Thread 20 : 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 ...

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

Links to threads 2-16, the other 20 Observer articles and videos to date, Raynor Winn/Sally Walker's statement, our timeline and sources can all be accessed in the OP and first few posts of Thread 17: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5403285-thread-17-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Thread 18: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5422393-thread-18-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Thread 19: www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5437058-thread-19-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 are welcome. It would be helpful to get the background from at least some of the Observer exposé items 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. Remember, even Hollywood rabbits attract the odd flea. Please do not engage with drive-by scolders and ploppers 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. Over five months we have done amazingly well together for 19 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.

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

Up and coming:

• Salt Path: A Very British Scandal, Monday 15th December 9pm Sky Documentaries and NOW
• Sunday Papers Live, The Real Salt Path with Chloe Hadjimatheou, Sunday 7th December (see image below for tickets and further details)
• Observer Newsroom: The Real Salt Path Story, Thursday 8th January 2026 6.30-7.30pm. More information and to book via this link observer.co.uk/our-events/the-real-salt-path-story

Is it easy to see someone's Scottish civil wedding certificate from the recent past? I no longer have any genealogy website memberships so can't check. Do certificates show witnesses? I was just wondering if any family signed to say they witnessed the event.

Giving the benefit of the doubt, maybe mistakes were made, and they recalled that they got married in Skye but actually it was Vegas?

In the 1977 Scotland marriage act, it said that you could marry under the age of 21 without parental consent, I haven't been thinking about the consent angle, just could they run away and get married without booking in advance, which they couldn't do. I looked at the Gretna Green website, it says that you have had to book your wedding according to the law, so ever since 1978, when the act came into force, to Marry in Gretna Green, or any registry office fifteen days notice.

I seem to remember many thread ago that one PP got hold of a copy of their marriage certificate and verified that it did indeed happen in Portree, Skye and Sal's father was shown as a stockman, not a tenant farmer.

Strange review - but likes the journalism, again:

Her new book is due to be published next year. It is expected to shoot up the bestseller charts.

The Salt Path Scandal review: A remarkable tale pieced together using old-school gumshoe journalism – The Irish Times

I suppose that maybe she might be giving the impression that they 'ran away and got married' in isolation but she doesn't seem to actually specify that. So we are led to believe that they were all bohemian and modern and daring when really the wedding was booked and arranged in advance and, yes, they might have travelled to it, but otherwise it was just a normal, straightforward wedding.

I think you are spot on @Vroomfondleswaistcoat :) and then the parents made them have a conventional little reception at the house for the family, Sal is hating every moment, Tim not so much, he gets to wear the suit again, and he is enjoying the attention :)

Shows up in Portree

Yes to a script I think.

It feels almost precision planned, like a heist or the canoe 2. They saw a way of making ££. ‘Let’s say I was writing it privately for you as a Birthday present’, ‘they’ll never buy it’, ‘wanna bet?!’.

Always start with ‘I need to take you back to the start’ & stick to script. Tim says I’ll swerve the interviews but ‘appear’ sometimes in pre edited video clips. Maybe he is seriously ill but I now have serious doubts.

It’s powerful as others speak for them NB: Jason Issacs on the One Show. ‘You were CONNED out of everything’.

Tim would have had to wear a white suit for Vegas :)

It’s powerful as others speak for them NB: Jason Issacs on the One Show. ‘You were CONNED out of everything’.

Good point about others speaking for them.

I'd be really interested (I'm sure we all would) in JI/GA's opinions now, but don't blame them for not saying anything. They are part of the vast mob of innocent bystanders in the Strrange Land of Raymoth (twinned with Oz) (not Australia Oz)

But it sounds so much more dramatic to say you eloped without your parents' approval.

I really would like to see Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs wade in at some point. I know they probably won't, because every word must be hurting their income from the film, but it would be nice if they could come out and condemn Sal and her fantasies. Or even just pass some kind of opinion on what's going down.

But maybe they, like so many of the reading public, are going to hold the line because they feel a bit stupid about being duped?

Haven't posted for a quite a few threads, but thought this might be an interesting addition to the discussions....

We got married at a registry office in England in 1981; toddled off to the place on the Friday to find out what the procedures were re getting married - and were married by Special Licence on the following Monday. Very swift! We were living together already, miles away from family (who we told after the event) and didn't have witnesses. Two lovely women from the office stood in, and nobody seemed in the least bit fazed by this (was in a large south-coast town, though, and we got the impression it happened quite a lot!

Have just checked with DH and he confirms that my memory has not gone wonky, haha!

Have no idea what the situation was in Scotland at the time, though.

Just to say a big thank-you to everyone for all of the comments on here - the conversations have kept me totally engrossed. Can't quite believe the extent of the revelations over the last few days....

I really would like to see Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs wade in at some point.

Forgive the frivolity (threads end) but I'd like to see GA go Maggie Thatcher and JI Lucius Malfoy on them!

Our Simon could just give them a Look.

It’s a very common tactic by emotional manipulators to always go “right back to the beginning” they have to do their equivalent of an “elevator pitch” they need you to be fully invested in their difficult backstory and feeling so sorry for them and the circumstances they faced, before we even get up to date with how things are going now.

@ThisTookAWhile Just to say a big thank-you to everyone for all of the comments on here - the conversations have kept me totally engrossed. Can't quite believe the extent of the revelations over the last few days....

Agree and think there will be more .. thank you - still grateful for Yr Wddfa, Snowdon trig point!

Presumably the actors' contracts (1) oblige them to do a certain amount of promotion of the film, and (2) prohibit them from saying anything detrimental.

I hope if Our Chloe ever writes a book about this that particular snap will be the front cover!

Just seen (in a Matrix moment) when confronted with a large pic onscreen that TSP film is available on Netflix now.

Yes, and it has been on blu-ray in Germany since 31/10/25. I think it did fizzle out ... all the reviews of the film awards, I have seen, did not even mention it. This includes indy films, ones that got overlooked ... not a peep.

Coming back to these threads after a while away. I did post on some early ones under another username but have long since forgotten what it was!

Crikey, things have taken a dramatic turn. I do remember someone saying early on that embezzling £60k is not exactly a starter crime!

I'm interested to hear it said that SW got lawyers involved to prevent release of the documentary. If she did, there are a number of possibilities. These range from 'no leg to stand on' legal advice through 'shot across the bows' type letters right up to 'let's go for it' and an application to the court for an injunction. If things got as far as that, the application obviously didn't succeed. If Sky said they would defend a threatened defamation claim on the grounds of truth the court would refuse to block publication. If it did get that far, Sky are very confident about the quality of their sources and the willingness of witnesses to stand by their evidence.

That won't come as a surprise to anyone having now seen the documentary. But it will have indicated to SW that if she wants to take on anyone in the courts she's going to have to do a lot more than just say it's not true and they're all a load of big meanies out to get her.

It was me who viewed their marriage record at a Scotland's People Centre during a visit a few months ago. Scottish marriage records contain a lot more detail than English ones do, so I was able to note dates of birth, details of both parents, addresses, and names of witnesses. So while it's true they did get married in Portree, I don't believe for a second the tale of the Registry Office being closed for renovations.

I am very much a lurker, but have followed these threads since the start. Every time I don't think this pair of lying grifters can do anything worse, I'm proven wrong. The theft of family money is just jaw dropping. I have a brother who for many years stole from my mother, but thankfully we managed to cut off his contact with her for some years before she died. So I have personal experience of the lying elder abuser and how truly awful they are.

What I can't understand is why, now the pair of them are millionaires, they didn't try to make amends to those left behind. Presumably they just didn't want to. Finally, I'm certain there is absolutely nothing wrong with Tim. He's as bad as Sally is - maybe even worse.

Did she do anything criminal at the hotel that went bust I wonder? If, as she’s said, all a compulsion…?

Absolute nonsense - there’s absolutely no way you’d be able to pack a wedding dress and a well made suit into rucksacks without everything being extremely creased..

Sal has said members of family who are aggrieved can always contact her privately, so perhaps will repay?