Yes, on the North Sea, the Hartlepool Headlands. Home of Andy Capp. My grandmother was friends with the person Flo was modeled on.
Not sure if that's actually a compliment to the area!
The monkey story is well known in England. The old story goes: "During the Napoleonic wars, a French ship was wrecked on the English coast near Hartlepool. The only survivor was a monkey, which was wearing a French uniform (no doubt to provide amusement for those on board the ship). On finding the monkey, some locals decided to hold an impromptu trial on the beach. Since the monkey was unable to answer their questions they decided it was a French spy. It was sentenced to death and hanged from the mast of a fishing boat. ..."
"In former times, when war and strife
The French invasion threaten’d life
An’ all was armed to the knife
The Fisherman hung the monkey O !
The Fishermen with courage high,
Siezed on the monkey for a French spy;
“Hang him !” says one; “he’s to die”
They did and they hung the monkey Oh!
They tried every means to make him speak
And tortured the monkey till loud he did speak;
Says yen “thats french” says another “its Greek”
For the fishermen had got druncky oh!"
http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/hi...poolmonkey.asp
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Pete