Page 22 | Thread 7: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

OpenThatWindow · 15/07/2025 18:53

AldoGordo · 15/07/2025 14:38

Having re-read The Observer's findings, it seems that Cooper wasn't seeking to recoup the loan debt from Raymoth in order to pay creditors of his company. Indeed, it seems there is no direct connection between Cooper's company failing and the recouping of the Raymoth debt.

As far as I can see it, Cooper owed two men a personal debt. In order to pay that debt, he simply gave them ownership of the loan agreement that had originally been between himself and Raymoth. This then meant Raymoth were now in debt to the two men. Cooper simply testified to confirm the debt was now the two men's to recoup and that it had originally been a personal loan to settle a criminal allegation against Sally. It just so happens his company is failing at the same time.

Now, if it can be established that the loan was in fact made using the failing company rather than Cooper's personal funds, then it would cast doubt on the above. This is the argument and claim Raymoth made: that liquidators of Cooper's company confirmed to them that the loan was from his company. As such, whatever agreement he had drawn up to give the two men a claim of the Raymoth debt was null and void. Instead, the liquidators would be the ones to claim it, and Raymoth could repay it in agreed installments.

It all boils down to whether the loan was from Cooper's personal money or if it was from company funds. The named lender - either Cooper or Company - would be quite obvious on whatever agreement Tim signed. However, I can also believe how such a detail could be overlooked by Tim given Cooper was director of the company. So it's entirely possible Cooper mislead them (intentionally or not) into thinking it was a company loan when in fact it was a personal one.

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Great post.

So that's how RayMoth have morally decided it was 'wrong' to lose their house.

They're completely ignoring snd hiding the fact that the loan in the first place was due to Sally's alleged criminal activity in stealing £64k from her employer.

Merrymouse · 15/07/2025 18:54

crackofdoom · 15/07/2025 17:58

Not really. Humans do love to tinker and interfere. A patch of brambles, messy as it might look, is heaven for eg small songbirds and butterflies. But most people like to throw enormous amounts of effort into making something look like what their idea of "wild" is. I seem to recall a story about one of the wildlife trusts desperately recruiting volunteers to clear every last globe thistle off their land when these plants are very valuable to wildlife.

For an overview of how a rewilded estate works, "Wilding" by Isabella Tree is the classic. However, they got away with not constantly chainsawing and scrub bashing by introducing "nature's landscape engineers"- cattle, pigs and ponies, who clear scrub and turn over soil, creating a mosaic of habitats.

(But even if you don't introduce livestock, the humble bunny can do a surprising amount of landscape engineering!)

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But too many animals also negatively impact the landscape, depending on your perspective. People have different opinions on what should be prioritised.

Catwith69lives · 15/07/2025 18:59

Animaladina · 15/07/2025 18:37

The farmhouse was advertised with 1,5 acres of land (including a paddock).

Source: Escape to the country 12 x 3 Wales

I captured the land they were “farming” and the famous powder blue Rayburn 😂

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Energy efficiency rating wasn't great!

doc04.pdf

https://media.onthemarket.com/properties/835369/doc_0_4.pdf

Prettypekin · 15/07/2025 19:01

DisappointedReader · 15/07/2025 16:59

The renewed talk of 'Cooper' has for some reason brought me back to the Walkerwinnwyn's Gangani Publishing, the How not to Dal dy Dir book of 2012 by Izzy Wyn-Thomas, the bios on the website and the plot of the book. I have a feeling the book would make interesting reading for the whole Walkergate scandal, including 'Cooper'. In the book he is possibly Jeremy, a childhood friend and property developer. It even has a dead sheep. I know there is an archived link elsewhere on the threads to the removed Gangani website with the bios and more on Jeremy if anyone has the time to look.

There is a copy of the book on eBay but it was flagged as out of stock in May 2025, making me wonder whether it was bought by The Observer or as part of the crisis management clean up process by the Walkerwinnwyns and others connected to TSP book and film.

A review of the book on the Accidental Smallholder's forum where 'Gangani' posted to drum up business for the book and house raffle:
'I felt so sorry for the main character and her adversary reminded me why I moved to the country'

Gangani on the forum claims:
'There's a second book that should be released January/ February next year, it takes the story a step further - 3 Mountains and a Ceilidh - it looks back and forwards in a cross-country romp through the UK. I'll let you know when it's released.'

I keep seeing it being said in interviews and written that 'they lost their farm ' 'we lost our farm' and I wondered what they were farming and on how much land. It seems to have been a smallholding with one sheep, one hen and some fruit trees. 'Acres of fresh air' are mentioned but where were those acres? I don't think the house and barn came with much land when it was sold? Again from Gangani on the Accidental Smallholders forum:
'My friends have an organic smallholding with a jacob sheep and a bantam hen, loads of fruit trees, a 3 bedroom barn conversion, beautiful garden and acres of fresh air. Due to ill health they have to let it go - just when the housing market has collapsed and no-one is buying. I'm a publisher with a fantastic book to market, so I said I'd help them out and we've put the 2 together and we're giving the smallholding away to one of the purchasers of the book.'

On another thread 'Gangani' advises a newcomer not to read the book as it might put them off the area.

'Gangani' pretending to be a friend of Raymoth but in all likelihood Raymoth.

Hello from Wales - The Accidental Smallholder

Escape to the Country said 1.5 acres, so not much at all.. I did notice the text on the final frame in the film said that Timoth went on to work in sustainable agriculture after his second Uni degree, is that a euphemism for building Otherworldly piles of sticks?

Bruisername · 15/07/2025 19:08

So as a bookkeeper I would expect sally to understand that money is fungible and it doesn’t matter where the £100k was lost leading to downfall - if she hadn’t stolen the £64k (plus legal fees) they wouldn’t have needed £100k for any reason

Molecule · 15/07/2025 19:09

Getting back to the loan….
Even if it had been from Cooper’s company, I can assure you that the liquidators would have been after it, and if there was an agreement between Raymoth and the company at 18% interest they would have been after that too. I’ve had some experience of liquidators and they are not cuddly fluffy people, they would have gone all out to get the house and all assets to cover the loan. I do not believe for one minute SW had been able to agree a repayment plan with them, unless it was £100k now, £50k in six months. If they thought it was their debt they would have been in court, putting their case very forcefully. This is definitely one big lie.

crackofdoom · 15/07/2025 19:12

Merrymouse · 15/07/2025 18:54

But too many animals also negatively impact the landscape, depending on your perspective. People have different opinions on what should be prioritised.

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Yes, the proponents of rewilding definitely do not recommend overstocking! 😆

(And no sheep. Sheep are bad for nature in N. Europe).

Heylittlesongbird · 15/07/2025 19:13

I don’t know what to say. My mum messaged to say she picked up a Liane Moriarty and the Salt Path in Tesco’s. Wants to know if it’s good to bring on holiday to read? We will be swapping books to read. I actually don’t know, I’m intrigued but worried I’ll get cross and throw it in the pool.

Jarstastic · 15/07/2025 19:20

Could be complete hearsay but I was in a shop today which was selling some of the merchandise and when I mentioned Angela Harding had taken off connection, the owner said had heard apparently ‘Raynor Winn’ had been unhappy about Angela Harding making money from her book.

I’ve just been on Angela Harding’s website and notice items with the illustration are now called Cornish Path.

AldoGordo · 15/07/2025 19:20

Molecule · 15/07/2025 19:09

Getting back to the loan….
Even if it had been from Cooper’s company, I can assure you that the liquidators would have been after it, and if there was an agreement between Raymoth and the company at 18% interest they would have been after that too. I’ve had some experience of liquidators and they are not cuddly fluffy people, they would have gone all out to get the house and all assets to cover the loan. I do not believe for one minute SW had been able to agree a repayment plan with them, unless it was £100k now, £50k in six months. If they thought it was their debt they would have been in court, putting their case very forcefully. This is definitely one big lie.

Precisely this. I thought about the fact the liquidators would actually be in court contesting the two men's claim over the debt, not providing a couple who have no legal representation with a "perfect shining white piece of paper with the truth" to hand over and fail to follow procedure.

All this said, I do think Cooper played them to an extent. One of the two creditor men was named and interviewed in one of the news pieces (possibly Daily Mail). Turns out he was a former director of the same company Cooper was also a director of. The man resigned in 2008 so he had no company connection from that point on, but it strikes me odd that Cooper owed a significant debt to his former fellow director. Cooper also bailed Raymoth out when he must have known his company was already in trouble and losing money.

ETA: also the company was founded in 1999 while Raymoth claim they invested in the early 90s. There is no other property investment company of Cooper's that I can see that would have enabled an early 90s investment.

Bruisername · 15/07/2025 19:23

AldoGordo · 15/07/2025 19:20

Precisely this. I thought about the fact the liquidators would actually be in court contesting the two men's claim over the debt, not providing a couple who have no legal representation with a "perfect shining white piece of paper with the truth" to hand over and fail to follow procedure.

All this said, I do think Cooper played them to an extent. One of the two creditor men was named and interviewed in one of the news pieces (possibly Daily Mail). Turns out he was a former director of the same company Cooper was also a director of. The man resigned in 2008 so he had no company connection from that point on, but it strikes me odd that Cooper owed a significant debt to his former fellow director. Cooper also bailed Raymoth out when he must have known his company was already in trouble and losing money.

ETA: also the company was founded in 1999 while Raymoth claim they invested in the early 90s. There is no other property investment company of Cooper's that I can see that would have enabled an early 90s investment.

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They needed money fast and he had it so that worked for them. Doubt they would have found it elsewhere

if he hadn’t given them the 100k he would have had 100k which he could have used to tide him over a bit longer etc

given his financial position it doesn’t look like he was really in a position to lend but kept her out of prison

CheerybleBrothers · 15/07/2025 19:26

Prettypekin · 15/07/2025 19:01

Escape to the Country said 1.5 acres, so not much at all.. I did notice the text on the final frame in the film said that Timoth went on to work in sustainable agriculture after his second Uni degree, is that a euphemism for building Otherworldly piles of sticks?

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Then that answers one of my questions about whether the Walkers were ever actually farmers.

Merrymouse · 15/07/2025 19:27

CheerybleBrothers · 15/07/2025 19:26

Then that answers one of my questions about whether the Walkers were ever actually farmers.

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They don't seem to have any relevant experience in running a farm as a business as opposed to keeping some animals as a hobby.

ETA: I don't think 'growing up on a farm' is relevant unless you are participating in the business, and I don't think there is any suggestion of this?

FlyAgaricc · 15/07/2025 19:28

Loan doc

Thread 7: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

Jarstastic · 15/07/2025 19:28

AldoGordo · 15/07/2025 12:45

Re: the London relative who loaned RayMoth the £100,000 at 18% against their house.

Here's what I've found, but I'm mindful of not over-sharing personal info even though the DM named him so here I refer to him as "Cooper".

First, a background summary:

RayMoth insist that this person who loaned them money had been a close childhood friend of Tim's, dubbed "Cooper"..."They'd grown up together...riding their trikes, playing football, sharing teenagers years....As they grew into adults, their lives took them in different directions, Cooper moved into financial circles that few of us understood." (TSP, 2018). RayMoth claim they invested money in one of Cooper's companies. The company failed and as a result they were somehow liable for the company's debts. Raymoth stalled and stalled court action to buy time but they were "outmanoeuvred and a charge was registered against the farm as security for payment of Cooper's claim." (TSP)

RW's public statement says: "In The Salt Path I describe a financial dispute with a lifetime friend, who I call Cooper to protect his family. In the early 1990s, Moth made an investment in Cooper’s property portfolio. When the investment was due to mature, Cooper claimed it had failed due to low occupancy....In 2008, we asked for the money back. He said he didn’t have it but offered us a loan through his company. We agreed. Because the loan was coming from his company, he said it had to follow the company’s standard loan terms: 18% interest, which he would cover, and a charge on our home in his name. He assured us this was standard practice and only temporary as he would soon repay the loan to his company." [Note how this differs from above - it's no longer mentioning any liability for Cooper's debts and the charge on their home seems to happen much earlier before any legal action]

The Observer first reported that this person "Cooper" was in fact a distant relative of Tim's who died in 2016. A subsequent Daily Mail article disclosed Cooper's real name and stated he was Tim's uncle. This has niggled me. Was Cooper a childhood friend, or a distant relative or an uncle?

It turns out both Observer and DM are correct..."Cooper" was both Tim's distant relative and his uncle. How? Because I've worked out, using public Birth, Marriage and Death records, that "Cooper" was the half brother of Tim's mother (her mother remarried and give birth to "Cooper").

"Cooper" was therefore half uncle to Tim and Martyn (of the French chateau). Martyn's son who made the LinkedIn allegations against Raymoth is therefore "Cooper's" half great nephew.

"Cooper" did indeed have a property portfolio and was director of a particular business that went into liquidation in the 2010s, according to companies house.

Incidentally, the name "Cooper" appears to derive from another of Tim's relatives on his father's side, namely the husband of his aunt (i.e his father's sister's husband).

I hope that offers some clarity.

Edited

This is brilliant, thank you!

What sort of age is this half uncle? (I’m wondering if mothers half brother if from a second marriage could be closer in age to Timothy to give a kernel of truth of childhood friend)

and was the charge on the house from a person or a company?

Uricon2 · 15/07/2025 19:38

Bruisername · 15/07/2025 19:23

They needed money fast and he had it so that worked for them. Doubt they would have found it elsewhere

if he hadn’t given them the 100k he would have had 100k which he could have used to tide him over a bit longer etc

given his financial position it doesn’t look like he was really in a position to lend but kept her out of prison

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Maybe some of the 100K went out on the alleged 4 maxed out credit cards, too.

Redheadedstepchild · 15/07/2025 19:39

Heylittlesongbird · 15/07/2025 19:13

I don’t know what to say. My mum messaged to say she picked up a Liane Moriarty and the Salt Path in Tesco’s. Wants to know if it’s good to bring on holiday to read? We will be swapping books to read. I actually don’t know, I’m intrigued but worried I’ll get cross and throw it in the pool.

Don't worry too much. I'm sure that your mum is a sensible person and once she gets by the pool on her sunlounger and suitable refreshments are served, the appeal of reading about middle aged scroungers trudging up hill and down dale in the British rain and wind living off pot noodle and stolen fudge bars whilst whining about ailments and incurable brain diseases will make her throw the book into the pool by herself.

It's hardly a bit of holiday escapism is it?

Merrymouse · 15/07/2025 19:43

crackofdoom · 15/07/2025 19:12

Yes, the proponents of rewilding definitely do not recommend overstocking! 😆

(And no sheep. Sheep are bad for nature in N. Europe).

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But, delicate question - how does one not overstock?

The only ways I am aware of are culling or restricting the number of fertile males on the land, both of which involve skilled management.

Merrymouse · 15/07/2025 19:46

AldoGordo · 15/07/2025 19:20

Precisely this. I thought about the fact the liquidators would actually be in court contesting the two men's claim over the debt, not providing a couple who have no legal representation with a "perfect shining white piece of paper with the truth" to hand over and fail to follow procedure.

All this said, I do think Cooper played them to an extent. One of the two creditor men was named and interviewed in one of the news pieces (possibly Daily Mail). Turns out he was a former director of the same company Cooper was also a director of. The man resigned in 2008 so he had no company connection from that point on, but it strikes me odd that Cooper owed a significant debt to his former fellow director. Cooper also bailed Raymoth out when he must have known his company was already in trouble and losing money.

ETA: also the company was founded in 1999 while Raymoth claim they invested in the early 90s. There is no other property investment company of Cooper's that I can see that would have enabled an early 90s investment.

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According to the Observer

"One of the men who inherited the Walkers’ debt from Cooper believes the couple still owe him the original loan plus interest, together totalling more than £400,000. The man, who has asked to remain anonymous, said in response to Winn’s statement: “Changing your name and disappearing into the wilds is not keeping all communication channels open.”"

I wonder if he is chasing the money now that he knows where and who they are?

WyldMountainThyme · 15/07/2025 19:50

@Jarstastic Yes, I saw that Angela Harding's ex-SP merchandise had now all been re-labelled as Cornish Path. She was very quick off the mark - the change was made within a day or two of the Observer article's publication. I imagined her looking at the original linocut and wondering if she could just gouge out the two figures from the cliff and rework them into some sort of plant or animal then reissue the revised print as completely free from human interference. I wonder if she holds the copyright.

crackofdoom · 15/07/2025 19:51

Merrymouse · 15/07/2025 19:43

But, delicate question - how does one not overstock?

The only ways I am aware of are culling or restricting the number of fertile males on the land, both of which involve skilled management.

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You really should read Wilding!

At Knepp they keep their livestock down by turning them into posh steaks and sausages.

Have you heard of Oostervardplassen in the Netherlands? They just imported a lot of wild horses and deer and left population management to nature, which did end up with a few corpses lying around, which upset some animal lovers. Biodiversity wise it was a great success.

Or, if you really want an ecosystem to manage itself, reintroduce some apex predators.

derxa · 15/07/2025 19:54

I knew they were frauds when I read about a 19 year old sheep. It’s crap. Me and shepherdess did once stand in a field and cry over the body of a dead ram but she’s full of shit.

FlyAgaricc · 15/07/2025 19:55

I've only just realised that you can download the Salt Path or read it for free online. I've just got to the end of chapter 2 and I can't believe how many bare faced lies there are already. And playing the victim.

AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta · 15/07/2025 19:56

Uricon2 · 15/07/2025 18:22

Thanks to this thread I've got "Powder Blue Rayburn" going through my head to the tune of "Little Red Corvette"

It. Lost. I'm not going to link the Prince track in case some of you can yet be saved.

Funnily enough I've had a different Prince song in my head and have genuinely been going about singing "she had a light blue powder ray(burn)".

Family are begging me to stop but I think I'm beyond help.

Animaladina · 15/07/2025 19:57

Jarstastic · 15/07/2025 19:20

Could be complete hearsay but I was in a shop today which was selling some of the merchandise and when I mentioned Angela Harding had taken off connection, the owner said had heard apparently ‘Raynor Winn’ had been unhappy about Angela Harding making money from her book.

I’ve just been on Angela Harding’s website and notice items with the illustration are now called Cornish Path.

Making money from her book?
She’s making money from her beautiful artwork…
So Angela is yet another person who doesn’t want to be associated with RayMoth. Interesting 🧐