Thread 25 : To feel disappointed - and disgusted and vindicated now 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 24 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?

After 24,000 posts there are still recent, new and up-and-coming things to look out for on the path.
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:

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

Up-and-coming:

• Our Chloe's short video about Raynor Winn/Sally Walker's first book How not to Dal dy Dir - date to be confirmed.
• BBC Podcast - date to be confirmed

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. The Observer's new podcast series The Walkers (link above) covers most things.
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 7 months we have done amazingly well together for 24 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.

If you are posting about a podcast, please start your post with the episode number you are commenting on, for clarity and to help others avoid spoilers if they wish to do so. Many thanks.

After listening to The Walkers: The real Salt Path podcast episodes from The Observer my thoughts are even more with the Walker/Winns' victims. I also believe that the publishers, agent and prizegivers must now act and be seen to act.

As we enter our quarter century thread riding the community charabanc, as always keep to the path, no saltiness, eat fudge and drink cider.

NO POSTS PLEASE UNTIL THREAD 24 IS FULL 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? | Mumsnet

Could someone explain where it's come from then?

Otherwise it just looks like saying things for the sake of it, and devalues the rigour shown over many threads.

I remember reading the linked article and being mildly puzzled that no references to carpet-stealing or lock-gluing appeared in it.

I vaguely remember something about lock glueing - was it when they very first moved in to BCs place that she said the locks were glued; perhaps to indicate the general standard of neglect and decay that the farm was in?

The problem with the carpet thing is that it sounds so plausible - but what use could they have had for carpets when they had nowhere to live? This might, of course, be a case where whispers have grown and become 'facts', but really it does sound like the sort of thing they might have done!

Hello again everyone. I hope you are well today.

Still no sign of the BBC podcast. Perhaps they decided to wait to avoid the competition from Our Chloe's excellent podcast series. Here it is, with all episodes available, in case anyone missed it:
The Walkers: The real Salt Path | The Observer

About the locks and the carpets, as the OP I have privately been given reason to believe that this came from a reliable source. As with Our Chloe's reporting, sources sometimes need to be protected, rather than publicly disclosed. Some sources only speak on the condition of privacy. Sometimes sources are protected to prevent other journalists from using or abusing them. It has been apparent that journalists have used our threads for information and they have contacted some of us. I don't suspect for a minute that OC has made anything up because she has protected some sources and I also have confidence in our regular, long-term charabancers. I don't think trusted posters sometimes protecting their sources devalues the rigour of our threads any more than it devalues the rigour of The Observer's reporting. Ultimately however we must all make our own minds up about what we believe, or whether we take something with a pinch of...salt.

@DisappointedReader : "we must all make our own minds up about what we believe, or whether we take something with a pinch of...salt."

"Pinch" being the operative word.

Yes, quite. Well punned as ever, @Peladon!

Very clever @Peladon ! Id missed that!
Thank you for confirming this @DisappointedReader .

If the carpets being taken is true, does the timeline fit with the son moving into his house?

Good point...

Well, they'd have to hang onto them for 2 years, but no problem with space where they are now!

October 2021
Tim Walker tells Bill Cole that consultant has advised not to plan past Christmas (Observer)

October 2022
Publication of Landlines

Winter 2022/2023
The Walkers leave Bill Cole’s farm for pastures new (Observer)

March 2025
Their son moved into a house in Newquay

Thanks for this. Re: the graffiti, carpets and locks. It is good to question - that is why I am here, because there has been a group of like-minded people who want to get to the bottom of this story.

Even with what I have learnt and accepted, over 7 months, I was unnerved by this and took a day to post myself in addressing the action. However, there has been a trust that has grown over these months and the poster of this information has given generously to our threads. With that in mind, coupled with my knowledge of a pattern of spite that has been evident, I was confident in condemning this continuing malice.

I appreciate your contribution @DisappointedReader - beautifully judged.

If it's not something verifiable, why is the poster saying it? Other than to say, oh look at me I know things others don't, and the OP trusts me, aren't I important.

It is very important that we try to verify truth and sources and I don't think I had a good look at those for glueing locks and removal of carpets at all closely enough and for that I apologise.

I'm not at all sure @ThompsonTwin who has been a long time poster is at all wrong in what was said, but we don't know without verification. Raymoth have done quite enough wrong that can be evidenced and I am so sorry if I've added unjustifiably with comment.

Going to take a bit of a break now I think and sending the very best to all of you.

This does seem to be a difficult one @Uricon2, the graffiti incident is verifiable as written about in TWS, the locks being glued when the graffiti happens is also mentioned, but we have no evidence that Sally and Tim glued the locks when they left. The carpets are said to be stinking in TWS, and they needed to get rid of them, in the next sentence Salray says that they drag the dripping rugs outside and put them in a pile.

As to whether they took rugs away when they left we don't have any verification, it is falling into a grey area, as @DisappointedReader says some sources have to be protected, as CH has kept details of sources anonymous. It's more difficult for us in this situation, @ThompsonTwin has contributed so much information, I'm sure they would not have posted this without believing it to be true and having a reliable source, but without them being able to tell us who, or explain why they can't tell us, I'm not going to speculate any further about rugs.

I think we all need some cider, fudge and a good old singsong :)

I'm not in a position to name my sources about the glue and the carpets episode at Haye Farm but I can add some information on the topic of Anna and the meeting at the Talland Bay Cafe.

I've verified with a couple of sources that:

• there was never any meeting with "Anna" at the Talland Bay cafe in Aug 2014 as claimed in TSP. The cafe there has been owned by a Cornish couple for nearly 20 years and they have no recollection of meeting the Walkers.

• there was a meeting at a cafe at Millendreath (6 miles east of Talland Bay) and that the cafe was run by a Colombian called Leo and that the Walkers did meet "Anna", dance around the cafe and drink a couple of Corona beers in celebration at having found somewhere to stay

• However, this probably occurred in 2016 (not 2014 or 2015) as the Colombian who ran the cafe moved from Brighton to Cornwall in 2015 and believed the meeting with the Walkers and Anna took place in 2016. This adds credence to the likelihood that the walk from Poole to West Bay (with D&J from up North) took place in 2016.

• I have also verified that the Walkers did meet a Polish lady who worked in a cafe in Looe (as described in TSP) although the date of the meeting isn't clear.

Thank you so much @ThompsonTwin for all the detailed information, as usual, that's very interesting.

Re: Haye Farm. I have tried to point out, in my previous post and links, how this is just a tiny hamlet, near a small village that is 4 miles from a small town. It is surrounded on three sides by water - I have only been near it by boat on the flood-tide, although I know the nearby village and the town quite well. It has a crucial part to play in this tale, and some of its residents have been public, but it has already been overexposed to media intrusion and we can respect the right of others to remain in the background.

I should add that a friend of mine (not the source referred to above) got to know the Walkers when they lived at Haye Farm at Penpol during Covid as she walked her dog past their farm on a daily basis and became friends with them

She was/is an environmental activist. Tim told her that he believed that he had contracted CBD due to pesticides he had come in contact with when working as a crop sprayer in the US.

There is no other instance of Sal claiming that this might have been the cause of Moth's CBD which makes me think that my friend was targeted and emotionally manipulated with a tear jerker story that Sal and Tim knew would strike a cord with her.This is, I believe, their highly cynical and manipulative modus operandus.

I suspect that they targeted the emotionally vulnerable BC in the same way (the circumstances under which they allegedly lost their house in Wales through a failed business deal with a "lifelong friend" and Moth's CBD diagnosis) would have had a particular resonance with BC who had also been affected by the fallout from a business deal which had gone wrong and whose wife was/is suffering from cancer.

Of course it beggars belief that the Walkers could have behaved as they did towards BC and helps explain why BC appears to have been emotionally shattered by the whole experience with the Walkers and was thus reluctant to get involved in OC's podcast.

Thank you @ThompsonTwin, it is helpful to know that you have local knowledge and connections with people that you can't name, it sounds like your friend was very lucky not to have become too involved. It is understandable that BC didn't want to take part in the podcasts, he must have been hurt on so many levels, the poor guy was put through the emotional wringer by Sally and Tim who had no compassion for him.

Are we to imagine that TW’s US crop-spraying past dates from before he met SW? When he was also an ecowarrior and herded llamas with cats or vice versa or something? How busy of him.

Who knows. Moth also claimed at various times, as well as herding sheep with cats in Guatemala:

• to have played American Football in the US

• to have done track and field in the US when he was 18 (so before he met Sal)

• to have played youth football for Nottingham Forest

• to have played rugby league

I have no idea if any or all of the above are true

As I assume that these must all have happened — in his mind — before they had their children (even if we’re to imagine a devoted Sally trotting along by his side while he herded Guatemalan sheep, or dancing about with pompoms cheerleading while he played American football), what a busy young ecowarrior he clearly was. And how interesting that SW never mentions any of this in any of her devoted descriptions of free-spirited, sexy, experienced Moth, who opened up the world to a shy young farm recluse. It’s just the Mars bar being dipped in the tea, over and over. Wouldn’t you be making much of his wild, unfettered experiences when trying to explain to your readers why you fell for him?

This is something of a personal attack on a poster and not in the spirit of Mumsnet or our threads. Everyone who contributes in good faith to our threads is equally welcome and important. Do I detect a tad too much salt in the diet? May I suggest a break or an uptake in fudge and cider to counterbalance.

You have nothing to apologise for, I sincerely hope we see you back soon @Uricon2 and that Uricon2Esquire is doing ok.

I don't wish to feed into negativity or argument, but personally i think if new info is brought to our attention then all the better, even if we aren't privy to where it originates. It is verifiable, just not by us, but by @ThompsonTwin whom I trust. It is not like someone just spouting out speculation as fact. They clearly say they have a source and it must remain anonymous. CH has provided plenty of info that only she can verify, yet we trust that it must be true because it is published. Don't get me wrong, I can understand scepticism for unsourced info put on a forum, but for what its worth, @ThompsonTwin and their sleuthing has been consistent throughout these threads. But beyond trust, I can go further and actually vouch that their info is valid in this instance because I have seen it via personal correspondence.

I think the problem here is that @ThompsonTwin didn't say where the information about carpets and glue came from when they first posted it, in fairness to @SimonArmwrestler they did ask repeatedly where this information had come from. @HatStickBoots and @ThisQuirkyRaven also questioned the source. I don't think@ThompsonTwin made it clear that they had received this information from a source that they could not name, when they posted it, that is why correspondents were questioning it's origin.

If @ThompsonTwin had replied to @SimonArmwrestler that they had the information from a local source, that they could not name @SimonArmwrestler would probably not have become so agitated. It sounds like @DisappointedReader and @YourMoneyforFrothingandYourChipsforFree had both had private communications with @ThompsonTwin about this, unfortunately it wasn't made clear sooner to those questioning on the threads.

It is a shame that @SimonArmwrestler didn't get a clear response when they first asked, or when they asked again. Their last post felt to me like it came out of a sense of frustration, it wasn't clear to me that @ThompsonTwin had it from a local source who did not want to be named until their later post. I can see why@Uricon2 felt uncomfortable, the source was being questioned, the source was not explained, CH always states when information comes from a source that she cannot name, we should do the same in our posts, to avoid future upset.