Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]

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Hebburn Lakes

Posted by peter cook on 27/5/2025, 9:39 am

From the publication Hebburn Record 1900-1950 by John Diamond.

Re: Hebburn Lakes

Posted by John Mills on 27/5/2025, 12:00 pm, in reply to "Hebburn Lakes"

My earliest recollection of the lakes was of the swans, I wonder when they first arrived?

Re: Hebburn Lakes

Posted by Norman Dunn on 27/5/2025, 12:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Hebburn Lakes"

Aswell as the Mute Swans that John mentioned, I remember lots of small fish called 'Sticklebacks' in the lakes. I've seen the odd crayfish aswell as Newts & frogs.
When we clambered amongst the rocks we often got a glimpse of what we called Water Rats, but Ive no idea if they were rats or water voles.
A common bird at the lakes was the 'Swift's we called 'swifties' flying around constantly catching midges.On summer nights those midges were a problem as there was thousands of them.

Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout

Posted by Mac Cummings on 27/5/2025, 1:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Hebburn Lakes"

Does anyone remember Trout? They dont normally thrive in still water lakes where the level of oxygenation can be low.
Maybe in 1907 when the lakes were managed by the Estate things were different.

Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout

Posted by Norman on 27/5/2025, 1:12 pm, in reply to "Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout"

We saw fish that were bigger than the sticklebacks and thought they were 'rainbow trout' but I think they were Minnows.

Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout

Posted by Stan Wears on 27/5/2025, 2:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout"

I used to buy a 6d butterfly net on a bamboo cane from Bob Hudson's and go fishing in the first lake with a jam jar. Yes Sticklebacks and minnows! Great days!..

Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout

Posted by Carol in hampshire on 27/5/2025, 2:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout"

I can remember seeing a dead swan on the ice around 1950

Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout

Posted by Norman on 27/5/2025, 2:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout"

Along the side of Campbell Park road were Pylons and the poor swans sometime clipped the high voltage wires as they came in to land on the water of the first lake (Pumphouse Lake) & were killed. Ive seen one or two dead swans after that happened.

Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout

Posted by Malcolm on 27/5/2025, 4:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Hebburn Lakes-Trout"

As I have mentioned in a post many months ago, we still referred to that area as "The Lakes", in the late 1950's, early 60's, although the lakes were long gone.
But there were a few small streams, where we caught sticklebacks, etc

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