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

To ‘SaltPath’’ someone should to be added to the dictionary. The 2026 equivalent of having the wool pulled over one’s eyes, or to being gaslit.
’They totally saltpathed me!’
‘

Much more detail on the lack of cider-making, what Bill Cole suggested as a solution, and TW's response (!), which gives a bit more context to the 'don't plan past Christmas' conversation in episode 3 (and an unexpected sidelight onto an aspect of TW's personality), via BC himself (though he didn't directly participate in the podcast and an actor voices his words) and Ruth Saberton.

I've listened to the first episode through @DisappointedReader 's link and I'm not sure my nerves and blood pressure can stand any more episodes. I frothed and ired my way through the whole forty minutes. By about half way through I was standing in the middle of my living room shouting "Chateau?!? Chateau!?! It was a dovecote and THAT was falling down!!!" so loudly that most of you probably heard me.

It was Tim's far more successful brother who bought a chateau. So Sally was talking herself up even then.

Ghastly. I hadn't realised that they lived at Bill Cole's Hay Farm for about five years before they decided to skip leaving the key under the mat. Bill Cole was pestered by other journalists after the first revelations & because of tghat he didnt want to appear on the podcast. His words are voiced by an actor.

CH visits the French property in episode 5. Evidently there was a house on the land that was basic but perfectly habitable when the Walkers bought it in 2007. The pigeonnier was on the adjacent property.

Oh you spoilsport - I was enjoying a good froth there.

But it wasn't a chateau, was my basic point. Just a wee place, Barely a chat.

Ep3- less a spoiler, more another layer of disgust.

as they left Haye Farm, the new owner of the house on the Lleyn calls Bill Cole and when he says they’ve left, she asks him “how much did they owe you?”
And they did. The utilities were left “in a bit of a mess” and the cost to the cider business of their malingering running into the tens of thousands. But of course, another person had offered them kindness, understanding, hospitality, and decent work- just like the Hemmings did- and in exactly the same way, the Walkers treated that with utter contempt, leaving the person hurt, gaslit, and probably doubting their own judgement.

Shout out to our Chloe, for every episode reiterating clearly and carefully that “Moth suffers with a degenerative neurological disease, CBD” in such a way that it’s clear that she’s putting the quotation marks around the phrase.

Episode 6 spoiler alert

Some absolutely brilliant quotes about Tim from SalRay’s niece - confirming everything that’s been said here about his image obsession and SalRay’s devotion at all costs.

And HNTDDD will be in episode 7!!!!

Ooooooooohhhhhh..... I am bouncing up and down on the edge of my seat!!! (With apologies to @ThisQuirkyRaven who is sitting next to me and restraining the fudge).

Break it to me gently....

I think the point is that Raymoth didn't buy a chateau, of the Loire description or anything resembling one. She would know the image conjoured up when mentioning such and I'm sure the person quoted would remember if she said it was a tatty (if charming) little place in vegetation and needing lots of work. I was very tempted some years ago by a Templararie once inhabited by the Knights Templar in a remote bit of France, of fascinating construction (and I'm almost certain it had some form of plumbing)

It was rather lovely in its own way but it was not a chateau. DH (boo!) pointed out exactly how much money it would cost to make it habitable and he was right (bah!)

A quick reminder to put the episode number you are commenting on at the top of each post.

Many thanks.

Episode 5 Spoiler Alert

Although I haven't had time to listen to it yet.

It's a big one.

#pathologicalliars.

No spoiler @DisappointedReader , comment on chateau.
Didn't the brother go on to purchase a chateau nearby @Uricon2, abandoning the adjacent property, to renovate the chateau instead?

In her rebuttal Sally says that she and Tim, bought the property because developers wanted to acquire it, I realise that this is just another Salray excuse, but to then say it is worthless, what happened to the fictitious developers?

And, call me a cynic if you want, but I have the slightest feeling that Sal might have described the falling down French cottage as a 'chateau' because she wanted people to feel jealous of her, and to have a mental image of something like a Disney castle. Otherwise she would have described it as a little gite (can't find the accent).

Hadn't Tim's brother already bought his place by then?

Yes @Vroomfondleswaistcoat, I think he had, Sally and Tim were buying it supposedly, to stop somebody developing on the property next door to the brother.

Yep, as far as we know the brother bought a chateau.

These 2 come over to me as a vaguely hippyish version of Hyacinth Bouquet, TBH, except she is not hypocritical enough to despise the things she actually wants (and they will have when possible, or even if not really possible, except from ill gotten gains)

Episode 3

Provides a missing piece of the jigsaw for me. The real names + Pwllheli

Episode 6, quote from a family member:

"Tim obviously dotes on her, but it's a very flamboyant returned love, almost over the top. But Sally is Tim's protector, so Tim can create the persona he's created....a bandana-wearing, turned-up collar, brown boots, slightly worn jeans, hand on heart, turned-up hair attitude of, you know, bumbling through life, and Sally facilitates that. You know, Sally could be on her knees totally and utterly financially and Tim will sit in the corner polishing his boots...but...surely he must have known that there was money coming in..."

Maybe ultimately Sal did it all for Moth - to keep him in the style which he aspired to and to keep him sweet.

Yes, @SimonArmpit - relevant to your comment, another quote from the same relative, Ep 6:

"What you have to understand is these books are just four books and a film of a long love letter of her love and devotion to Tim and how she wants to try and make the world right and rewrite history for him, because that makes it safe and makes it right, and justifies everything that's happened or done."

Chloe picks up on the mention of "four" books and segues into an intro to HNTDDD, to be covered in the final episode (not available yet)...

Here's one I wrote earlier:

11/01/2026 10:27

I now think of all 5 of her books as all just the same story. This one narrative is all about how:

All of her actions can be explained as being for him

Her husband is helped and restored by her

Moth is her home and that is all the home she needs

Episode 2 (I think)

I don't think for one moment that Timoth thought she'd gone to Skye.

The hounds fly North when she went South

I also think she had told him EXACTLY what she intended to do. Keeping him in the dark would totally go against the Pure And Utter Love that they are supposed to have. As would her leaving him thinking she may have done away with herself. Him crying and saying 'she's gone to Skye' was scripted as many of their other reactions and designed to shift any of the attention from him.

We may well be ok but as I'm going to be unavailable now for the rest of the evening at least, here's the next thread just in case. As always please, no posts at all on the new thread until this current thread is full, and if at least one person will repost this link close to the end of this thread that would be a great help.

Thread 23 : 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? | Mumsnet

A last thought from me for the moment. After listening to some of The Walkers: The real Salt Path podcast episodes from The Observer today my thoughts are even more with the victims. I also believe that the publishers, agent and prizegivers must now act and be seen to act.

Wow….. 😮 <speechless>

Thank you to all of you 👏🏻
It gets worse!!
Oh, Landlines… coming home to Cornwall… F Off!! 🤬