This proved to be a most enjoyable read : it is sufficiently full of British silliness to be very entertaining, and is written in reasonably lengthy chapters so that it can be read gradually and not raced through at a breakneck speed, which can leave you wondering if it was money well spent. This book definitely is.

As someone who lives in a seaside town, I loved the idea of Flake, a graphic novel about rival icecream sellers. The illustrations are adorable, the story is cute, quirky and hilarious. I don’t know when I last laughed this much at anything. "Decisiveness was not a quality Howard possessed in abundance. He had avoided almost any road in life that required it. When tackling a crossword, he would insist on a pencil. Only the foolhardy lunatic…would commit to biro’s reckless permanence." Howard lives a quiet life, and is quite happy to do so, until his evil half brother Tony Augustus tries to steal his ice cream patch. Things get a bit…explosive. This graphic novel is scooptastic! The background characters and little asides into the town of Dobbiston’s history and notable people are amazing. We have Jasper the Museum owner who has appeared on TV quizzes multiple time and it never ends well, an icecream man/ corrupt ex-librarian, and a trio of old ladies that like to rate funerals. The rivalries, gossip and traditions of the town are brilliant and really paint an accurate picture of life in a small seaside town. My favourite little section has to be the mafia-esque explanation of Tony Augustus’s henchmen. Hilarious. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, there is a little cameo of the author in the pub quiz section. Utterly fantastic.

Full disclosure...this is the first graphic novel I’ve read and I’m so glad I’ve ventured into this genre. A truly charming, funny and whimsical story about an ice cream war in Northern England. Lovely story and fantastic illustrations. A real treat.

This really is fantastic. Well worthy of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Comic Fiction Prize. Superbly witty, and wonderfully charming, this story is uplifting and encouraging. I enjoyed every moment of it. From the endearing characters with their perfect facial expressions, body gestures, and motives, to the muted colour palette, and the fascinating world of ice-cream van etiquette. I’ll be sure to read this again.

Nothing more British. A really charming story of a hapless, crossword puzzle loving ice-ceam van man drawn in to a war for his "patch". Alan Bennet as drawn by Chris Ware.