Seaburn Zoo / Ocean Park Documentary. Please Read.

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Teed said:
I built a very large greenhouse in the cemetery behind the Zoo, very weird experience working there in the early mornings, with the mist rising and all the sounds of the various animals echoing around the place, it certainly didn't feel like I was working in Sunderland.
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Suddick's still like that mate.
 


oioirob said:
Hello there people.

I am currently making a short documentary on the zoo that was once in Seaburn also known as Ocean Park at one point. I am aware of the previous thread relating to this but my reason for posting is to appeal for help.

Does anyone have any information or stories they would like to share?
I am aware of Janets story in relation to the tiger and also the lions escaping although there is not much information available on the lions escaping so any help with that would be great.

Does anyone have any photos perhaps from personal albums or ones that are not currently online or know anyone who may?
I have found the ones from Facebook and certain ones from Google as well.

Does anyone have any experiences they would be happy to discuss in an interview on camera?
Or any relatives they might know who would have any information or photos.

It has also been brought to my attention that when the zoo was closed someone who had posted on a thread in a forum on this site claimed there father was the one who had to come and shoot the lions?
Does anyone have any more information on this? Perhaps the thread or may know the person or remember the post?

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for taking the time to read this.
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pics or it didn't happen
 
Narraback said:
What year was that Sneech?
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It would have been the early to mid 70's.

There were actually two zoos as what started out as a dolphin park / sea world around 1970 was closed and turned into a proper zoo with lions and tigers etc in the mid 70's. It closed in 1978.
 
Sneech said:
It would have been the early to mid 70's.

There were actually two zoos as what started out as a dolphin park / sea world around 1970 was closed and turned into a proper zoo with lions and tigers etc in the mid 70's. It closed in 1978.
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That would tally with us messing around in there in the late 70's.
 
I believe it was John Colin's then Martin Lacey with Ocean Park being run seperately before martin lacey took over. They borrowed the aquatic animals from other parks like flamingo park for ocean park before it closed. English has a pretty rich history of zoos and circus which has all disappeard now.
 
It's not just Seaburn Zoo that's been forgotten about. Anyone under about 35 won't know anything about Lambton Lion park either.
 
I've also heard some lads broke in and killed one of the penguins but I haven't found any solid proof. I think growing up in a different generation I've expected everything to be recorded but it just wasn't at the time.
 
oioirob said:
Hello there people.

I am currently making a short documentary on the zoo that was once in Seaburn also known as Ocean Park at one point. I am aware of the previous thread relating to this but my reason for posting is to appeal for help.

Does anyone have any information or stories they would like to share?
I am aware of Janets story in relation to the tiger and also the lions escaping although there is not much information available on the lions escaping so any help with that would be great.

Does anyone have any photos perhaps from personal albums or ones that are not currently online or know anyone who may?
I have found the ones from Facebook and certain ones from Google as well.

Does anyone have any experiences they would be happy to discuss in an interview on camera?
Or any relatives they might know who would have any information or photos.

It has also been brought to my attention that when the zoo was closed someone who had posted on a thread in a forum on this site claimed there father was the one who had to come and shoot the lions?
Does anyone have any more information on this? Perhaps the thread or may know the person or remember the post?

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for taking the time to read this.
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I do know that the Seals clapped their flippers and that the Crabs claimed for their nippers. @Grumpy Old Man
 
Narraback said:
That would tally with us messing around in there in the late 70's.
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It was where Cuthbertson Court is now, tucked against the wall of Mere Knolls, and the entrance would have been around the place where the road goes into Cuthbertson. Moving further down you had a play park, and then a train ride thing that went round a track with fibre glass walrus and seals etc. Then there was Johnnies amusements on the corner the only bit that hasnt been knocked down.

Behind the zoo was the golf course and a club house that got burned down, a ski slope and the fair. Seldons was originally up the slope on the corner and not on the front like it is now. There was the fairground, and also an outdoor pool which a boy drowned in. There was also a pub called the Bier Keller if my memory serves me right.

We used to rake around there in the early 80's when everything was just in wrack and ruin.

zwartekat said:
It's seems bizarre that such a place existed relatively recently but there is so little information about it.
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Mad like isn't it, I'm trying to help the OP out but there is very little on the net about it.

Interesting story here from the young girl mauled by the tiger.
http://www.tigerjchocolates.com/#!our-stv1/cjg9
 
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Sneech said:
It was where Cuthbertson Court is now, tucked against the wall of Mere Knolls, and the entrance would have been around the place where the road goes into Cuthbertson. Moving further down you had a play park, and then a train ride thing that went round a track with fibre glass walrus and seals etc. Then there was Johnnies amusements on the corner the only bit that hasnt been knocked down.

Behind the zoo was the golf course and a club house that got burned down, a ski slope and the fair. Seldons was originally up the slope on the corner and not on the front like it is now. There was the fairground, and also an outdoor pool which a boy drowned in. There was also a pub called the Bier Keller if my memory serves me right.

We used to rake around there in the early 80's when everything was just in wrack and ruin.



Mad like isn't it, I'm trying to help the OP out but there is very little on the net about it.

Interesting story here from the young girl mauled by the tiger.
http://www.tigerjchocolates.com/#!our-stv1/cjg9
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It is mad. The annoying thing is that what information there is talks about somewhere between 73-78. Although I think I remember it I don't remember ever actually going and start to wonder whether I actually paid any attention to it. It wasn't my neck of the woods in those days but, as you point out, you would think there would be a bit more info coming from people.
 
zwartekat said:
It is mad. The annoying thing is that what information there is talks about somewhere between 73-78. Although I think I remember it I don't remember ever actually going and start to wonder whether I actually paid any attention to it. It wasn't my neck of the woods in those days but, as you point out, you would think there would be a bit more info coming from people.
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I went to both the dolphin park and zoo, but can only just vaguely remember the zoo and nothing about the dolphin park as I was only very young. I remember my dad showing me that you could climb on the cemetary wall and see in so I did that a canny bit. The zoo itself wasnt very big and I dont think it was very good compared to the better attraction of Lambton Lion Park that was open at the time.

But you would think that there would be loads of old photos, even video, online from this, but there's next to nowt. f***ing hell man a lion was roaming free round Seaburn, imagine the stir that would cause now, but theres barely a mention of it anywhere.
 
Sneech said:
It would have been the early to mid 70's.

There were actually two zoos as what started out as a dolphin park / sea world around 1970 was closed and turned into a proper zoo with lions and tigers etc in the mid 70's. It closed in 1978.
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Took my final exams in 79 in the TA because of some strike at monky house and you could hear the Sea lions and stuff ,seem to remember it was closed but there was still animals in there
 
Was there an elevated walkway with mountain goats? Seems to ring a bell. The only bell mind, bit of a blank otherwise. I remember the adventure park next door, with trampolines in the ground and a rocket-shaped climbing frame. And the 'love boats'.

And I has an old road atlas about 10 years back which still has an 'elephant' symbol over Seaburn indicating a zoo!
 
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