Learn: Psychogeography on The River Allen

Last week, in high wind conditions, a small group of Falmouth students from the Creative Non-Fiction module, braved the elements in Truro to find out about psychogeography for themselves.

Having gathered together outside Marks & Spencers, their lecturer, Rupert Loydell led them to behind Tesco to where they could stare down on the mud of the river. He then set them the task of following one of the visible rivers, The River Allen, across Truro, taking down enough information – photographs, notes, drawings – to allow them to make a personal map of their route for the following week.

Through alleyways, along footpaths, towpaths and pavements, alongside roads, streams, mill pools and irrigation channels, behind the cathedral and private houses, under Brunel’s train viaduct, and across timber bridges and a muddy moor… our urban explorers discovered unknown byways and little-used routes, pausing only to wonder at a photo of a circus elephant bathing in the mill pool behind the cathedral and to look longingly through café and bakery windows.

This week saw the fruits of their labours, fantastic individual assemblages of ignored detritus, worn-out road signs, personal motifs and interpretations, maps of wonder and strangeness, presented here for your viewing pleasure. These are not maps for the casual explorer or tourist, these are visual and textual creative non-fictions.