I remember the Lion Park. My dad used to take us there on a Sunday morning when he went to the Garden Centre. I also remember they always had camping shop area with loads of tents to buy by the side of the track. Spent many a happy time exploring those tents!

After a particularly heavy drinking session in the nearby Cricket club ( a 21st party) I recall we missed the last bus, could not get a taxi so a few of us proceeded to walk home. Quite a hike to Pennywell, Grindon etc.
Anyway because we were blotto we decided to try and relocate a giraffe to Penshaw. None of us even knew if the park had giraffes but it seemed a good idea at the time. Fortunately being in the state we were and not being practiced or equipped in the art of theft we were caught virtually straight away by security. Being in a good mood, possibly through boredom and seeing us drunk, they gave us a telling off whilst chuckling at our pathetic attempts to capture an animal and told us to get home.
We did go home at that point but its a bloody long walk in the early hours of the morning after a few bevvies.