Thread 13: 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's original exposé: The real Salt Path: how a blockbuster book and film were ...

The 12 Observer reports currently available online: The real Salt Path | The Observer

Raynor Winn/Sally Walker's statement: Raynor Winn

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

Threads 2-11: Links all in the OP of Thread 12

Thread 12: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5384574-thread-12-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

New posters joining us in the genuine spirit of our civil discourse welcome. It would be helpful to read at least some of the Observer items above before posting. There are currently 12 interesting items on The Observer website and linked to above.

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 - from experience - this will only encourage them back to the threads. We have done amazingly well together for twelve very interesting, very serious and very silly threads so far. I can't be here as much as I'd like so all help with keeping our discussion walking along in our usual reasonable and respectful fashion is very welcome.

Have the sales or thefts of fudge gone up recently?
Will Simon's head ever turn up?
Has the shed of doubt yet burst at the seams?
Will the old charabanc hold up as a tour bus for our hip new band The Drive-By Scolders?
And finally, how much salt can we possibly cram into a giant pinch?

Keep to the path. No saltiness. May the fudge be with you.

It's interesting that CH says she believes Izzy Wyn-Thomas is Sally Walker.

I wonder if she has more information? (I mean, this is a given, really).

But also CH says she doesn't believe SW is a con artist.

I don't agree with her on that; I think she's every inch a conwoman.

When did CH say that SW wasn't a con artist?

There are two rather unpleasant options for them, if they try to take the prize away they risk a public backlash, but keeping her on their public winners list as not only a winner but the first ever winner of that prize does not sound too good either.
I would not want to bet on what they will do, I think both options are possible.

Re the phone, they use it to take photos, including at Land's End, so it's not a really old phone.
"Late afternoon and even the photographer at the signpost that points the way to John o’ Groats had given up and locked his door. We jumped the barriers and took rain-streaked photos on the phone."
Re the prize, I feel the issue is more whether it's fiction than whether she'd published a book before. There's no copy of it, and maybe even no copies sold.

The author seems to have done really well even without the prize, so her missing out back then seems not to have hurt her at least.

It was during the interview/talk she did - after an audience member asked a question - towards the end!

Something like "I don't think Sally Walker/Raynor Winn is a conwoman, but..."

Not the actual quote! I'll see if I can find it.

I think removing the prize at this point would be a bit like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Not sure it would achieve very much - with TSP/LL and the WS shifting 6-7K copies per week (£5K earnings pw), it would be a Phyrric victory imo.

I agree, especially as there seems to be no actual evidence that she wrote it - even though I think she did... 😁

"...I don't believe she set out to con people..." CH

But SW knew she was lying, so I don't see how she isn't.

I do too but given that her publishers and agent are supporting her even with the facts of her embezzlement in the open, I can't see there's any chance of anything happening over the prize. It'll be ignored and they'll hope no one brings it up in interviews etc.

This list is very prominent on their website, it's not just a question of whether they are asked about it
Edit: the important part of the picture containing her name is OF COURSE cropped out in the preview, and editing does not allow to replace the picture 😡

But what do you expect them to do? Her publisher has pulled her scheduled fourth book and is presumably waiting to see what happens.

Her agent isn’t morally responsible for her — her job is to negotiate the best deals available for her books.

I would describe both their positions as essentially neutral.

I would expect the publisher not to continue to include statements in its online advertising which it has reason to belive are .misleading.

I thought Anne Reid was excellent alongside Timothy Spall in The Sixth Commandment (BBC, 2023).

I'm nearly at the end of Landlines and, while I have other observations to make, the immediate one is that RW's editorial team at Michael Joseph lack any knowledge of Devon. Okehampton has now been misspelled as Oakhampton twice, once in a map and once in the text. Which might explain how some of the factual inaccuracies in the books, eg ferries that don't exist, got through. No one knew the south west well enough to correct them.

My. Understanding is that these two claim to have been on a hike for moths while collecting benefits. If their story were true, would this be lawful?

Ooh I’ve been meaning to watch that but haven’t yet - thanks for the reminder!

I don’t think so because it doesn’t address the embezzlement.

there might just be some scope for SW to claim that she has health anxiety, and that when Moth began to exhibit worrying symptoms she catastrophised and that her writing is ‘her truth’ about how she felt.

But systematically stealing from your employer who trusts you, who invites you into their home for Christmas etc, well that’s next level. You’d honestly have to have no moral compass to treat someone like that.

I can’t see how she can come back from this because I think even a full confession and apology wouldn’t cut it; I imagine most people would think she’s only sorry she’s been caught out. Plus nothing in her ‘rebuttal’ suggests she’s willing to take any responsibility. It’s fundamentally just a continuation of the ‘poor me; it’s everyone else who’s nasty.’

I suppose we are lucky that she didn't leave her clothes folded up on Llandudno beach like Reggie Perrin and canoe man over to the Isle of Man.

I seem to remember that Timmoth told the Hemmings she had fled to Skye.

Unusual though for there to have been no Devon/Cornwall second home owners on the team!

Another big Anne Reid fan here! I especially adored her in Last Tango in Halifax 😍

😄 certainly none that pay attention to the road signs for the A30!

Wow, that's actually quite shocking. Just can't get the staff proofreaders nowadays.

I’d be a great proofreader. As long as I’d passed it in an onscreen version and then got a physical copy to read, I’d find loads of mistakes. Even more if the printed version had cost quite a lot 😬🤣

I agree.

I don't think they're capable of even a faux apology; SW especially will be convinced this is 'everyone else' being awful and what's wrong with a bit of creative licence here and there?

Look at how that Not Very Kind poster a few threads back really went for CH - she was intent on slinging mud at her (and she said how bad it was for Ros Hemmings to even speak up!) rather than address the investigation's findings.

That person's posts gave fascinating insight into a mind that refuses responsibility within a victim mindset.