TRELAWNY S CORNWALL

It would be hard to think of a more thoroughly Cornish name than Petroc Trelawny His first name is shared with one of Cornwall s most celebrated saints his second is the name of its unofficial national anthem But when a stranger challenges the Radio 3 presenter on his ancestry he is inspired to return to the lands of his boyhood to rediscover the place where he grew up and attempt to confirm if he still belongs there Part history part memoir this is a deeply felt exploration of Cornwall past present and future Petroc embarks on a slow journey that sees him visit old mine workings ancient churches sites where new technology was forged and places where poets musicians architects and film makers have worked to shape Cornwall s cultural identity He explores the Tamar the river that marks out the Cornish frontier and holds a finger up to winds of change exploring the collapse of Methodism the decline of the Cornish language and the complex sometimes lucrative sometimes destructive relationship with tourism As he travels by road rail and foot he conjures marvellously vivid figures and scenes from memory telling the stories of a loving family full of mysteries and a landscape still redolent of Cornish otherness