Page 32 | Thread 3: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

Original poster

DisappointedReader · 09/07/2025 17:35

@Wrongthings @Aspanielstolemysanity Totally agree. Please see my post today at 15.09.

OP posts:

ThatFluentHedgehog · 09/07/2025 17:36

Orangesandlemons77 · 09/07/2025 17:31

Tim Walker, head gardener of the manor garden, boasts: "It's the only organic National Trust garden in Wales, and one of only three throughout England and Wales – although the other two, Trengwainton, near Penzance, and Snowshill Manor, in Gloucestershire, haven't got the same pedigree as Plas".[8]

Note the description as boasting! I'm now wondering if that incredible organic garden was organic... 😄

WhatterySquash · 09/07/2025 17:36

Wrongthings · 09/07/2025 17:25

Disabled and sick people are allowed to look good in photos taken for publicity and media - or any! - purpose.

I have chronic severe pain daily, but you wouldn’t know it from the photos in my business marketing.

Please don’t use this situation to inadvertently reinforce the trope that if you don’t look sick you must be faking it.

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I have to say (tangentially and I'm not relating this to his disability or otherwise) - he really does look good. I love his outfits and I think he's quite handsome.

Orangesandlemons77 · 09/07/2025 17:36

Orangesandlemons77 · 09/07/2025 17:31

Tim Walker, head gardener of the manor garden, boasts: "It's the only organic National Trust garden in Wales, and one of only three throughout England and Wales – although the other two, Trengwainton, near Penzance, and Snowshill Manor, in Gloucestershire, haven't got the same pedigree as Plas".[8]

I think that's the first time I have heard him say anything

Uricon2 · 09/07/2025 17:36

Redheadedstepchild · 09/07/2025 17:32

Don't ask me to help with the timeline. I'm still feeling like a daft banana for mucking up trying to work out the date of when Raynor/Sally was likely born in relation to when her parents got married. I was out in my estimations by two decades.

I'm trying to think of a remixed version of Raynor/Sally.

Rally?
Salnor?
Raysa?

Probably not Raysa though because it sounds too close to Raisa, (As in Gorbacheva) and being a viable nom de plume for her to use.

I have settled on Raymoth for me, just because it is easier than constantly / ing!

ETA Ah I see what you mean.

Salnor? Mothtim? The Walwinns?

placemats · 09/07/2025 17:36

SwetSwetSwet · 09/07/2025 17:30

Re Tim/Moth's job at Plas yn Rhiw, he is mentioned on wikipedia, but when I looked at the source, I couldn't actually see him there. I don't understand how the editing works, but maybe someone else does.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plas_yn_Rhiw

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/wales/pant-rhiw-cottage

Love this place. Spent many hours there throughout the years.

Pant Rhiw Cottage Wales

Take in the views across Hell’s Mouth Bay from this cottage on the Plas-yn-Rhiw estate.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/wales/pant-rhiw-cottage

Uricon2 · 09/07/2025 17:39

WhatterySquash · 09/07/2025 17:36

I have to say (tangentially and I'm not relating this to his disability or otherwise) - he really does look good. I love his outfits and I think he's quite handsome.

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I still think he looks a lot like the lovely Martin Kemp.

Simon Armitage, not so much!

PhilippaGeorgiou · 09/07/2025 17:41

Re: the timeline, I may be wrong, but I thought that R only repaid £7k of the original theft of £9k and said that that was all she had etc.etc. I may be wrong but that was my memory of what the employers wife said in the interview?

Uricon2 · 09/07/2025 17:41

That's interesting @SwetSwetSwet

"Law clerk Sally" though ??!!😂

SwetSwetSwet · 09/07/2025 17:43

Uricon2 · 09/07/2025 17:41

That's interesting @SwetSwetSwet

"Law clerk Sally" though ??!!😂

And they moved very suddenly to Wales 😂

AldoGordo · 09/07/2025 17:43

DisappointedReader · 09/07/2025 17:25

March 2012: Gangani Publishing Ltd set up with TW as Director and TW and SW as joint shareholders. Dissolved July 2013. Source: Companies House. Gangani published a book by Izzy Wyn-Thomas (we think SW) called How Not to Dal dy Dir. Those who bought the book were told it meant that they were entered into a prize draw to win TW & SW's house in Wales. Source: The Observer and the Gangani Publishing website.
Questions: There was a Tim Scott on the Gangani website- was that TW? Was How Not to Dal dy Dir the basis for The Salt Path? What happened with the prize draw? Was it in fact just a drawer in TW and SW's kitchen dresser?

@AWanderingFool

I think "Izzy" is definitely Sally. The photo of "Izzy" I saw on the Gangani website looks too similar for it not to be her. Tim Scott is most likely referring to Tim Walker. The biog info mentions he had a degree in ecology and was once arrested at a nuclear protest, which I'm sure is something similar written about Moth in the Salt Path. I wouldn't be surprised if there are similarities between How Not to Dal dy Dir and SP, or at least clues to their life circumstances. From the brief passages available there are some strikingly uncanny hints. The Observer journalist was trying to get hold of copy through a book forum I came across - maybe she managed to succeed.

Uricon2 · 09/07/2025 17:45

It was when xxxx one day managed to get out of the house and down the road on his own that they decided they wanted to live somewhere safer for children.

OK, so one of the kids does a Houdini from the house where you are in charge and supervising them, but you suddenly need a safer area to live in?

Right.

PhilippaGeorgiou · 09/07/2025 17:46

SwetSwetSwet · 09/07/2025 17:34

Actually, it's here
Tim came to the garden ten years ago. He was living in Staffordshire with his wife Sally and their two young children xxxx and xxxx and working for the family business as a master plasterer, but had a degree in botany. Law clerk Sally was originally from Gwynedd. It was when xxxx one day managed to get out of the house and down the road on his own that they decided they wanted to live somewhere safer for children. Within three weeks Tim had resigned from work, their house quickly sold, and they moved to a rented house near Criccieth to begin their new life, before finding Pen y Maes near Rhoslan, the dilapidated house they were looking for, so that they could "restore a bit of rural Wales". It was, says Tim, "a life-changing experience to restore a house as a key piece of history."

At about the same time he went to the gardens at Plas yn Rhiw and met Paul Lewis, The National Trust warden for the area, and did some work identifying tree plots. He also met Mrs Dick, the custodian at the time, and started volunteering in the garden. Then a few months later the gardener Robin Thomas retired and "it was suggested by someone in the Trust that I apply for the job, and I got it in 1995."
https://archive.ph/6KXzq

It was when xxxx one day managed to get out of the house and down the road on his own that they decided they wanted to live somewhere safer for children.

Most people just buy child gates - not chuck over a perfectly good job. Even this version sounds made up / romanticised.

nomas · 09/07/2025 17:46

Catwith69lives · 09/07/2025 16:37

One thing intrigues me - has Moth Winn/Timothy Walker ever been interviewed by a journalist over the years? If not, why not? I am sure he has a story to tell.

One of the journalists talked about how Tim was always absent, sent off to buy ‘provisions’ etc.

Also about how Sally met her at the station and took her out to afternoon tea. The journalist said in hindsight it was all about keeping her away from the farm and Tim.

EternalLodga · 09/07/2025 17:47

Imagine if Moth is just an AI

Muffsies · 09/07/2025 17:49

Laughed out loud on the bus. Thank you.

Bruisername · 09/07/2025 17:49

The kid escaping made me laugh. Bit of a knee jerk reaction to up sticks and move for that

and Country roads can be bloody dangerous!!!

sounds like there may have been another reason to move in a hurry

ThatFluentHedgehog · 09/07/2025 17:50

PhilippaGeorgiou · 09/07/2025 17:41

Re: the timeline, I may be wrong, but I thought that R only repaid £7k of the original theft of £9k and said that that was all she had etc.etc. I may be wrong but that was my memory of what the employers wife said in the interview?

The Observer print article says:

A few days after the discovery, she remembers Walker turning up at her home, offering to pay back the money. “She was sobbing in the yard and said : ‘I ’ve even had to sell my mother ’s wedding dress to do this,’ ” Hemmings recalls. They realised Walker’s offer might be their only chance to get their money back so, Hemmings says, they allowed Walker to repay the £9,000 and moved on with their lives.

But just re-watched and re-listened to Ros Hemmings on the video and she says "a cheque for several thousand pounds". It's introduced by Chloe seconds before as "Confronted, Sally paid them the full sum". So who knows...

From 3:03
https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-salt-path-the-truth-behind-the-blockbuster-book-video

The real Salt Path: the truth behind the blockbuster book

The Salt Path is advertised as an “honest and true” story. A story that has become a literary phenomenon, sold more than 2 million copies, and been adapt...

https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-salt-path-the-truth-behind-the-blockbuster-book-video

Original poster

DisappointedReader · 09/07/2025 17:50

Law clerk Sally was originally from Gwynedd.

The above from the archive about Timoth's gardening. She was from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and certainly doesn't have a Welsh accent. Nor does she list Law clerk as part of her coat of many talents in TSP.

OP posts:

mauvishagain · 09/07/2025 17:51

He was living in Staffordshire with his wife Sally and their two young children XXX and XXX and working for the family business as a master plasterer, but had a degree in botany. Law clerk Sally was originally from Gwynedd.

Not only a law clerk,but a local lass to boot!!!!!

Redheadedstepchild · 09/07/2025 17:52

Orangesandlemons77 · 09/07/2025 17:36

I think that's the first time I have heard him say anything

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Maybe the next plot twist is that they split up, (or pretend to) and Tim/Moth writes his own heart wrenching exposé about his life with a nutcase.

"She even called me Moth. But still I clustered to her, as if around a flame. What was I to do, I couldn't help it. "

EternalLodga · 09/07/2025 17:53

Maybe Moth actually passed years ago, but in order to keep the franchise going, she found a lookalike!

HumbleWarrior · 09/07/2025 17:55

PhilippaGeorgiou · 09/07/2025 17:46

It was when xxxx one day managed to get out of the house and down the road on his own that they decided they wanted to live somewhere safer for children.

Most people just buy child gates - not chuck over a perfectly good job. Even this version sounds made up / romanticised.

Show quote history

Yes, and the speed of it is bonkers. I can understand something like that being the start of the conversations - 'I've been thinking, living on this busy road is stressful with the children, I'd really like to start looking for somewhere in the country...' and the next 6 months or a year being taken up with weekend drives to scope out potential places to relocate, job prospects in the area, schools etc. But nope, not for these two. within three weeks Tim had resigned from work, their house quickly sold, and they moved to a rented house near Criccieth to begin their new life.

Either they have a long and troubling history of making impulsive, ill-thought out and irresponsible major life decisions, or there's more to it than that. (I know which I'd put money on.)

Original poster

DisappointedReader · 09/07/2025 17:55

EternalLodga · 09/07/2025 17:53

Maybe Moth actually passed years ago, but in order to keep the franchise going, she found a lookalike!

His eyes unfortunately seem to belong to Paul Hollywood.

OP posts:

Fandango52 · 09/07/2025 17:56

Redheadedstepchild · 09/07/2025 17:32

Don't ask me to help with the timeline. I'm still feeling like a daft banana for mucking up trying to work out the date of when Raynor/Sally was likely born in relation to when her parents got married. I was out in my estimations by two decades.

I'm trying to think of a remixed version of Raynor/Sally.

Rally?
Salnor?
Raysa?

Probably not Raysa though because it sounds too close to Raisa, (As in Gorbacheva) and being a viable nom de plume for her to use.

I quite like Rally 😂

It’s unusual (so it’s in keeping with the uniqueness of ‘Raynor’, her original nom de plume), works well as a mix of ‘Raynor’ and ‘Sally’, and has a nice plucky charm to it (ie she wrote a book, got called out for it being untruthful and then she just ‘rallied’, changed her name further and wrote even more books about how hard done by and misunderstood she was).