Thread 22 : 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 21 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?

Links to threads 18-20 can be found in the OP of Thread 21: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5460943-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?

Most recent:

• 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

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 6 months we have done amazingly well together for 21 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.

After 21,000 posts there are still new things to look out for on the path ahead:

• 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, 13th January 2026
• BBC Podcast (NB Not involving Our Chloe)

Keep to the path, no saltiness, eat fudge and drink cider.

NO POSTS PLEASE UNTIL THREAD 21 IS FULL

I just realised those performances with Gigspanner must have been her attempt to do something like the beautiful Lost Words/Spell Songs shows. God, how embarrassing.

<dances with delight>

Didn't expect that response... Thank you!

Good luck for the podcasts. Looking forward to listening to them.

Is "OurChloe" actually Our Chloe?
I do hope that you are Our Chloe and not just teasing us :)
if indeed this is Chloe Hadjimatheou!

I'll let you all know. In the meantime please err on the side of caution and remember that it could even be Salray...or a kind person sort.

@OnlyAfterwards Wasn't the wellness venture in partnership with an existing organisation, or am I imagining that part?

It was a new company set up by the Walkers' daughter who also helped with sending out those pricey Gigspanner books that give Sal's 'words'. The daughter and son are of course beneficiaries of Four Hares Ltd.

It is like Simon Armwrestler - who was ahead of the charabanc. That did confuse me ... I could think of two likely candidates and then they both showed up. It could be that is a lonely lorry driver in a lay-by in Luxembourg, or something like that?

Setting up a wellness business makes sense, IMO. It could provide a continuing (and good) income stream (for when the inspiration to write new true books, or appetite to read them, runs out), could allow all of the book proceeds to be put towards a house and not depleted by day-to-day living expenses, it could be good for children or any other people they would like to bestow kindness on, and it might be possible to do it without a vast amount of commitment, effort or talent,.

Well, or SW deep undercover, cosplaying Lois Lane...

Sorry, that was meant in reference to Robert MacFarlane, not Simon Armitage! Still groggy from de flu 😵‍💫

I looked it up @TheTimeTravellersNiece , sounds wonderful. Hope the flu abates soon, this one does sound like it lingers.

Hello again everyone. Now, no spilling your cider or choking on your fudge. I'm too busy polishing the charabanc to do any more mopping up or Heimlich manoeuvres. That would also be a waste of good cider and fudge. Supplies are getting low and there is a cost of living crisis on, don't you know?

I am pleased to confirm that @OurChloe is indeed Our Chloe. I strongly suspected as much but wanted to be completely sure. There you have it.

And a warm welcome to our latest delurker, Our Chloe.

I'm now waiting for Our Simon to delurk.

Thank you for authenticating @DisappointedReader, better make sure we have plenty of supplies onboard the charabanc, we have no idea how much fudge and cider @OurChloe will consume :)

Welcome aboard @OurChloe . Thanks for offering the Q&A, imagine that it will probably be after the podcasts. Thanks also for...well, obvious!

(Awaits some wag namechanging to OurSimon for the next thread, although they might get lost in the PL derived usernames, actually)

Our Chloe can sit next to me. She might have to sit ON Headless Simon, but I'm sure he won't mind. I've still got plenty of fudge to share...

Too true @Freshsocks. Quite a lot, I imagine. I'm just hoping I don't have to give her too many scoldings for excessive saltiness. You never know with Our Chloe.

You've been hiding it again, haven't you? (narrows eyes) 😂

Well, not one person has queried Headless Simon's unnaturally perky posture. He's full of fingers of fudge.

I didn't believe it for a split second. I'll have to go back and React positively to her posts. Well the arch-sceptic has got her comeuppance which hasn't been happening on these threads ... the couple in question continued to get worse!

@OurSimon is thankfully already taken!

Get well soon @Uricon2. You have a charabanc full of well-wishers.

But can we trust you with Our Chloe, @Vroomfondleswaistcoat ? I distinctly remember reuniting Our Simon with his head for Christmas and giving him a jaunty 1970s tinsel scarf (see OP Thread 21 in evidence). Yet back in your tender care and he almost immediately lost it again! I don't want Our Chloe to alight from the charabanc looking like she's been dragged through a gorse bush backwards.

You can imagine the questioning of OurSimon

" Write us a poem then (and we'll know if it's AI)"

(Detailed question about the exact topography of the Pennine way)

"Can you share the PL sherry? C'mon, you get lots"

"We need to see a picture of you holding up todays copy of the Times while wearing a MN charabanc badge, please".

I propose a belated wassail to @MargaretThursday 🍺well done for expressing your continuing interest

Weeeellll.... to be fair, she can probably keep her head on. Other than that, no promises.

It looks like someone is going to have to frisk Vroom for fudge on a regular basis. Any volunteers for Contraband Correspondent? Perhaps our Rovering Reporter could be trained to sniff out hidden fudge? I do hope he's on the mend.

I think it will be a brave correspondent to frisk @Vroomfondleswaistcoat, when well enough, hopefully soon, I think canine detection would be best :)

Just thinking, if @OurChloe is coming aboard, everyone is going to want to sit next to her, feed her fudge, ply her with cider and maybe ask her questions, should we put questions in a hat, find out the different things we all want to know?