Industry Industry Basildon History Yardley, Basildon Industry
Tonibell
Bentalls, Pipps Hill
Tonibell
Location: Arterial Road, Laindon
Photographer: George Le-Gresley
Year of photo: circa early 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: Tonibell vans in the yard at Laindon.
Tonibell
Location: Arterial Road, Laindon
Photographer: George Le-Gresley
Year of photo: circa early 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: Tonibell vans in the yard at Laindon.
Tonibell
Location: Arterial Road, Laindon
Photographer: George Le-Gresley
Year of photo: circa early 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: A fire damaged van at the Laindon yard. Samson House can be made out to the right of the van.
Tonibell
Location: Arterial Road, Laindon
Photographer: George Le-Gresley
Year of photo: circa early 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: Tonibell vans in the yard at Laindon.
Tonibell
Location: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: circa early 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: George Le-Gresley.
Tonibell
Location: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: circa early 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: George Le-Gresley.
Tonibell
Location: Arterial Road, Laindon
Photographer: George Le-Gresley
Year of photo: circa early 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: Tonibell vans in the yard at Laindon.
Tonibell
Location: Bowlers Croft
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: circa 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: Tonibell Vehicles seen as Bowlers Croft, Nevendon.
Tonibell
Location: Bowlers Croft
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: circa 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: Tonibell Vehicles seen as Bowlers Croft, Nevendon.
Tonibell
Location: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 2006
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments:
Tonibell
Location: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 2006
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments:
Tonibell
Location: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 2006
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments:
Tonibell
Location: Pitsea Broadway
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 1980s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: Former 'Mr. Whippy' employee Ray Levine poses for the camera at Pitsea Broadway.
Tonibell
Location: Honywood Rd, Nevendon
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments:
Tonibell
Location: Bowlers Croft
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments:
Tonibell
Location: Honywood Rd, Nevendon
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments: .
Tonibell
Location: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments:
Tonibell
Location: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Year of photo: 1960s
Copyright: George Le-Gresley
Source: George Le-Gresley
Comments:
Tonibell
From the late 1950s a familiar sight and sound around the streets of Basildon was a Tonibell ice cream van. The company, known as Tonibell Manufacturing Co. Ltd, was founded as Tonis in 1937 by Italian born Toni Pignatelli and his wife. Originally operating from a shop in Burnt Oak, Middlesex, their first vehicle did not take to the streets until 1951 by which time they were joined by their son Ronald. During the fifties the business grew and Basildon, with its new town status offering fresh custom, was seen as the ideal place to expand operations. Their first depot, a yard adjacent to the Laindon Service Station on the Southend bound carriageway of the A127 before the Fortune-of-War roundabout, opened sometime in the late 1950s. They continued here, having become Tonibell following a change of name in 1960, for a few more years before relocating to Bowlers Croft on the No.1 Nevendon Industrial Estate.

Their vehicles were custom variations of among others; Morris vans and the Bedford CA series. Early vehicles were finished in a blue livery with some featuring a scaled down cow astride the front roof. Later models also included the cow and a memorable colour change to pink, which was probably how people best remember them. They also had a specially written chime.

In addition to the street operations there were several ice cream parlours and snack bars in Basildon town centre. These were branded Tonis and situated at 5 South Gunnels, and from around 1963, 11 Market Pavement. The Market Pavement shop lasted until the 1980s before being bought by Tony Dow of Martins Mobile Sales of Durham Road, Laindon, who then re-opened for a time as Diamonds Resturant.

In the late 1960s Tonibell moved again, this time to a new depot in Bentalls on Industrial Estate No.2 (Pipps Hill), but by the early 1990s had closed.

Tonibell is still seen around locally as Gary Levine of Canvey Island operates several vans in their livery and the chimes can still be heard on many T.V. programmes that feature the sound of an ice cream van in the background noise.


Text written 2007 with revisions 2007-2007.
Copyright © 2007-2007, Basildon History Online. All rights reserved.

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