your comments
Fiona Wright/ Darlington
I used to be a resident at Plas Bellin hall/ the homeless hostel in Northop Hall. I am a historian and am interested in finding out the history of the bulilding. I do know that it was a coaching inn and I would like to find out more especially about its beautiful little chapel (my second home) or the ghost that supposedly resides in the bulding. If anybody has any information can they please help me as this building fascinated me when I lived there.
Tue Oct 16 14:20:10 2007
Sue Barker (nee Evans)
I lived in Northop Hall until I was 12 at Holmleigh just below the Church. The Top Monkey would sell glasses of Sasparella at the back door can't remember how much it was but boy did it taste good! The Bottom Monkey was my stopping place when my cousin Grenville's horse Smokey threw me off. I sat on the step nursing my wounds waiting for my brother Billy to collect me in his car - what a treat not many people had cars then. Went to Northop Hall School with Big Ali and Little Ali, Ian Rowlands, Brenda Davies. Anyone remembering me please get in touch. Still have relatives there. Live in Barbados now.
Mon Jul 9 08:11:29 2007
Williams, Northop
Good quiz Tuesday night at Bottom Monkey, hopeless microphone, be better when smoking ban introduced.
Tue Feb 20 09:17:39 2007
Mark Jones
Not entirely related to the Monkey story but the food is great in the bottom monkey!
Wed Apr 26 07:44:02 2006
NRT, originally from Northop Hall
Spider monkeys are Cebidae (new world monkeys) - by definition, only S. American. Nice story, but I'm pretty sure it's only a story!
Wed Mar 22 10:00:49 2006
V.Jenkins . Drury.
Gunpowder was once stored in magazines on outskirts of village, to be used in local mines. The men who were employed to transport it around were called monkeys. So depending on which pub they used regularly, Top house, Top monkey, Bottom house, Bottom monkey (Naval Tradition).
Thu Nov 3 09:20:31 2005
Geoff T from Leeswood
Of course you get spider monkeys in the Congo in Africa. Jamie's theory seems infinitely credible.
Thu Jul 28 16:24:00 2005
Becky from Mold
Wow I've never heard that. I didn't even know you could get the spider monkey in Africa.
Sun Apr 10 10:42:57 2005
Jamie Harburn from Mold
I often wondered this myself until I found a late 19th century history book in a local library, which gave me a thoroughly plausible reason for these delightful monikers. During the 18/19th centuries, wealthy local landowners with a thirst for exploration would travel to Africa to hunt much more exciting wild game. They would usually bring back specimens from their expeditions, mainly exotic birds but sometimes mammalian creatures i.e. monkeys! Upon their return, the wealthy landowners would visit the local pubs with their specimens in small, confined cages (animal rights activists did not exist during this time!) and regale the locals with tall tales of the acquisition of such handsome live animal trophies. On one particular occasion the explorer Geoffrey Parry brought back with him two species of monkey, one large impressive chimpanzee and a lesser spider monkey, both of which he took to the Boar's Head pub. Due to the lack of space within the pub, the two cages containing the monkeys were stacked one on top of the other, so the story goes, with the large chimpanzee on the top. As the night wore on, the landlord of the Black Lion, realising how empty his pub was, sent a regular down to the Boar's Head to see if that pub too, was particularly quiet. Of course, all the regulars were drawn to there to behold in wonder these strange creatures and hear the explorer's wonderful stories. Upon hearing this, the landlord of the Black Lion angrily stormed toward the Boar's Head and demanded that his pub too should have a punter-attracting-monkey kept within its confines. The explorer eventually bowed to the pressure of both landlords and agreed to give one monkey to each pub. As the Black Lion was quite a walk away from the Boar's Head, they all agreed that the smaller spider monkey was more suitable to transport there than the heavy chimpanzee. Hence, due to the stacking arrangement in one corner of the Boar's Head, the Black Lion became affectionately known as the Bottom Monkey, and the Boar's Head itself, the Top Monkey.
Thu Nov 4 09:45:18 2004
