I came across quite a few articles and adverts recently while at the Library relating to Scarborough Zoo & Marine Land, so I thought I'd share the following from 1969...
Many thanks for these clippings, Bubbles. Really interesting stuff. I recall speaking to Don Robinson ten years ago about his zoo exploits. At that time he was still a very eminant personality in Scrborough and might still be as far as I know. Not so much a stockman as a very definite business man. Don Robinson, who had been partners with Hick in opening Flamingo Park and Cleethorpes etc. left the company (Associated Pleasure Parks) and subsequently set up Scarborough Zoo and Marineland. When Hick sold out to Scotia in 1972, Don Robinson rejoined to head "Scotia Pleasure Parks" which then embraced the AAP outfits (Cleethorpes, Flamingo, Knaresborough etc.) plus Dudley Zoo and Robinson's own venture in Scarborough.
Clin Keeling was very sceptical about the Sealion story, thinking a replacement had just been brought from Cleethorpes Zoo. As far as I remember the Sealions had been kept for a while in the pool surrounding the open air theatre. As far as the Scotia takeover of APP is concerned that was earlier than 1972 - it was after that that Cuddles was moved to Dudley (May 1971) and Don Robinson can be seen, along with David Taylor, on the photographs of him being lowered into his pool in the castle moat. I have just dug out a press cutting "Scotia steps up its forecast" - "formal takeover offers by Scotia Investments for Associated Pleasure Parks and Dudley Zoological Society announced on November 28, disclose an improved estimate of Scotia's profits in 1969" etc - it goes into various details and if I had the faintest idea how to incorporate a copy of a cutting into a post I'd do so! Unfortunately I have not recorded the date of the cutting. If the 1969 accounts were being prepared I presume it must have been from 1970, but it all depends on the date of the year-end I suppose. Eek, that's enough about accountancy, I'm not back at work for another 13 hours.
I am not sure that Robinson had any dealing with Hick prior to Scotia, I was training dolphins at the time for an associate company involved with Robinson and don't recall this but I could be wrong. Flamingo opened in 1959 and acquired dolphins in 1963 with the zoo being floated as Associated Pleasure Parks in 1965. I would be interested in the source of this so I can make sure the facts are correct on my UK Dolphin site. I know Robinson operated Scarborough whilst being a director of Scotia; Marineland dolphins were also wintered at Flamingo. I recall staff moaning that there was a nasty habit of taking the most talented animals for the summer to Scarborough. Robinson also set-up and supplied dolphins to Blair Drummond Safari Park. The manager of Scarborough was Tommy Hansen a former wrestler, Don Robinson was involved in wrestling promotions at the time. Some pictures of Scarborough Marineland and Zoo here: Scarborough Marineland and Zoo - Blair Drummond Safari Park And the more of Cuddles to Dudley with some news stories involving Don Robinson here: Scarborough Marineland and Zoo - Blair Drummond Safari Park Nice find Bubbles BTW!
scarborough zoo When Flamingo park opened a number of Pentland Hick's companies were involved. Don Robinson was a junior director of one of them. He appeared for meetings. Quite a surprise when he arrived as Managing director for Scotia.
Flamingo Park opened on 28th June 1961 and, as John says, acquired Dolphins in 1963. Don Robinson was also a former wrestler. I believe his wrestling name was "Dr Death" (not sure if it was the abbreviation or the full "Doctor"). I think he had been a Rugby League player on the books of Hull Kingston Rovers too. Of course he eventually had spells as the chairman of both Scarborough and Hull City football clubs.
As far as i'm aware Robinson had nothing to do with Hick opening Flamingo Park on 28th June 1961 ,why certain websites tell us 1959 i don't know. However Don Robinson was MD of Flamingo Park in 1970, changed the name to Flamingo Land in 1974 and sold to Scotia leisure director Robert Gibb in 1978.
Interesting that Don Robinson's name is being mentioned.As far as keepers who worked at his various establishments were generally concerned,he embodied everything that was cheap,shoddy and 'anything for profit'.He had little knowledge of animals and while he may have been a sharp businessman and lauded in Scarborough for making donations to this and that,his involvement in zoos of any sort was not to the advantage of the animals or the staff.I know more than one peeson who worked in his establishments and none had a good word to say for the way things were run.Additionally he took over Winged World and the Childrens Zoo at Heysham Head around 1979,and proceeded to turn it into a cheap.shoddy seaside attraction,which was what he was apparently good at.All but one of the original staff were made redundant by the Counil at the time,and could have been intereviewed for jobs under his organisation.We would rather have worked for Hitler quite frankly.I visited the Scarborough Zoo and marineland before they took over winged World,and was disgusted by both the amount of space the dolphins had and the general conditions.When one of his staff was bragging about how they cleaned the dolphin pool out,I said 'I assume you took the dolphins out first or there'd be no room in there for all of tou at once! Strangely he didn't seem amused! Robinson for me typified the businessman of the time with a finger in every pie and no interest in the welfare of the animals or staff when it came to the zoos they were involved with.
