
“We’ll all end up robots. Our children won’t be able to think for themselves because it’ll be done for them. We go past the van and my children know that sometimes they can’t have one.”
She said anyone who finds the presence of the van too stressful can always use the playground’s other exit. |
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