Hartlepool Local Custom Tips by steventilly Top 5 Page for this destination

The Monkey Hangers

OK, this is a weird one.
During the Napoleonic Wars a French ship was wrecked off the coast of Hartlepool. The townsfolk were wary that surviving French sailors might make their way ashore, but in fact the only survivor was the ships Monkey mascot. Unaware of quite what a Frenchman might look like, and obviously unable to get any answers out of the monkey, it was declared that he must be a Franch spy. The creature was summarily executed on the beach by hanging. Ever since then Hartlepools residents have been know as "the monkey hangers" and really this started out as a kind of slur, but has now been widely adopted with some sort of pride (go figure).
H'Angus The Monkey (the football team's mascot) was even elected as Mayor to the town in 2001!!

Website: http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk