The Rooks of Trelawne

I am greatly indebted to lucyas and chomper99, whom I thank for most of the info below. This post is pretty much a regurgitation of their recent very clarifying and fascinating comments. I re-record here, because I don't want to forget what they have told me.


But first, here is a review of a book entitled, 'The Rooks of Trelawne' written by Mr Andrew Lanyon:

( An innocent tale of bruds )

Sounds like nothing much doesn't it? One of those coffee table books, sweet and nostalgic for an England that never was and always will be, of shortbread-tin water-colours depicting all the softness of the Green and Pleasant Land. But of course, nothing is that simple; for you see, there is an exhibition of this phenomenon, also created by Andrew Lanyon...

( Labyrinth of the Rook People )

( Psychotherapy and its effects on local art/birdlife )

What exactly is the tale of the Rooks of Trelawne? I must find out. I have to see this exhibition. Is it about some strange relationship power thing between a bored photographer and a manipulative psychiatrist? The migration patterns of the rookery and its eventual demise? A village of fingerprint forging hoaxers/people metamorphosing into rooks/rooks pretending to be villagers? I have this vision of Harding wandering the cliffpaths with his camera, unaware of a crew of avian set-dressers trundling house-fronts on casters behind him, stopping still whenever he turns round. For all we know, they could have followed him all round the coast. He might have reached Southampton before suspecting anything.

Of course this whole thing could be the story of an insane photographer obsessed with rooks, who invented Harding and the psychiatrist, and then created an exhibition full of tunnels and curiously designated interactive museum pieces, none of which actually work, though apparently the exhibition is permanent. I'll bet he's still down there somewhere, decked out in broken umbrellas and bits of old ladies' sandwiches.


*Thank you lucyas ** Thank you chomper99, if either of you would prefer me not to use your quotes, please let me know and I will delete without rancour asap.