The Powder Monkey

DaveO

DaveO

XS650 Addict
Top Contributor
Messages
385
Reaction score
1,110
Points
143
Location
North Shields, Tyneside.
MaxPete said:
This sounds cool but photos please....or it never happened....;)

BTW - this is a photo of a late 19th century powder monkey (a ship’s boy whose role was to bring explosives to the guns of a warship).
0780dfdc-51df-412b-88d2-739a0757ec94-jpeg.124330
Click to expand...

Backstory - I was arranging in another thread to meet someone in the Powder Monkey, a pub in Devon.

The Powder Monkey in question in this particular pub @MaxPete was a woman. I'll come back here and post the story once I've checked it out.

But while you're waiting @MaxPete - I moved to Devon about five years ago after living in the North East of England (Newcastle ) for over 35 years. Up there they like football (you say soccer). I mean they REALLY like it. Football causes some bitter enmities between towns. For example:

People from Newcastle are called Geordies (this is fine)
People from Sunderland are "Mackhams" (not so nice)
People from Middleboro' are called "Smoggies" (hmmm)
People from Hartlepool are "MonkeyHangers" (guaranteed to start a ruck)

The story goes that in Napoleonic times a French warship ran aground at Hartlepool and the people of the town hung the ship's monkey thinking it was a Frenchman. This is always made out to be a real monkey. In truth, if the story has any basis, it is likely that they tried and hung the Powder Monkey (often a small boy).

If you ever meet anyone from Hartlepool don't say, "Oh, where they hung the monkey?"
 
Last edited:
DaveO said:
Backstory - I was arranging in another thread to meet someone in the Powder Monkey, a pub in Devon.

The Powder Monkey in question in this particular pub @MaxPete was a woman. I'll come back here and post the story once I've checked it out.

But while you're waiting @MaxPete - I moved to Devon about five years ago after living in the North East of England (Newcastle ) for over 35 years. Up there they like football (you say soccer). I mean the REALLY like it. Football causes some bitter enmities between towns. For example:

People from Newcastle are called Geordies (this is fine)
People from Sunderland are "Mackhams" (not so nice)
People from Middleboro' are called "Smoggies" (hmmm)
People from Hartlepool are "MonkeyHangers" (guaranteed to start a ruck)

The story goes that in Napoleonic times a French warship ran aground at Hartlepool and the people of the town hung the ship's monkey thinking it was a Frenchman. This is always made out to be a real monkey. In truth, if the story has any basis, it is likely that they tried and hung the Powder Monkey (often a small boy).

If you ever meet anyone from Hartlepool don't say, "Oh, where they hung the monkey?"
Click to expand...

I will certainly avoid that faux-pas Dave! Have a great day and enjoy your meet-up.

Pete
 
DaveO said:
Were you really in London eating a burger?
Click to expand...

Yes sir - but it was London, Ontario - not the "other" London....;)

BTW - Hartlepool was also one of the coastal towns (Scarborough being the other) which was shelled by the German Battlecruiser Squadron of the High Seas Fleet in about 1914. Nearly 100 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in the attack by the Seydlitz, Blücher, Moltke, Derfflinger, Von der Tann and Kolberg.
 
Last edited:
DaveO said:
I keep forgetting there are lots of place names that were taken over there.
Click to expand...

Indeed! I live in Windsor and just up the road is Chatham on the way to London, beyond which is Waterloo and further on the other side of Toronto is Peterborough....
 
I overheard someone saying there were over 200 vehicles. But I saw lots coming and going during the couple of hours I was there. Of course, there were loads of Morris Minors and also loads of Ford Anglias. So this is just a taste of a typical UK classic show. Unusually I didn't see much customised.
 
Wow - an eclectic collection of cars and bikes! Thanks from sharing Dave!

Pete
 
Back
Top