Hartlepool

Fact that I learned today : the people of Hartlepool, England are affectionately referred to as "Monkey Hangers"

Heard a passing reference to this on the radio today, which sent me scrambling to the internet. From Wikipedia

According to local folklore, during the Napoleonic wars, a French ship was wrecked off the coast of Hartlepool. The only survivor was a monkey, wearing a French uniform (presumably to provide amusement for those onboard 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 concluded that it was a French spy. The animal was thus sentenced to death and hanged...

I can't believe I've lived my entire life so far without learning about a monkey being tried as a French spy. Now I have a reason to someday visit Hartlepool. The monkey is supposed to be popular all over the city, and the local football team even has a mascot, H'Angus the Monkey.

According to the official web site of Hartlepool, the story isn't true - but that isn't going to stop me from finding some way to work the Hartlepool monkey into some future story.

Because you can't hold a good monkey story down.