Thread 2. To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

[AWanderingFool]

Thread Two for The Salt Path and Raynor Winn/Sally Walker/Sally Winn discussions.

Thread One is here: www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5368194-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

I'm glad it's on the broadcast news and getting wider coverage.

I'm contrarian too and the time to be contrarian here was at the time everyone was falling over themselves to worship a book riddled in holes.

I don't like the "nobody died" line as a way to minimise criminal behaviour

Many people don’t want publicity. The situation regarding the embezzlement and the loan had already been settled.

The Guardian is not owned by Tortoise Media. Tortoise Media recently bought The Observer, with the Scott Trust being on the board. The Guardian and the Observer are no longer connected in the way they used to be.

Only a guess, but perhaps Ros Hemmings was concerned about the NDA until she was reassured that she didn't need to be.

But often with stories like that one little bit alone isn’t enough

So in this case the business owners widow probably thought it was just the money stealing and didn’t think anyone was bothered - she only spoke when approached

then there’s the loan and the ultimate cause of the loss of the farm - I suspect that’s the pin to this whole thing and has led to it all coming out

with the publicity around the film someone probably recognised them. I had never seen them before all the film publicity as I don’t tend to watch the one show or that sort of chat show so only saw the pictures in the paper at the premiere

Maybe it was so much that she didn't realise as that she didn't want to. Maybe her mother didn't want it all dragged up again, but when a journalist approached her, she couldn't resist setting the record straight.

And his wife...

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nikki-walker-77483533_the-real-salt-path-the-truth-behind-the-activity-7347964163698114560-cZR_

Well, I’m not sure they were farmers in any real sense. They’d kept hens and sheep, and still had the hens when the court case ended, because she mentions giving them away, but all the sheep had been sold, or died of old age, apart from Spotyn the 19 year old.

And it’s not clear (to me, anyway) how much land they had. She talks about ‘the field’ at times as if it’s the only one, but then references ‘fields’ when she’s searching for the last sheep. But it mostly sounds as if the animals were there for the sake of the tourists staying.

Box office figures for the film this weekend and in total.

The Telegraph now reporting that they've been dropped by the CBD charity. Good that they're noticed that!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/07/raynor-win-salt-path-author-dropped-charity-embezzlement/

Ah sorry, yes - I realised and clarified in an earlier post that just the Observer - and not also the Guardian - is owned by Tortoise. The Observer is still the Sunday paper of the Guardian though.

Yes, I agree with this.
The only serious allegations are the theft from the employer (which was paid back) and the truth about Moth's illness (which has not been proved either way) This thread is spiralling into a load of self-righteous posts about asking for free scones, camping free and owing people none of the posters know relatively small sums of money (is the garage bloke the only one we know about - posters are talking about the couple doing a runner because the owed everyone money)
The new owners of the farm getting debt letters is hardly pitchforks at dawn stuff either.
Several pps have pointed out that writing under a pen name is hardly unusual. Yes, it's more unusual for him to change his name. gut it's hardly worth 24 hours of frenzied googling and winding each other up about.
I mean, if all that has been said is true, they are clearly not people you would want as friends, but this thread seriously needs to dial down.
Remember there are real people behind this and witch hunts like this can have terrible consequences.

Well it’s being discussed on front row in 15 mins on R4. I’m sure they will be balanced

If someone writes a book bragging about stealing things from small businesses and then accepts more money and publicity for the film of the story then it is not unreasonable for people to talk about the morality of that

@Katypp I don't think a thread on Mumsnet is the problem for them. The problem for them is that the Press/media have got their teeth in now and are going for it. Can't you see the difference? We on here, "this thread" will have no impact whatever on their situation.

You're perilously close to #bekind territory.

I expect they were probably tipped off before the article broke and have gone into hiding until everything dies down.

I don’t expect much will happen to them and can guarantee they’ll land firmly on their middle class feet as they’ve done previously.

The money they’ve made will enable them to live comfortably if they make the right choices.

I think people who have 'invested' in this couple by buying their books , watching the film ,becoming emotionally attached to them and their story have every right to feel ripped off and let down if what they have portrayed turns out to be built on lies.

I'm off to the bookies to get 100 quid on her being in the I'm A Celeb line up later this year... brb

Great shout!

I think you are down playing it. If it is all true, they have fucked over a lot of people. The charity they partnered with and all the people who donated because of the partnership. All the people who put their time and talent into producing the books and the film.

The only serious allegations are the theft from the employer (which was paid back) and the truth about Moth's illness (which has not been proved either way)

What about the county court judgements, the debt recovery letters, unpaid bills, and French authorities pursuing taxes? I think these are all just as serious. They've clearly lived well beyond their means stacking up debt, alongside stealing tens of thousands of pounds.

Nobody actually has a pitchfork, but the reality is that it is up to the public, to judge whether they want to buy more of the product being sold by the Winn/Walkers, and their product is themselves.

That is what is being discussed here.

We’ve got a Salt Path Sal/Hannah IWant-More book open here for this year’s I’m a Celeb.

It’s not. They are separate publications which were once both owned by the Scott Trust and now aren’t. Yes, the Observer is (for now) still a Sunday print product, and the Guardian doesn’t print on Sundays, but other than that there is now no connection between them.

i worked for one of them for a very long time 😬