AFTER writing about Mc- Keowen’s monkey (letters 5 May) I often wondered if they were used as an attraction on fairgrounds to attract punters to stalls, rides and shows.

I do know of another monkey living in Andover around the 1940s and 1950s and would like to know if there were any more.

My old friend Bertie Field, again who would take his son Danny and myself to the fair was one day delivering one hundredweight (50 kilo) sacks of coal to houses along Tollgate Road.

A monkey jumped from an upstairs window and landed on his sack. Bert felt the impact, turned his head sharply to the right to see what was going on and severely wrenched his neck.

Any neck pain after that was attributed to that monkey.

An accident at the top of New Street when a large shed door fell on his neck did not help either.

Bert came from the travelling community chose to settle in Andover in the 1930s was short, wiry and as strong as an ox.

Concerning my unusual McKeowen spelling.

I have checked with Spatial History Surname Finder and there are less than 100 McKeowen registered names in England, Scotland and Wales combined (1998 electoral register). So there could be 50, there could be 25. I have checked the local BT phone book, There is no McKeowen but there is a McKeown.

There are very many with the name McKeown throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Derek Weeks, Martin Way, Andover