Thread 21 : To feel disappointed - and now disgusted too - after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

[DisappointedReader]

NO POSTS PLEASE UNTIL THREAD 20 IS FULL

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?

Thread 20: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5454438-thread-20-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 5 months we have done amazingly well together for 20 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. Our Cardboard Mascot Our Simon has had his head stuck back on and is wearing a very fetching tinsel boa. The charabanc is bedecked with fairy lights and very well stocked up. May the seasonal fudge and mulled cider be with you one and all. 🎅🌲🎁❄️🎄

These threads are the gifts that keep on giving:
New:

• Salt Path: A Very British Scandal, available from Monday 15th December Sky Documentaries and NOW TV
• ‘Don’t look for the money. I’ve taken it all’: Salt Path author Raynor Winn’s ‘confession’ that she stole from her family | The Observer

Up and coming:

• 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
• Podcast series from The Observer's award-winning Investigative Journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou
• BBC Documentary (NB Not involving Our Chloe)

*MNHQ correcting above 'Documentary' to 'Podcast' at request of author

NO POSTS PLEASE UNTIL THREAD 20 IS FULL

Exactly, she does not have the paperwork, because it does not exist. The first time Tim saw a consultant neurologist was in 2015, there are no other letters, there is no other proof. She can't produce anything earlier than 2015.

Yes, you are correct. It was merely a best guess given the subjective symptoms and very limited objective observations. It was not conclusive or definite at all.

And if they did, then why is this consultant seemingly oblivious to what has come before regarding Tim's healthcare to date and a former CBS (or any!) diagnosis. Would be another glaring omission. Either the consultant is incredibly inept or there were no prior consultations or diagnoses with neurologists. It seems obvious what the answer is.

Thank you @SimoArmo , why are people reluctant to challenge on this issue, my own personal thought, the consultant who gave that diagnosis, was the same consultant who reviewed the book. If that is the case, the consultant gets implicated in this, he will have become aware of the lies as soon as he read the book. I think people are more concerned about challenging a consultant than Salray, they don't want to ask the uncomfortable questions, I have tried to raise this issue before on the threads and been told that consultants can't be questioned, they are protected by patient confidentiality, so I shut up again.

People with a lying problem do have a problem admiting it. Especially if they also have a diagnosed mental health condition which led to it.
Not to armchair diagnose or offend anyone but highs and lows (Tim) and fantasies fake illnesses and impulsive spending can all be traits of bipolar disease.

I know this personally and professionally.

There's probably a reason/s for this lying a Psychologist could share but it's fairly common pattern.

Not surprised Belle Gibson didn't admit it (also presumably admission can open up criminal charges in some cases).
I think habitual liars come to believe what they say. CH says this in documentary and I imagine meeting liars are a strong feature of investigative journalism. It is also my personal experience of this type.

I understand your frustration because I share it. Regarding questioning the consultant, the barrier to that is Dr-Patient confidentiality. He simply cannot out himself as Tim's Dr or talk about Tim's condition, so what purpose would talking to him have? He could only ever skirt around the subject and not give any insight, as annoying as that is.

I agree @SimoArmo, the question is, did the consultant know that Tim was Moth? if he did and reviewed the book, then he will have become aware of the lies, he should have challenged it, he has a duty to, if a person is miss representing a diagnosis for financial gain, he has a duty to report it to his supervisor. I have confirmed this with the GMC before anyone scolds me. Salray could have been shut down by this consultant, he could have questioned the dates in the book, asked Tim why he hadn't told him about the walking at the first consultation in 2015, and challenged the date of the consultation in the book, but he hasn't.

In fact he is very likely the consultant who reviewed the book, if so he is the problem, if he had shut them down then, we wouldn't have more books and a film, but no, because they are quite a literary bunch at that particular unit, they already have a consultant neurologist publishing poetry. I think the consultant is naive and unworldly, no match for Raymoth. The GMC confirmed that the consultant, if aware should have done something, if we ever have his name a complaint can be made, and they will take it very seriously and look into it.

I don’t think anyone has responded to this question yet. I just did a search - because I agree that the statement sounds longer than the one I recall. It looks as though they’ve added the sentence about people being shocked and upset. There might be other slight changes too.

This was the original statement:

The charity’s statement reads: “Raynor and Moth worked with many individuals and organisations since their first book was published, including PSPA.
“We received the family’s need for support, and desire to raise awareness of PSP & CBD in good faith.
“Whilst we are thankful for the awareness opportunities their story has provided; too many questions currently remain unanswered.
“Therefore, we have made the decision to terminate our relationship with the family.
“In the meantime, we want to reassure supporters that any fundraising Raynor and Moth conducted for PSPA was via official platforms such as JustGiving and monies raised have been received in full by the charity.”

As said many threads ago, a diagnosis would aid funding and maybe even a place on the gardening degree. I imagine it's an oversubscribed course. The book wasn't written then in 2015. I doubt the diagnosis (if sort for nefarious reasons) was more likely for other reasons. Not to back up the book. The book isn't the only part of their life they've fabricated. It's just the most successful and public.

(Apologies above I meant Bipolar Disorder).

You can see I find Timmoth way more fascinating. Not that I consider Salray innocent bystander.

It's always especially toxic and doubly effective when 'symbiotic' souls come together because otherwise one would have either tempered the other or ended up leaving them and their tangle of devastation. As said before, if our partners had committed multiple fraud not many of us would have stood by in support. It's proper Bonny and Clyde. 2 equally but differently tricky characters coming together in a combined force.

Probably parents saw this early on. Hence disapproval.

If she can do creative accountancy & cook books, couldn’t she be similarly creative around consultant letters? Hiding behind a medical privacy veil if necessary (?)

I don't think anyone would be dumb enough to put a forgery into the public sphere or would they?!?
As Said above. They didn't need to.

I don't want to out myself which is why i didnt mention before, but my ex has BD and has had lots of physical things diagnosed but I know that some are not true. although at the time I didnt question. Years later I did. Based on reported symptoms and good acting. In his case he partially believed it himself so I'm not sure if acting is right term.
It's also easy to Google conditions with no definitive tests and vague symptoms and get appointments. It wasn't as hard to see someone in NHS 10 years ago. Now you'd be waiting 18 months! All consultants write back to GP and copy the patient.

Honestly I'd put my money on that plus desire for paperwork for college. Later also then added to book. Maybe Salray believed it too. Maybe she didn't.

I don't see how she can, she can't forge the medical letters, if she could have done she would have forged Tim a diagnosis letter dated 2013. No, there is no way out of this diagnosis lie.

So was all this charity work just arse-covering for when they were eventually found out? If so, it didn't work.

Narcissistic supply, more likely.

To add- They probably didn't need to google. They may have known someone with cbs. This is how they've done other things. Met someone with cbs. Heard how it came about/symptoms etc. As above. My ex was constantly hearing about things and then going down a rabbit hole of do I have this. For example I pandered to 2 years of a fodmap diet based on some imagined syndrome. I'm not going to out myself further!

More book sales from profile raising. Had to do some charity stuff to keep visible and remain patron...plus yes grandiosity.

All the charity work helped to make the lie believable, a charity wouldn't let them be promoting it if they didn't believe that Moth was a sufferer of CBD, all adding weight to Salray's lies and giving Salray and Moth credibility, now they represented a charity.

Ah of course, more sales, more money.

They fairly landed on their feet there, didn't they? For a while, anyway.

I reckon part of it was to make it seem Tim was still ill and avoid doubts creeping in. They knew the absence of symptoms would become harder and harder to hide as the years rolled on. What better way to show you are living with an illness than join forces with the charity for it? It sidesteps a significant amount of questioning and distracts from doubting if he is ill or not - "of course he is, he is raising money for a good cause and somehow defying the odds!"

Mistake was picking a degenerative disease with a short timeframe to death. But then in 2017 they weren't expecting a 4 book deal. The degree was only 3 years... and she wasn't planning a book sequel.

Another clue is that to the best of anyone's knowledge they've not made any substantial personal donations to support the condition from their wealth. (Or opened a homelessness shelter). Just the odd fundraiser with other people donating. It's very unlike the high profile MD sufferers who have done a lot in this arena.

I wonder did they ever, in the dead of night, sit bolt upright and think shit, what have I got myself into?

This wasn't just lying to family and friends anymore, the stakes were now way, way higher.

Salray does not look like a happy woman. And has been repeatedly said by others who knew or met her. Shy, guarded, quiet, moany.

Timmoth looks like he doesn't have a care in the world.

Make of that what you will!

That's very telling. And instead they were apparently going to charge for wellness retreats.

I don't think they "picked" cbd. I think they lucked out when the consultant arrived at that very loose possibility. I find it hard to believe they actively tried to get a cbd diagnosis when it is so hard to diagnose. If. IF, they were trying it on, i would think it was for some more common neuro disease.