Local couple celebrate monkey anniversary

Local couple and owners of nearby hotel Heywood Hall celebrate their monkey anniversary in Trentham.

Alison and Joseph Petitjean met whilst working in France in the early 80s. Joseph, who grew up in the beautiful Alsace region of France, lived extremely close to one of our sister park La Montagne des Singes.

This park was the first of 4 parks to open in 1969. The idea was to acquaint visitors with a species of monkey living freely in conditions similar to those in the wild.

A year after the couple met, Alison who is originally from Stoke on Trent, headed to Alsace for the first time to meet Joseph’s family.

It’s then that the couple enjoyed one of the first dates in Joseph’s hometown and what better place to go than a forest filled with monkeys.

Now, the couple is happily married with two boys who have recently left university. Since their first visit to Alsace, the two have been back frequently to visit family and to introduce their two boys to the monkeys!

Realising it had been 35 years since their first trip to see the monkeys Alison and Joseph recently visited Trentham Monkey Forest – a little closer to home. The pair had a lovely trip and commented on “how calm and peaceful” the forest was.

Monkey Forest really is the perfect place for a special ‘date’ and we think Alison and Joseph are proof of that. Why not make it even more special and book a night at the lovely Heywood Hall – they even have an African jungle themed room!