Thread 24 : To feel disappointed - and now disgusted and vindicated 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 23 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?
Thread 22:www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5470952-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?
Thread 23:www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5475246-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?

Most recent:

• Salt Path: A Very British Scandal, available on Sky Documentaries and NOW TV, 15th December 2025
• ‘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
• Observer Newsroom: The Real Salt Path Story, Thursday 8th January 2026

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. For over 6 months we have done amazingly well together for 23 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 23,000 posts there are still new things to look out for on the path:

• Podcast series (7 episodes) from The Observer's award-winning Investigative Journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou (and including a shoutout to our threads), 13th January 2026:

The Walkers: The real Salt Path | The Observer

• The Observer, 18th January 2026:

The Salt Path scandal: a hunch, a hint and six months of ... and Publishers agree The Salt Path crossed a line | The Observer

• BBC Podcast, 28th January 2026 (to be confirmed)

Please start each post with the podcast episode you are commenting on, for clarity and to help others avoid spoilers if they wish to do so. Many thanks.

After listening to of The Walkers: The real Salt Path podcast episodes from The Observer 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.

As always, keep to the path, no saltiness, eat fudge and drink cider.

NO POSTS PLEASE UNTIL THREAD 23 IS FULL

Afternoon all, I hope you are well today and that Uricon2Esquire is improving. I also wonder how our Wild Rovering Reporter is doing too.

I'm sorry that I'm not able to be around much on the two threads at the moment but we've had a bit of a catastrophe at home.

BBC Podcast - I haven't had any more information about this since I was given today's date, so if anyone else has information please do feel free to post. I agree with pps who said that it wouldn't be appropriate to ask Our Chloe about this.

Tonight's AMA - I hope that as many of you as possible will join Our Chloe on the thread 7-9pm tonight and make her feel very welcome. Unfortunately I won't be able to be around this evening as I said a few days ago. Just my opinion, but at this stage in the day I think it would be fine for any second or even more questions to be added to the AMA thread now if anyone has any pressing ones. Perhaps start your post 'My second/third/etc question' to be clear you've already had a turn. Posting any extra questions now everyone has hopefully had the chance to ask their first question will hopefully help Our Chloe prepare for tonight.

Looking forward to reading the AMA thread afterwards!

MNHQ here: AMA with award winning investigative journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou, Weds 28th Jan, 7-9pm | Mumsnet

I hope your catastrophe hasn't been too catastrophic @DisappointedReader, sending you good wishes :)

Is it possible that in order to maintain the façade over the years, Raymoth involve one or both of their children when it comes to more formal matters? For example, could BC have entered into a tenancy agreement where one or both of the children were tenants instead assuming the kids have clean records and healthy credit scores so that the real names were not revealed? Usually a tenanted property has to be the main residence of the tenant, but I wouldn't be surprised if Raymoth explained their way out of such requirements and had a "private arrangement".

This ties back to my earlier post in light of Raymoth’s possible CCJs assuming that they exist or existed. If they did/do exist, anyone in their situation would do everything they can to avoid being subjected to a credit check which is probably why they left the cider farm with a string of unpaid bills. I just don't know how they got away with setting up utilities in the first place unless they used BC's name, but he would have been notified of the debts.

Thanks @DisappointedReader he's getting there fingers crossed. Hope all OK for you after the catastrophe ♥

Very interesting ideas @Bibitee, I don't know about the utilities either, it wasn't clear if they were in Tim and Sally's names, or if the utilities were in Bill Coles name and they were expected to give him the money, also did they pay council tax? that would be payable wherever they lived, if they did have outstanding judgements how did they negotiate all this?

My theory is that he must have known about the utterly hilarious [sic] 'mistaken identity' from the time the book came out, surely someone in the literary world he inhabits, or even a family member would have either read it or got wind and told him? Heck, maybe he read it himself, considering he'd done the walk (would love to know his opinion!)

As to whether he was officially approached before publication, I have doubts in PRH showing that level of diligence and respect and yeah, I think it's low and a testament to good nature to have let it go without examination as he thought they seemed 'down on their luck'.

I always thought he'd be PL but in 2018 it wasn't a done deal and I doubt any unasked for profile raising due to TSP would have had a positive impact on those who advise about such appointments. I don't doubt that by the time the film was being made he would have made his displeasure very clear had they gone ahead and described him as PL (what an insult to Carol Ann Duffy) so maybe the whole 'Grant' farce was vetoed too.

It's an indication of the unreality of the world of film and seemingly publishing as well as the times we live in that the chronology of a public office held by 21 people in over 400 years is negotiable. I think Our Simon was defending that office as well as his own integrity and good for him.

Hi all, had to name change as my uncle the time traveller grabbed me as he teleported back to Dunstall in 1990something chasing a banana yellow silk suit for some reason🤔

Anyway, in the ensuing melee my mumsnet account deactivated and I had to walk 67 000 million miles around the swcp to get back here. Might write a book about it, akshully.

Aaaanyway, did any of yiz see the Miranda Sawyer podcast in the Observer? Our Chloe is on there talking about the Scandal and how brilliant the Charabanc mumsnetters are. Can't seem to link it, and you need to be member to access it, but it's great.

Anyone looking in please join us on this thread tonight:

MNHQ here: AMA with award winning investigative journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou, Weds 28th Jan, 7-9pm | Mumsnet

Vroomie: you will be very cross about CB prize.

I know you will all be along in due course but can I just sayI’m in the AMA and it is delicious!
Tea, with cream jam and scones topped with fudge!

The AMA is great! Some tasty new morsels from Chloe!

Am loving the image of Moth, nursing his injured shoulder from years playing American football and turning out for the Notts County youth team, turning his hand to herding sheep in Guatemala with cats. Simon Armitage/Indiana Jones - eat your heart out!

Well, plenty of HNTDDD info and updates

And SA not speaking or being friendly. Just like our own headless Simon!

He didn’t ask for any of this, yet these two fantasists have dragged his good name all up hill and down dale!

I bloody am. As I said on the AMA, it's called the 'First Book Prize'. A prize for a first book! Not 'first book you fancy telling us about prize'. Not 'oh we didn't specify that it must be your first published book because we thought calling it the First Book Prize would weed out those who thought they could slip a subsequent book in because, basically, who cares? book prize.

First. Book. Prize. Won by a book which was NOT her first. I don't care what the 'rules' said, the title should have been the indicator.

I'm off to froth now. Give me that cider. If I'm not back by tomorrow, I'll be drunk in a cave somewhere.

Oh, and I'm taking my headless Simon with me. A bit like taking my football and going home.

I feel like Sal has been in their ear & suggested all a misunderstanding for some reason…

Does this point to him being the power behind throne (?) there’s Walter Mitty & then him…

My theory - he supplies many of the whacky ideas because he has creative flair and an imagination/is a serial fantasist while she does the agony angst and the tedious manuscript typing and the PR duties and the robotic repetition spiel in countless interviews thereafter.

I doubt it, but it suggests to me that he’s someone who may have come to genuinely believe his own fantasies over repeated retellings, and hence be someone naturally well-suited to be a co-perpetrator of this kind of fraud.

Interesting CH pointed out the logical conclusion of something that’s been remarked often on here, that as not much money goes through Four Hares, the majority of the book income must be funnelled through another company, but as there’s nothing registered in their names in the UK, it must be off-shore.

Great AMA.

Sad Armitage is a grumpy sod though.

I thought Sal poss being able to use hotel interesting (for her family as a perk) - & poss being fired from job there.

You can’t blame him. He is now forever associated with one of the biggest literary frauds of all time!

CH's said this about the alleged confession letters: "The Observer has understood that she has not denied writing them but that she does not remember writing them. That is as much as I know and can say."