Thread 9: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

[DisappointedReader]

The Observer The real Salt Path: how a blockbuster book and film were ...

2nd Observer https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-salt-path-whats-in-the-book-and-what-the-observer-has-found

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

4th Observer ‘I felt I was being gaslit’ – the landlord who helped Ray...

Thread One ^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?^

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

Thread 3 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5369425-thread-3-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Thread 4 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5370609-thread-4-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Thread 5 Thread 5: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film? | Mumsnet

Thread 6 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5372494-thread-6-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-
husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Thread 7 www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5373425-thread-7-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Thread 8 www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5375023-thread-8-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Raynor Winn/Sally Walker's statement Raynor Winn

New posters welcome. It would be helpful to read at least the four Observer items above before posting.

To all - Please be extremely cautious when it comes to naming or implicating people and addresses not in the public eye or with no direct connection to the story, and around the understandable health speculations, especially where details are unclear or still emerging. Please do not engage with visitors who seem to have their own agenda and seek to derail. Avoid @'ing and quoting them as this will only encourage them back to the threads.

We have done amazingly well together - in the main that is, not mentioning any names but you know who you are! - for eight threads so far. I can't be on the threads as much as I'd like so all help with keeping our discussion ticking along in a healthy and civil fashion is very welcome.

No saltiness. Keep to the path. Thank you.

I hope this doesn’t read as if I’m usurping your position as She Who Keeps The Thread in Order. I just thought another thread for those with contrary views might be a logical thing to do.

Not at all @notwavingbutdrowning1 . I think it's great that so many posters work together to keep the threads in order. It's too big a job for one, especially at some points, at which times we may all need some Scone Relief again.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/review/1405937181/R2YFHILGPCX6JG?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dprv_QHG10NDN7Y4V6JJV6F6N&language=en-US

Discussion of the legality of the lottery (apologies if this has been posted previously):

https://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=25803.0

Thanks for sharing, this is so bloody hilarious

I haven't read the Salt Path myself but as someone who has adhd I'm usually pretty quick to notice anomalies ,whether it be in book,TV whatever. I read Clarissa Dickson Wrights autobiography and I was gripped, not because it was paticularly well written but it so obviously the work of a fantasist

This thread has been so good. I’ve learned a lot, and the writing—whether it’s fiction or not—is just so fun.

One thing I keep thinking about is how much direct contact Raymoth must have had with real CBD sufferers. Since the book came out, I’m sure people have been reaching out nonstop. Fan mail, event conversations, probably lots of in-person moments. These are people trying to find hope in something that feels close to their reality.

That kind of contact isn’t theoretical. It’s not just some abstract idea of illness the book gestures toward while other people’s lives are being ravaged by it elsewhere. Raymoth must have heard a lot of first-hand accounts.

So how do you keep the story going? How do you write a second book, then a third, knowing how deeply it affects people who are desperate for hope? I feel like for that reason alone, an empathetic person would’ve dropped the ruse a long time ago.

They can point to the 2015 diagnosis of CBD/CBS and the fact that they have raised some money for PSPA through various charitable activities - the London marathon and walking the Thames path in 2024. You just have to look at the comments on Moth's Justgiving page to see the support he has received from so many people.

After 2015 Moth and SW may have believed that Moth had CBS/CBD thus making it easier to deal with people they came in contact with who had much more serious CBD. Judging from the fact that Moth's neurological condition is so slow moving and atypical that he seems to be pretty much the only person who has survived 18 years with CBD, many medical experts seem to believe (including those cited in the Observer article) that whatever neurological condition Moth has isn't CBD/CBS.

They didn’t own it that long but regardless they had a big mortgage plus another 100k secured on it. Can’t remember how much it sold for but it barely cleared the mortgage

Sold for £280K in July 2016. Put on the mkt for £395K (Jan 2010) by the Walkers and £299K in Feb 2016. The creditors/bank must have put it on the market in 2016.

That's such an interesting observation subway

Someone linked to an excerpt from the Dal dy Dir book- it’s very similar to the intro to TSP. It’s the same themes of having things taken and awaiting the arrival of a threatening presence.

I also note the part about “She wasn’t supposed to be this person… how did the grime creep in?” Written from the heart, perhaps?

“Every story should end, but not like this. Not squatting in the outside toilet. Not choked by flaking limewash, or stung by hailstones beating through the doorless opening. Not holding her breath, waiting for a hunk of scrap metal to become the final nail in the coffin.
The winds gusting to force eight, threatening a storm ten. Roaring in from the Irish Sea with unstoppable fury. Each pulse lifting in strength as it clears the headland, crushing down on her with dragons breath, anadl y ddraig. Driving her from this patch of land, reminding her that it should never have been theirs.
The pain, the anguish, the futility of holding on. Should she let go, lift the dirt from beneath her nails, straighten her aching limbs and give herself over to the wind? Let it lift her and carry her weightless, burdenless to come what may.
She wasnt supposed to be this person, she was a pure soul, transparent, simple. How did the grime creep in and destroy the heart of her? Picking her apart cell by cell. Truth, freedom, self-respect, a birthright squandered for a dream, for love. She strains every sinew to prevent herself uploading into the void shes become.
The grain of the wood is separating, letting in air where there has been none for a hundred years. Steel bolts squealing, clenching their teeth against the inevitable. Shes clenched with them, their fate is one. Irresistible forces about to rip their lives apart. She cant breathe, please hold on. Bloods pounding in her ears as shes braced against the stones, ancient and grasping.
Then its gone, everythings gone.”

That is interesting. It is possible to compare pieces of writing with ChatGPT for linguistic similarities...

@mycatismyworld
That is such an interesting review from someone who clearly has their bullshit detector switched on. Unlike me, 'mug' on forehead. I particularly agree with these points:

"The writer bore no similarity to anyone destitute that I have ever known. The brief mentions of the welfare system were laughably inaccurate - I know this as someone who has lived on benefits and also understands what benefits are available to the disabled and terminally ill. Why did they not claim DLA or PIP? How did they get Tax Credits when they were not working? Why did she not get Carer's Allowance? Why did they not apply for Income Support? It was set in 2013, before UC was widely rolled out, but even homeless people (especially well-educated ones like these two) are entitled to something like JSA...
They lose their house, her husband gets a terminal medical diagnosis and their pet sheep dies, all in the space of 3 or 4 days. Give me a break! ...
And then there is the fact that they are totally penniless, but just happen to have a van!"

The benefit thing... I know you are not entitled to some benefits if you have a certain amount of equity in a property. Not sure if this was a factor. And I think PIP if you need help with tasks eg. dressing. And the van! Were they paying tax/ insurance then? Probably no point trying to make sense of this pack of lies.

It would not be unusual for a consultant to start a letter to a GP with ‘Dear colleague’.

The Gangani website went off-line in some time after 1st January 2013 as that is the last snapshot of the proper website taken by the Wayback Machine. There are later snapshots that just show the site unavailable.

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130715000000*/www.ganganipublishing.co.uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20130715000000*/www.ganganipublishing.co.uk/

Despite the house being repossessed, at some point on their walk they realised their bank account was still being direct debited for their house insurance! That was tragic.

Not their fault, of course

@AlertCat
Bing Videos 2:19
Facing the Edge of Land and Time Yes, surely the writers are the same. Am I right in thinking she is repeating what is in the book here?

which makes me wonder now whether it was all part of a ditzy ‘oops, I’m just a bit forgetful with money, just an honest mistake’ persona RW wanted to portray. Even if just on a subconscious level, the past events would surely affect how she presented herself

Think they owned it since early 1990s. RW wrote they were there for 20 years in TSP (end of CH.1).

Incidentally, according to the T&Cs, entries for the prize draw ended on 31 Jan 2013 and a winner would be picked 28 days later. The website is down by 01 Feb 2013. No doubt they finally realised the mammoth task of selling so many self-published books in the space of 6 months was lunacy.

I noticed the T and Cs didn’t specify the draw would be canceled if they only sold 100 say tickets. That would have been sensible to add.

As Sceptical First Time Reader, I noticed that while she waxes lyrical about how it's the house where they raised their children and has twenty years of memories, it's also a case of storing 'their few things' when they need to vacate it. I wouldn't expect that to amount to a 'few' things and since the kids are then university age there would be their long term things as well. Plus she refers to holidaymakers' bookings: has anyone looked at the size of the property in terms of number of rooms? How many people/visitors would they have been likely to be letting out to people? That ought to have brought in some money.

Was the converted barn a holiday let, and RW and Moth lived in another building?

I think they were running it as a holiday rental much like the current owner who runs it as an AirBnN. SW says in TSP that when they lost the house they also lost their livelihood. The barn conversion adjacent to the house had 2 bedrooms and was rented out to holidaymakers. I guess this was their main income after SW lost her job with the Hemmings in 2008.

doc04.pdf