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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An amazing site in our close

Posted by Sheila on 29/12/2025, 3:26 pm

A large lorry with flashing lights slowly worked its way to our close. We didn’t know what they were doing until the workman lifted the cover from the drain and connected the long arm into the drain to clean it. We have lived in this house for 41 years and it’s only the second time we have seen this . Remember in Hebburn as a child seeing them often. Anyone else remember them.

Re: An amazing site in our close

Posted by norman on 29/12/2025, 3:59 pm, in reply to "An amazing site in our close"

We called them 'Sink Lorries' Sheila, and they regularly went around Hebburn sucking out the muck that accumulated in the roadside gulleys we called sinks.
I havent seen those 'Sink Lorries' for donkeys years, but someone spotted one not long ago. This is why we get a bit heavy rain & water floods the roads cos sinks are part blocked.

Re: An amazing site in our close

Posted by Sheila on 29/12/2025, 5:37 pm, in reply to "Re: An amazing site in our close"

You are so right Norman. Bellway Homes one of the building companies building was once outside the town boundary have been stopped from selling or building new homes until they have provided the roundabout and flood systems as promised. Good for the council I say. These new homes are outside what was once a boundary to the town,. They are buying on farm fields right up to the A34 a busy and noisy road.

Re: An amazing site in our close

Posted by Brian on 29/12/2025, 6:36 pm, in reply to "Re: An amazing site in our close"

We get one annually but at one time they were regular visitors to the streets in Hebburn.

Re: An amazing site in our close

Posted by Joseph on 29/12/2025, 7:24 pm, in reply to "Re: An amazing site in our close"

We called them sinkas, only place you see them regularly is down the capital keeping all the labour luvie councilors happy.

Re: An amazing site in our close

Posted by Margaret McD on 29/12/2025, 8:38 pm, in reply to "Re: An amazing site in our close"

Last I saw one was when I phoned South Tyneside council to a drain that was flooding and they came out quite quickly. Try it. Not sure if they contract out.

Re: An amazing site in our close

Posted by Brian on 29/12/2025, 8:42 pm, in reply to "Re: An amazing site in our close"

I believe the vast majority of councils contract out the service, the biggest barrier nowadays to getting the drains done is vehicles parking over the drains

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

Rules! No bad language or derogatory remarks or we will delete. Anyone sharing our content on Face Book must credit 'Hebburn and our Neighbours'.