Thread 15: 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 14 Observer items currently available on their online 'The real Salt Path' page: The real Salt Path | The Observer

4 more from The Observer:
‘Hope is extinguished’: CBD patients respond to Salt Path...

The real Salt Path | The Observer (The Slow Newscast)

(Live/online event)

The Observer YouTube Channel: The Observer UK - YouTube

Raynor Winn/Sally Walker's statement: Raynor Winn

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?^

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

Thread 12: 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: 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?

Thread 14: www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5388981-thread-14-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 get the background from at least some of the Observer items above before posting. There are currently a number of 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. Remember, even Hollywood rabbits attract the odd flea. 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 fourteen 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.

#Pinchofsaltpath
#Fudge
#Cider
#OurChloe
#OurSimon
#Correspondents
#Salray
#Timmoth
#MistakesWereMade
#EmbellishedBollox
#JustBollox
#DriveByScolding
#Glumwashing
#ThereBeSharks
#Scones
#NakedHikers
#TurquoiseGString
#BudleighSalterton
#SallyForth
#YesItReallyIsThread15
#Rabbits

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

The Wesleyan Chapel , 51 West St, Polruan where RAymoth lived from 2014/5-2019?

For all we know these weren't the first posts she made. Nevertheless, they are curious. The fact they are from the "second leg" is noteworthy, perhaps a sign they walked/visited that section in 2016.

I found @Choux's email at 8:30am today very interesting.

It is difficult for me to understand your personality analysis’ of Tim because I haven’t seen any evidence of cruelty towards Sally, but that doesn’t mean I think you’re wrong. It’s very interesting. I haven’t watched any video footage of them tbf because I can’t bring myself to, so I’m not seeing the clues that might give. The masks always slip after a while.

Nobody else will know, and anyone who knows the narcisstic type would be horrified to hear the point of view of anyone who has seen the truth- including the victims. We spend huge amounts of energy explaining and excusing them, and blaming ourselves- that’s why it’s so very damaging. And because they’re always seen as almost perfect people by outsiders, those people would never believe what was really happening, and would probably join in blaming the victim. I agree we don’t know, but we certainly can’t rule it out.

What I find worrying is the number of people who just don't care.

I think this is an increasing problem more widely. I was horrified by the number of people who looked at Boris Johnson- sacked for lying as a journalist, criminally incompetent and dishonest as a prime minister- and just thought he was funny and either didn’t vote or voted for him anyway. People look away. Maybe it’s because there is so much that’s difficult and painful to look at, we need our unflinchingly honest tales of overcoming the odds to be true, otherwise it’s yet another blow and adds to cynicism or disengaging from reality.

For personal reasons, I keep thinking about the incredibly poor, calorie deficient and unnutricious diet that they apparently had on the walk.

Since I've been ill (a month now) I'm really struggling to eat, maybe managing 600/700 calories a day (although I'm trying to make sure that is high in protein and fibre and taking vitamins etc) The most I can do is wobble slowly from room to room and I'm very aware I've lost weight. I just cannot see how people could do even a few miles a day on such terrain and camp out for an extended period on a diet of basically noodles, a bit of fudge and occasional half bags of chips without weight loss, as well as declining health through lack of proper nutrients. Raymoth were not "big" people to start with but don't look as if this happened to them in any photos I've seen.

Just don't get it.

How very true. Surely they must be "partners in crime" but what was TW's actual role? Was the relationship like that between Dennis the dachshund and Larry the lamb in the "Toytown" stories? ( I remember them from BBC radio "Children's Hour" dramatisations.) Whenever these two friends got up to mischief, it was always Larry who got caught - Larry being gullible and Dennis the crafty one. Dennis made sure that he was in the background directing operations - so when Ernest the policeman appeared on the scene he could quietly walk away, leaving his fried Larry to face the music!
And if anyone is thinking this is complete nonsense, I do believe that the author found a way of poking fun at the adult world by writing these stories for children.

And again I'm wondering if all the investigations into 'did they do the walk or not, when did they do it, did they do it in one go and where did they stay' is diluting the message somewhat? Also giving SW something to get her teeth into when she starts rebuttals - she can produce pictures and mutter about having done the whole distance etc etc...

...when the real issues (at least as far as I am concerned), the real actionable problematic portions aren't concerned with the walking of the coast path, they are to do with whether or not TW actually has a diagnosed terminal illness and the fraudulent actions which led to the losing of the house. These are the things I think which ought to be 'bigged up' because I think these are the things that the generally-disengaged public might actually get behind condemning.

Most readers don't care how and when the path came to be walked and who may or may not have been with them and/or offering help. But they just might be galvanised into action by hearing that TW is alive and well with no sign of EVER HAVING HAD a terminal illness and that SW STOLE THE MONEY which led to the loss of their house.

Bending of the truth is one thing. Outright lying is another.

4.09 in the video shows the Wesleyan chapel in West St

Bing Videos

I have seen a photo of Ray where she looked noticeably bigger & Tim thinner & in not such rude health but otherwise def agree.

It's often a problem that it is harder to prove a negative than a positive. You may be able to say for certain that you saw someone on a given day but harder to prove that they weren't there - you may have zoned out / not recognised them / nipped to the loo

Just to add as well @Catwith69lives that we don’t know that nobody has come forward. They may have spoken to Chloe H - or another journalist at another paper - but it may be that it just hasn’t been reported yet for whatever reason.

@Freshsocks and others - I’ve just spoken to Trading Standards (via Citizens Advice) and they were very helpful. I explained I had a copy of the book and also explained a bit of the background of the book and why it was untruthful, and the man I spoke to said it’s on me as the consumer to prove it was not sold as described. He also said he’d pass this onto Trading Standards.

Have I missed something? What deception has there been between school and the theft ?

I agree with you about the 2 main issues. But in reality the general public don't really care enough about anything to the point of taking action.

Anyone from Cornwall / South West, do food prices really increase during tourist season - even in general shops and supermarkets? It's something Salray says happens which makes their predicament all the worse, so just curious if there's any plausibility for that to be a concern.

What we get in our small town/villages is often the convenience versions of the big supermarkets. So it is dearer but not seasonal.

Somebody on the thread managed to find some information that school peers of SW claimed she cheated and was dishonest at school.

Thank you. That's what I would have expected. It's the same in other rural touristy areas I know - not seasonal, just more expensive generally. Seems to be yet another "woe is us" embellishment and "blame the tourists."

I agree that these are the two main issues. I’m not sure about the public being galvanised into action, because I’m not sure what that would look like. Seems unlikely SW will do any future appearances so it’s not like people can show their feelings by asking her questions (or by not buying a ticket in the first place) But I think you’re spot on in the issues which need to be highlighted. Those are the two things SW will most want to avoid addressing. Particularly the embezzlement I think. It’s such a vile crime.

anyhow, for the moment SW has gone quiet! Though I’d love to hear the conversations going on in their home. Wonder when they’ll dare venture out? I guess they’ve got plenty of acreage to walk round without having to step out into the public arena…

I think it was @Catwith69lives who found that info.

It was a friend of a friend of hers at school. There have been other social media posts by people who knew her at school in Burton on Trent in the 1970s.

@SimoArmo not that I've ever noticed. Maybe it might in little village shops, but not supermarkets.

To be fair (to me...) I only suggested making the general public aware of the issues with TSP and follow ups, not galvanising them. I don't think there's much galvanising that the general public can take and, as PPs have said, most of them just aren't that interested in what they consider to be 'literary criticism'. But many of the current buyers of the books still don't know that the two major selling points - homelessness and TWs diagnosis - were sufficiently massaged to be now very relaxed and smelling of lavender.

Thanks to you too - you prompted me to look at one of the expensive areas, in TSP. The ice creams in the best situated part of the high street are definitely more expensive than down the road!

The next morning should have stimulated an appetite, with a whole section of the coast being named after the contents of a butcher’s shop. Gammon Head, Ham Stone, Pig’s Nose, ferry. Salcombe. We walked through the town quickly, trying hard not to look at food and on around the rocky, exposed Bolt Head. We pitched the tent, finally, on Bolt Tail

Just whizzed through a guide book. A stunning, historic area....but nothing ...

Do you possibly have a link to that
please ?