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

One finger of fudge is just enough to give the kids a treat.

@Freshsocks should we put questions in a hat, find out the different things we all want to know?

HNTDDD.

Yes @Peladon, it would be so interesting to know if Chloe has managed to find a copy and what she has discovered, she might know more about the book prize.

Yes, I'm really interested to find out if she has a copy of the mythic HNTDDD. A lot hangs on that and of course the CB prize award debacle(we may need to give Vroomie more fudge at that point) (and sloe gin)

Just lie me down, moisten me lightly and fan me with a copy of any of Simon's poems.

I might need something to bite down hard on, though.

I was going to say smelling salts, and a couple of charabangers, one for each (simon) armpit, to hold you up.

Stop press!
Wikipedia's page on "Raynor Winn" now starts by saying "Her second book". Vroom will be delirious.

If this is true @Peladon, then we are going to need the smelling salts, medicinal sloe gin, tablet and as much fudge as you can possibly gather together as quickly as possible.

I just had a look, you are absolutely right @Peladon, how delicious is that @Vroomfondleswaistcoat much tastier than fudge :)

Anything to stop you chewing Simon's head!

I do wonder if Salray ever thought that she'd have Our Chloe and a group of tenacious MNetters like a Hellhound on her trail (to quote the late, great bluesman Robert Johnson)

It isn't quite like the Furies pursuing her as I'm sure she is still metaphorically counting the cash in Moneybarn 3 and in some ways impervious because £££, but it is a lesson in lies catching up with you and being publically called to account for them.

@Freshsocks @Peladon I am doing a very happy little jig here right now. Actually, it's slightly more than that and I fear I may have disgraced myself in the eyes of other charabanceers. Sorry about that, chaps. It'll sponge out.

I am ecstatic - thanks. What a good 24 hours we're having.

So excited for you too, I'm going to ask @DisappointedReader if we can fly a pennant from the charabanc, or perhaps we can have the fairy lights on again? Don't worry about the sponging, we have had far worse happen, I've disgraced myself a few times, @DisappointedReader is still polishing the chrome, I'll grab the mop and bucket :)

Blimey, I knew that yesterday would bring a crop of postings but almost 300??? And then I realised all the reasons why: we got a namecheck in the broadcast <woo-hoo!, hilarious>, @OurChloe has popped in <curtseys> and @Vroomfondleswaistcoat's great wish has come true on Wiki <blows kisses over Headless Si> @DisappointedReader thank you so much again for starting these threads.

does anyone know if last night's event was recorded and/or will be on the Observer channel? Oh, and I love the charabanc badges. Speaking as an ex-MLer (if you know you know), seeing a bunch of people greet each other with online usernames is great fun and doesn't feel at all weird, honest. Quite fancy being able to say 'It's Weader, Tonstant Weader' at some point.

The Wild Rovering Pooing Correspondent stands ready for action and sniffing out things as required. Actually, being serious for a min <TW, are you OK??> thank you all for the good wishes for him. We've had A Bit Of A Time with him over the past couple of months and we nearly lost him just after Christmas but I'm delighted to report that we got confirmation yesterday he doesn't have any cancer as our vet feared. He does have a chronic condition but this can be managed. Phew.

I know what people mean about the romantic view of the countryside vs the 'real' countryside. That's definitely what the proposed wellness centre would have tapped into. There's a place like that near us; lots of wild swimming and foraging and yoga and breathwork and similar stuff. I always think the same about those foodie festivals like the Alex James one.

@Uricon2 all the v v best to you, m'dear. Sending all the good vibes your way.

Delighted to hear about our Wild Pooing Rovering Correspondent! If he's going to do any more wild pooing he can probably share my mop and bucket.

@TonstantWeader Re: last night's event. It did say it was being recorded.

oh, brilliant, thank you @BeaveringBrandy . I'll keep an eye/ear out.

<hands back mop to Vroom>

If you'll forgive the bad photoshopping, I've added fairy lights to the charabanc as @freshsocks suggested. I'm the lady in the helmet two to the left of Our Simon, looking very pleased with her candyfloss (as a change from the usual fudge and cider diet).

Phew, that took a while to catch up on. For anyone else who hasn't been able to sneak cheeky reads at work, here's a summary of the day courtesy of chat gpt (I have neither the wit, grammar or energy to write my own).
🌟 Celebrity @OurChloe joined the chat, prompting initial suspicion, rapid identity verification, and then an immediate scramble to sit next to her, feed her cider and fudge, and begin a relentless interrogation.
🔍 A contraband enforcer was formally appointed to search the group for smuggled fudge, suggesting morale was high but discipline was essential.
💸 Debate raged over debt enforcement — specifically how long you can pursue one, and whether Sally Walker actually paid hers — with legal certainty inversely proportional to available evidence.
✨ It was casually noted that the charabanc may be getting fairy lights, confirming that this journey is now long-term and comes with sparkles!

Did I miss anything ? 😅😅

Thank you for the excellent summary of today's events @ThisQuirkyRaven :)

Great photo @Priorlake, the charabanc looks grand with the lights on. I'm second in on the right, sitting on the back seat with a big smile on my face :)

@ThisQuirkyRaven Thanks so much may I add:

📚Much celebrating over the belated addition of Sally Wyn Thomas Winn Walker's first book HNTDDD to her Wiki page. TSP now described as her 2nd book

Oh that is beautiful @Priorlake !

I'm the lady top right seated in the charabanc, the one with the snarl, I think

Am I allowed to add a fudge-fuelled junior correspondent to the Charabanc collective? My seven year old asked what I was doing last know (observer news room), immediately demanded I turn the webcam on so he could wave at Chloe and then interrogated me incessantly about the naughty people who told lies about walking. He was genuinely fascinated. Feel free to ply him with fudge, but we may need to stock up on fruit shoots rather than rely on cider 😆

He sounds ideal to me@ThisQuirkyRaven, with his young brain and quick legs, he could help to figure things out and keep the fudge distribution going. Fruit shoots can be obtained at the next opportunity, don't worry no one is going to let him have any of their cider rations :)

Wow what a catch up! I was elsewhere being actually chronically ill and not doing foolhardy excessive exercise in case it heals me.

Looking forward to chatting with Our Chloe!!!

My question is whether anyone (PRH, Waterstones, SalRay, the DWP) was at all bothered about the printed admission of benefit fraud.