Seaburn Zoo / Ocean Park Documentary. Please Read.

[Icarebecauseyoudo]

Nah, deffo true.

It was around the bottom of the cemetary / school field area, don't think it ventured into any populated areas

chomp

 

[dcl0sc]

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Wonder if this will jog anyones memories?

You can see the wooden fence in the background that topped the cemetary wall, and also the roofs of the houses in Deepdene Road

Wow, I never knew you were a dolphin trainer!

I have vague memories of sea lions being in the dene, just behind Jets... Might be wrong like!

Searched in Google for Seaburn Zoo and this appeared.....

Did it have a Yeti?

 

[spitfire]

Shooting the lions
breaking in and killing a penguin
Encouraging a chimp to smoke
Putting a baboon in a tiny cage

Lots to be proud of Third World or what?

There was dead penguin left there after the place was shut. We managed to get in one afternoon for a "look around".

 

[Sneech]

chomp

Wow, I never knew you were a dolphin trainer!

I have vague memories of sea lions being in the dene, just behind Jets... Might be wrong like!

Searched in Google for Seaburn Zoo and this appeared.....

Did it have a Yeti?

There was dead penguin left there after the place was shut. We managed to get in one afternoon for a "look around".

Haway then give us some info about what you remember.

 

[spitfire]

Haway then give us some info about what you remember.

Not a lot mate the place was filthy and absolutely stunk of shit and that. There was a dead penguin lying there. A lot of the big glass cases/screens had been smashed by someone. Us "punks" managed to get over the fence one Sunday afternoon when we were kicking about the sea front. Would have been 1980ish, perhaps late summer 79?

 

[Pete B]

I've a vague recollection of Lambton Lion park; mainly going into the 'magic' castle and being freaked out by the puppets shown through the little round window

 

[lord of light]

Not a lot mate the place was filthy and absolutely stunk of shit and that. There was a dead penguin lying there. A lot of the big glass cases/screens had been smashed by someone. Us "punks" managed to get over the fence one Sunday afternoon when we were kicking about the sea front. Would have been 1980ish, perhaps late summer 79?

what 'punk-like' japes did you get upto with the dead penguin? did you give it a mohican? or maybe you spat at it? we need to know

 

[spitfire]

what 'punk-like' japes did you get upto with the dead penguin? did you give it a mohican? or maybe you spat at it? we need to know

We respectively left it alone, then fucked off and went and pelted that amusement arcade down on the prom at Roker with rocks instead for a laugh.

 

[Sebasaurus II]

Well done Sunderland council!

 

[lord of light]

We respectively left it alone, then fucked off and went and pelted that amusement arcade down on the prom at Roker with rocks instead for a laugh.

ah them were the days? Anarchy in the UK until til mum calls us in for tea

 

[spitfire]

ah them were the days? Anarchy in the UK until til mum calls us in for tea

Aye it was a bit like that

 

[vidal baboon]

I think my dad has some cine film of me at the Seaburn zoo. It might have even been transferred onto vhs but it's probably only a minutes worth

 

[ozz]

I remember the old boiler house was there for years after it closed- we used to knock around in there- there was loads of glue bags.
Old Ma Seldon will be able to tell you everything about it- I seem to remember they fell out with the Colins family who owned the Zoo.

 

[Sneech]

I remember the old boiler house was there for years after it closed- we used to knock around in there- there was loads of glue bags.
Old Ma Seldon will be able to tell you everything about it- I seem to remember they fell out with the Colins family who owned the Zoo.

You could climb up the side of the boiler with your feet on the wall, loads of glue bags on the top as well. The boiler was massive like was it used to heat the pool that was next to it? Not sure if it was the same pool that the lad drowned in.

 

[oioirob]

I think my dad has some cine film of me at the Seaburn zoo. It might have even been transferred onto vhs but it's probably only a minutes worth

That would be invaluable it sounds great! There is practically no footage available of it.

 

[Boris Bear]

Nah, deffo true.

It was around the bottom of the cemetary / school field area, don't think it ventured into any populated areas

This was the one my cousin bumped into......a young lion and quite docile

 

[oioirob]

I remember the old boiler house was there for years after it closed- we used to knock around in there- there was loads of glue bags.
Old Ma Seldon will be able to tell you everything about it- I seem to remember they fell out with the Colins family who owned the Zoo.

I will be trying to contact them see if they have any photos or information thanks for the help

 

[Dave Herbal]

Logon or register to see this image

Wonder if this will jog anyones memories?

You can see the wooden fence in the background that topped the cemetary wall, and also the roofs of the houses in Deepdene Road

Same haircut forever

The lass who got mauled was the daughter of Ron Davidson, who painted the "into the light" picture which we all got when the stadium opened.

I was too young to play down there, although I remember looking over the cemma wall and seeing the bear.
I also remember seeing the little train in its shed, all burned out, at some point and thinking it was really sad.

 

[ozz]

Same haircut forever

The lass who got mauled was the daughter of Ron Davidson, who painted the "into the light" picture which we all got when the stadium opened.

I was too young to play down there, although I remember looking over the cemma wall and seeing the bear.
I also remember seeing the little train in its shed, all burned out, at some point and thinking it was really sad.

We complain about Seaburn now but it really was quite desolate throughout the whole of the 80's.
Seldons was a shack, the golf course, the train,the zoo and the fair were either derelict or falling down.
All the kids knocking about were either on glue or gas- scrounging 10p for the bus to bang straight in the Spacies.
It was a right laugh though and actually loads to do.

 

[GingerNick]

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!

that has some of the most dangerous play equipment I ever had the pleasure to climb upon..the giant mouse wheel was a real crippler of you fell over once it got going

the rocket had a firemans pole right down the centre..but no soft landing, straigh onto a steel baseplate

the slide was also really tall ( as child it seemed it was anyway!)