Competition artwork based on the Legend of the hanging of the Hartlepool monkey.

The story goes that during the Napoleonic wars (of the early 19th century) a French ship ran aground in a storm off Hartlepool (north eastern England). The only survivor was a monkey dressed in a small French uniform. The locals not understanding its foreign language assumed it was a French spy.
After a brief trial, where the monkey was unable to defend itself, the townsfolk took the poor creature to the town square and hanged him!
Whatever the truth is, the Legend has endured for over 200 years.
Residence of Hartlepool are known as “monkey hangers”!