Thread 27 : 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 26 IS FULL

Please see the OP of Thread 25 for all the links to The Observer's reporting and podcast series, our threads one to 24 and so on:
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? | Mumsnet

New posters joining us in the genuine spirit of our civil discourse are always welcome. It would be helpful to get the background from some of Investigative Journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou's excellent exposé items before posting. Chloe's podcast series for The Observer 'The Walkers' covers most things:
The Walkers: The real Salt Path | The Observer
Another suggestion:
BBC Sounds - Secrets of the Salt Path - Available Episodes
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, especially where details are unclear or still emerging. Remember, even Hollywood rabbits attract the odd flea: please do not engage with drive-by scolders 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 nearly a year we have done amazingly well together for 26 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.

We are still here after 26,000 posts and fast approaching our one year anniversary together on 6th July 2026, 12 months on from the start of our first thread in response to Our Chloe's somewhat stunning initial exposé. Little did we know what else would come out. Our longevity comes as both a total surprise and a pleasure (mostly!). We've seen charabancers come and go, come back again, delurk and join us for the first time. All are welcome. Threads have both filled up in a day and moved at a more stately pace. Thank you everyone for sharing your time, thoughts, opinions, experience, questions, sleuthing (there's that word!), kindness (there's that other word!) and great humour with me and with each other. As ever, as we embark on our 27th thread riding the community charabanc - this time all holding our brollies and fans aloft for much-needed shade and breeze - keep to the path, no saltiness, eat fudge and drink cider, (but not too much in the current heatwave).

NO POSTS PLEASE UNTIL THREAD 26 IS FULL:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5506717-thread-26-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?

Hoorah - new thread!! Well done @DisappointedReader

For those not on Instagram the packing post picked up some more negative comments today including a strong of vomit emojis and someone clarifying that criticism of Sally’s narrative is not evidence of wanting to tear people down but comes from good honest people who care about truth and honesty.

Thank you for the new thread.

@DisappointedReader thank you for the new thread.

Thank you all for such warm welcome.

in regards to the ridiculous story about Alice falling through the roof top of the shop I found this (thread 6)

“I've come across this odd piece written by Raynor/Sally during lockdown. It describes how during the first lockdown her daughter was living in the city above a fried chicken shop and insisted on staying there rather than joining her parents in the countryside on the cider farm.
She rang her parents from isolation every day but then for 3 days, nothing. Raynor/Sally says that, while going out to sunbathe on the flat roof, her daughter had fallen through into the closed up chicken shop and was trapped for 3 days banging on the windows while passers by just laughed.
No details about injuries or how she was finally rescued. Or who footed the bill for the property damage. Just the inevitable fact that her daughter was vegan and so had an additional moral dilemma to deal with in her crisis.
I mean, you couldn't make it up. Oh hang on ...
https://www.penguin.co.uk/discover/articles/raynor-winn-lockdown-hope “

I tried to find it online, it must have been delated.

Jumping aboard laden with eggs, frozen chocolate ones filled with fudge ice-cream, cider ice lollies and a big smile, thank you @DisappointedReader :)

Thank you @Thatwasonesteptofar, I'm still chuckling :)

The charabanc is still going! Climbing back in with a hand fan and a fake Aldi Magnum in hand (no fudge though)

By the way, just checked the release date of On Winter Hill and Amazon is now saying 27 January 2028. Has that been bumped again or is it me not paying attention?

Haha you’re welcome. I screenshotted few comments for you.

@PullTheBricksDown I’ve noticed the date, unsure if it’s been postponed again, sorry, it must be the heat, and, admittedly, the cider 😅

It was discussed a while ago @PullTheBricksDown, I can't remember exactly when, I've had too many cider lollies 😵‍💫
Thank you @Thatwasonesteptofar, I love the comments :)

Cider lollies 🥰 they sound so innocent!
and you’re welcome. I’m trying to contribute something to the Thread. I spent hours lurking and rarely commented. @DisappointedReader did an amazing job keeping the charabanc going.

Happy Anniversary 🥂

Just hopping on, I somehow lost these threads!

To the person called @thebookshelf or formerly so, re Alice's IG. You are right, not deleted and I can now see it. I must have dropped connection earlier...mistakes were made etc etc.

It’s @NervesofSteel from the last thread. My new name is obviously in honour of the two eggs in the pan in the Heavily Curated Packing Photo.

To whoever said something about the lockdown story about the Walker daughter falling through a roof — I thought it was in London? Though I don’t suppose it ever happened…

ETA I see someone else got to the chicken shop story. And thank you, @DisappointedReader, as ever, for your charm, excellent steering skills and trusty vehicle!

I'm just imagining @Freshsocks being pulled over in the car. Have you been drinking? No offskiffer, I've just eaten 72 lollies, hic!

For those not on Instagram the packing post picked up some more negative comments today including a strong of vomit emojis and someone clarifying that criticism of Sally’s narrative is not evidence of wanting to tear people down but comes from good honest people who care about truth and honesty.

Couldn't agree more. Thank you @Anythingbutheadlands for updating those of us not on IG.

Jumping aboard! Thank you @DisappointedReader ! Thank you everyone else for these latest updates! I don’t remember reading about the chicken shop episodes before and in this light they are even more illuminating. Falling through roofs seems to be an occupational hazard with the Walker team. I think we have a montage of Tim falling backwards and forwards through a variety of roofs. Like father like daughter eh? I love the comments on the screenshots, thank you so much @Thatwasonesteptofar for seeking those out and posting them, it’s really appreciated. These stories seem to be peddled out as little comical interludes and taken at face value with no further questions asked at the time when they’re told. I noticed during the spoken and written interviews with Sal that everyone has taken it for granted that ‘Moth’ has CBD and has bravely managed to fight his terminal illness into submission, you can see and hear the admiration in their expressions and voice and Sal in return, comes across as humbly proud of his achievements but definitely keeping a lid on the emotions as though it’s no big deal. Which of course it isn’t. She’s capable of gushing out pages of melodrama but when faced with a real life interview she seems to want to make light of it all which is quite a British attitude, downplaying serious stuff and the audience love that, they clap and laugh along at the little anecdotes. I believe the word “saintly” has often been used to describe their demeanours when in fact it’s just knowing deep down that it’s all an act and the less said about it, the better.

Given Sally’s habit of seasoning her stories with the occasional fact, there’s a fair chance Alice’s flat really was in London. She did work in North London (apparently).

Just having a nosy at the Instagram. Genuinely staggered by the number of people still gushing about how "inspirational" she is. I guess she's inspirational if you quite fancy being a grifty liar...

Hello y'all! Hope your fudge and ice lollies aren't all melting prematurely in the heat!

I haven't contributed for ages but like to follow the threads still so thanks for all the efforts in keeping them going!

I'm fascinated in the mention of a healthy, cravat- wearing Moth at a social function (at their rented house?) recently. Who are they inviting to a social function? How many people do they trust to be there and not spill any incriminating beans or photos? I need to know!

Girlfriend Explains on YouTube - I just picked up on this (I follow the channel) does a good job on TSW, admittedly mainly for the US market so nothing new but it's good to see that Sal's 'story' is being put through it over there too!

Glad to be back on board, I've had to fold Headless Simon, so if anyone wonders what the bulge under my T shirt is - it's not cider.

Hi! Yes, it’s fascinating @Mauvish1 It hasn’t been publicly promoted or anything so I wonder if the team sent out invites to a few select people and continue to push their “truth” at them. Moth very obviously hasn’t got CBD or else he’d be more than happy to work with medical experts. It doesn’t seem as though any have an interest in him.

@Vroomfondleswaistcoat what happened to Simon’s head? I think I might have joined in after he’d become headless.
I can’t find any new news and Wikipedia hasn’t updated her profile with the news of Sal stealing from the relatives either but it does have a reference to that at the foot of its page.
wikipedia does say that according to the account in The Salt Path, Moth was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration CBD). Which is as I remember it. She quite clearly wrote that he had received that diagnosis. It wasn’t just an emotional response to something she hadn’t quite heard right, she wrote that he was diagnosed with it but that the doctor said only a post mortem could confirm it. Obviously that was entirely fictional and not even one of the factors that led to their decision to walk TSWCP. Her overblown emotional reaction written on the page is in response to this albeit fictional, diagnosis. It’s been nearly a year since OC’s revelations and yet not only has Penguin failed to change the synopsis, it now has the two film actors on the front cover instead of a selfie of Saltim… and all I can think is that it helps to define the book as fiction without saying it’s fiction and hoping that small details such as it not bearing much relation to the reality will be dismissed.

Oh! Just seen your video embedded on the refresh @Vroomfondleswaistcoat ! That is the author of some of the IG comments! Thank you for finding that!

She really REALLY doesn't like the book... and now she's spreading the word in the US too. Sigh. She is truly doing our work...

@HatStickBoots what happened to Simon’s head? I think I might have joined in after he’d become headless.

After a few too many ciders @Vroomfondleswaistcoat confided in me that she sleeps with it on the pillow next to her.

I've been missing out - I wasn't watching the thread. You know me by now. It was me asking about Alice falling through the roof, on the other thread. I did every search imaginable ... so well done @Thatwasonesteptofar ... I wonder why they've removed that when so much else is still there?

So this is what I remembered but I fused this with some story of her being stuck abroad in one of the books? So @Oeufs is right it is London. So why I wanted to highlight it is - how can anyone believe this? But again Alice must have been happy with this narrative, about her, being made public.