Page 33 | Thread 14: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

DisappointedReader · 2025-08-09T22:11:39+00:00

The Observer's original exposé: [[https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-real-salt-path-how-the-couple-behind-a-bestseller-left-a-trail-of-debt-and-deceit The real Salt Path: how a blockbuster book and film were ...]] The 13 Observer items currently available on their online 'The real Salt Path' page: [[https://observer.co.uk/collections/the-real-salt-path The real Salt Path | The Observer]] 3 more from The Observer: [[https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/hope-is-extinguished-cbs-patients-respond-to-salt-path-allegations ‘Hope is extinguished’: CBD patients respond to Salt Path...]] [[https://observer.co.uk/listen/the-slow-newscast/the-real-salt-path-1 The real Salt Path | The Observer]] (The Slow Newscast) [[https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/we-thought-it-cant-be-the-salt-path-couple-theyd-have-told-us-they-were-homeless ‘We thought: it can’t be the Salt Path couple – they’d ha...]] Raynor Winn/Sally Walker's statement: [[https://www.raynorwinn.co.uk/ Raynor Winn]] Thread One ^[[https://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?* 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 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?]] Thread 13: [[https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5386458-thread-13-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5386458-thread-13-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 16 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 thirteen 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. Are we all becoming Hyperglycaemic from all the fudge? Have shares in Cadbury's gone up? Can we remain cheerful in the face of such shameless glumwashing? Will I need to fill up with much petrol this thread for the drive-by scoldings? Will our Chloe H get exclusive interviews with the disgruntled peregrine, tortoise and Hollywood rabbits? What has our Simon A got to say about this, preferably in verse? Keep to the path. No saltiness. May the fudge be with you.

TheBrandyPath · 13/08/2025 16:22

Divegirl65 · 13/08/2025 16:03

And by a woman rather than a man?

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Wasn't the height of being macho a Yorkie - or was that later?

Lostinnewyork · 13/08/2025 16:24

I know editorial plus sales/ rights teams are all involved at the acquisition stage of a book . However, once the book has been acquired from the agent it is generally assigned a single editor. Was her editor quite young/ inexperienced I wonder? And awful lot of bollox seemed to have filtered through which a more mature editor might have picked up on.

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 16:26

HatStickBoots · 13/08/2025 14:22

Apologies if this has been discussed before but there used to be a news article about the South west coast path association “dropping” their association with her. The pages of their website which link to it from my search engine are now only “page not found”s. I wanted to know what role she had with them, if she was an ambassador or something. In my search I was sad to see that the “visit Cornwall” type websites are still promoting the truth of her book/story, nothing updated since the release of the film. I think they should phase out their articles on “The Salt Path” and replace them with stories and photos from Simon Armitage.

She was an ambassador. Quite quickly dropped, or website page removed, after the original allegations.

indignantfrother · 13/08/2025 16:28

It's been a long hot day and I've been following in the footsteps of our heroine, Salray, by going to the Ashover show. Unlike the 9 yr old Sally Winn pictured in the newspaper at the time, I didn't groom any cattle! (But did temp lose my car in the massive parking field!)

Anyway, I wondered if I could apply for the role of Country Show Correspondent?

Original poster

DisappointedReader · 13/08/2025 16:34

FlyAgaricc · 13/08/2025 13:44

That advert brings back happy childhood memories of mercilessly mocking the song and changing the lyrics to rude ones
"It's full of Cadbury's cowpats, you don't know where it's been"

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Where are our two Wild Poo Correspondents when we need them? I seem to remember another rabbit casting aspersions on FOFs back in the mists of thread time.

OP posts:

TheBrandyPath · 13/08/2025 16:34

@Words Struck by how rarely she name checks Mark Wallingford as opposed to Paddy Dillon. I wonder why?

I think because Paddy is information but some of the 'experiences' have strong echoes of Mark.

Another one is being called a tramp. 500MW has him camped just off the coast path and a family bump into his guyropes.

The children buried themselves in their mother's skirt....And then the whole family backed away and made an unsubtle detour round me. There was much whispering and I heard the word tramp mentioned once or twice.

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 16:36

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 16:14

Minor correction: she writes to the Big Issue editor "weeks" after her published article to update him, saying she got signed by an agent 10 days after it was published and that they are now prepping it for sending to publishers. So this contact weeks later could tally with " a couple of months". Still, you are right - it's not enough time. It all sounds invented.

Edited

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@hyenana apologies- no correction needed after all. My memory failed me and I realised my error after looking at the article again. To correct myself, for the benefit of any MNers, the email was weeks after the article but RW said in it she'd just found an agent 10 days ago. I must have still been thinking about Mars bars.

HatStickBoots · 13/08/2025 16:36

UpfromSomerset · 13/08/2025 15:15

Well I emailed the SWCPA shortly after the 1st Observer story broke, and shortly after DW and I managed to find Burgundy Chapel on North Hill, Minehead. It's just 1/2 mile further on from where the SWCP takes a sharp left turn and where there's lettering in white paint (SWCP) and an arrow pointing vertically upwards! Thankfully we didn't need to attempt that part of the walk as the chapel path continues on the level through the woods.
I contacted the Association primarily to report that the ruined chapel is completely overgrown and needs clearing. (The smart display board by the ruin, shown in a photo on line, was taken 19 years ago! No trace now.
I also suggested that they disassociate the charity from mention of TSP etc. on their website. They wrote back to thank me for contacting them and said the matter was "under review", they didn't want to rush and make the wrong decision.

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Thank you for replying, that’s really interesting. I think they must have made a positive decision because all their pages of content with her have now been taken down. I wish I could remember if she’d been made an ambassador.

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 16:37

HatStickBoots · 13/08/2025 16:36

Thank you for replying, that’s really interesting. I think they must have made a positive decision because all their pages of content with her have now been taken down. I wish I could remember if she’d been made an ambassador.

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She had been made ambassador. I saw it on the website before it was removed

HatStickBoots · 13/08/2025 16:38

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 16:36

@hyenana apologies- no correction needed after all. My memory failed me and I realised my error after looking at the article again. To correct myself, for the benefit of any MNers, the email was weeks after the article but RW said in it she'd just found an agent 10 days ago. I must have still been thinking about Mars bars.

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I must have still been thinking about Mars bars.
Not surprising…. Mars bars were a lot bigger back then.

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 16:40

TheBrandyPath · 13/08/2025 16:34

@Words Struck by how rarely she name checks Mark Wallingford as opposed to Paddy Dillon. I wonder why?

I think because Paddy is information but some of the 'experiences' have strong echoes of Mark.

Another one is being called a tramp. 500MW has him camped just off the coast path and a family bump into his guyropes.

The children buried themselves in their mother's skirt....And then the whole family backed away and made an unsubtle detour round me. There was much whispering and I heard the word tramp mentioned once or twice.

No way! It's just like her talking about families recoiling, gathering children and dogs on retractable leads (the dogs, not children, one would imagine).

Fandango52 · 13/08/2025 16:40

TheBrandyPath · 13/08/2025 16:34

@Words Struck by how rarely she name checks Mark Wallingford as opposed to Paddy Dillon. I wonder why?

I think because Paddy is information but some of the 'experiences' have strong echoes of Mark.

Another one is being called a tramp. 500MW has him camped just off the coast path and a family bump into his guyropes.

The children buried themselves in their mother's skirt....And then the whole family backed away and made an unsubtle detour round me. There was much whispering and I heard the word tramp mentioned once or twice.

This is really interesting. It might be worth CH directly comparing 500MW with TSP. Perhaps she could also put TSP - and maybe RW’s later two books - into any plagiarism software she can access to see what comes up.

TheBrandyPath · 13/08/2025 16:42

HatStickBoots · 13/08/2025 16:36

Thank you for replying, that’s really interesting. I think they must have made a positive decision because all their pages of content with her have now been taken down. I wish I could remember if she’d been made an ambassador.

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South West Coast Path Association celebrates its 50th anniversary | cornish-times.co.uk

South West Coast Path Association celebrates its 50th anniversary

By Kirstie Newton

https://www.cornish-times.co.uk/news/south-west-coast-path-association-celebrates-its-50th-anniversary-614401

HatStickBoots · 13/08/2025 16:44

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 16:37

She had been made ambassador. I saw it on the website before it was removed

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Wow! That’s really good news, thank you.
Good news that she’s not any more.

HeroicFailure · 13/08/2025 16:46

Lostinnewyork · 13/08/2025 16:24

I know editorial plus sales/ rights teams are all involved at the acquisition stage of a book . However, once the book has been acquired from the agent it is generally assigned a single editor. Was her editor quite young/ inexperienced I wonder? And awful lot of bollox seemed to have filtered through which a more mature editor might have picked up on.

It was Fiona Crosby at Michael Joseph. She's acknowledged in TSP as 'my talented editor.' I think she had left and gone to Headline (and then later on to Faber) before TWS and LL. She does look young, but publishing skews young now.

In TWS a whole bunch of people at Michael Joseph are acknowledged, but no one identified as her editor, though I think, from the way she describes her in the Acknowledgements of LL ('for her unwavering belief that I can actually write') that both sequels were edited by Fenella Bates.

[ETA Yes, confirmed in The Bookseller.]

Original poster

DisappointedReader · 13/08/2025 16:49

indignantfrother · 13/08/2025 16:28

It's been a long hot day and I've been following in the footsteps of our heroine, Salray, by going to the Ashover show. Unlike the 9 yr old Sally Winn pictured in the newspaper at the time, I didn't groom any cattle! (But did temp lose my car in the massive parking field!)

Anyway, I wondered if I could apply for the role of Country Show Correspondent?

Agreed.

I've just had a look at the Ashover Show online to check your credentials. Did you come across the Belgian Bouncing Man?

It seems they used to have the Red Barrows and sheep racing over jumps.

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Humankindness · 13/08/2025 16:49

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 10:59

And these people get to vote. The post-truth era.

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How rude! “These people” (probably Kernow residents) have a right to their opinions just as you have. Good for many of them for standing up to the witch hunters and haters.

User14March · 13/08/2025 16:50

Fandango52 · 13/08/2025 16:40

This is really interesting. It might be worth CH directly comparing 500MW with TSP. Perhaps she could also put TSP - and maybe RW’s later two books - into any plagiarism software she can access to see what comes up.

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I think she’s used a lot of out of print books on Cornwall & similar published in 80s & before so not much good. Mostly it’s ideas/events/geog not actual plagiarism but borrowed ideas, def.

The ‘tramp’ ref stands out as few use the word in context she describes any more.

indignantfrother · 13/08/2025 16:51

Oh yes, the Belgian Bouncing Man, his female sidekick and their horses did a (not very exciting) display. Sadly there were no racing sheep, which might have been more entertaining!

Original poster

DisappointedReader · 13/08/2025 16:54

Suggested topics of conversation:
Scones
Naked ramblers
Secondary and post-secondary education
Erotic confectionary
Country shows

OP posts:

AldoGordo · 13/08/2025 16:54

HatStickBoots · 13/08/2025 16:36

Thank you for replying, that’s really interesting. I think they must have made a positive decision because all their pages of content with her have now been taken down. I wish I could remember if she’d been made an ambassador.

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For thread info - RW was a SWCP ambassador since 2020. She also wrote the foreward to their guide book...complete with mention of sea mists and salted blackberries (is it possible for salt to be in water vapour???)...it's too long to consider pasting here but follow this link.

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220701162039/www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/love-the-coast-path/our-supporters/ambassadors/raynor-winn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20220701162039/www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/love-the-coast-path/our-supporters/ambassadors/raynor-winn/

Thread 14: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

SwetSwetSwet · 13/08/2025 16:58

The (unbelievable) tramp incident reminds me of when I used to take the children swimming. When DS was about 8, he used to get changed really quickly and hang about the lockers outside waiting for us. After a few weeks, I realised he was lifting up the grills that ran along under the lockers, and was collecting the slimy pound coins that people had dropped when trying to insert their money. He apparently found a good £3 or £4 each week!

Lostinnewyork · 13/08/2025 17:04

Did people even still use the term " tramp" in 2013?

Original poster

DisappointedReader · 13/08/2025 17:04

SwetSwetSwet · 13/08/2025 16:58

The (unbelievable) tramp incident reminds me of when I used to take the children swimming. When DS was about 8, he used to get changed really quickly and hang about the lockers outside waiting for us. After a few weeks, I realised he was lifting up the grills that ran along under the lockers, and was collecting the slimy pound coins that people had dropped when trying to insert their money. He apparently found a good £3 or £4 each week!

Enterprising! One of mine always seemed to make his pot of 2ps last longer than the rest of us in the old-fashioned arcades at the seaside. I just thought he was slower or luckier than the rest of us, until I spotted him on the floor looking underneath all the machines and finding the stash of lost coins.

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Lostinnewyork · 13/08/2025 17:07

DisappointedReader · 13/08/2025 17:04

Enterprising! One of mine always seemed to make his pot of 2ps last longer than the rest of us in the old-fashioned arcades at the seaside. I just thought he was slower or luckier than the rest of us, until I spotted him on the floor looking underneath all the machines and finding the stash of lost coins.

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The joys of finding coins! Soon to be lost forever to a cashless society.