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Well-loved Hull ice cream seller dies

Sally Fairfax
BBC News
Martina Penna A black and white photograph of a white haired lady in an apron, smiling at the camera. A balding man in a v neck sweater and shirt is kissing her on the cheek. They are both by a pond in a park Martina Penna
Anne Penna and her husband, Frank, set up the kiosk in Pearson Park in 1969

A well-loved ice cream seller from Hull has died aged 93.

Anne Penna, who set up Penna's ice cream kiosk in the city's Pearson Park in 1969 with her husband, Frank, died on Friday, her family confirmed.

The kiosk was closed for most of last week, with a notice saying the closure was for "family reasons".

Anne had been living with dementia in the latter years of her life and had been looked after by her children.

Martina Penna A young woman with long dark hair wearing a white hairband and spotty dress is holding an ice cream, that the young man next to her his licking. He is wearing a t-shirt with a collar. Next to them is a giant wooden ice cream, as tall as they areMartina Penna
Anne has been described as a "lovely, kind lady" by customers

Her son, Francesco Penna, said she had been receiving palliative care and died in the early hours of Friday morning.

Anne and Frank hadn't worked in the kiosk for some time but, until recently, the pair would regularly spend time there, seeing their children and greeting customers.

Stephen Ingram, 59, who regularly goes to the kiosk to meet with friends, said: "In the 70s when I was eight, I would rest my chin on the counter and Anne, with her long black hair, would serve us cider refreshers.

"She was a lovely, kind lady, always with her twinkly smile."

Sammy Sampson, 41, another regular, added: "Anne was a beautiful soul and often gave the kids free ice-cream."

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