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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?

483 replies

DisappointedReader · 25/06/2026 20:01

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
65
Anythingbutheadlands · 28/07/2026 12:20

New post on IG. Ponies on a wet moor. Caption: “A few of the characters I met along the way. Safe to say the moors never disappoint”.
It’s an open goal for comments! Hopefully someone will have a go. (I would if they would be visible but my last ones weren’t.)

BrandiedAromatics · 28/07/2026 12:36

Anythingbutheadlands · 28/07/2026 12:20

New post on IG. Ponies on a wet moor. Caption: “A few of the characters I met along the way. Safe to say the moors never disappoint”.
It’s an open goal for comments! Hopefully someone will have a go. (I would if they would be visible but my last ones weren’t.)

Edited

Thanks .... I wonder which "way". Are they supposed to be Exmoor ponies? It is all so "drawing us in with safe, bland captions". And using animals again to pull our heartstrings. Sigh .....

HatStickBoots · 28/07/2026 13:07

Thank you for the heads up @Anythingbutheadlands ! Notice it’s “I” not “we”!

BrandiedAromatics · 28/07/2026 13:12

HatStickBoots · 28/07/2026 13:07

Thank you for the heads up @Anythingbutheadlands ! Notice it’s “I” not “we”!

Oh yes, so is this meant to be her solitary walk, like a migratory bird heading north in winter ...🤔

YourMoneyforFrothingandYourChipsforFree · 28/07/2026 13:18

Anythingbutheadlands · 28/07/2026 12:20

New post on IG. Ponies on a wet moor. Caption: “A few of the characters I met along the way. Safe to say the moors never disappoint”.
It’s an open goal for comments! Hopefully someone will have a go. (I would if they would be visible but my last ones weren’t.)

Edited

Comment of the day...

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?
HatStickBoots · 28/07/2026 17:27

Wow - that is straight to the point!

Normallyinthepool · 29/07/2026 00:08

I don't understand all the bizarrely deluded sycophants in the comments. Even with the absolute kindest most generous interpretation of things they are clearly deceptive individuals who will paint others as awful in a bid to make themselves look better.

I just can't quite figure out the mindset of the people cheering them on.

Normallyinthepool · 29/07/2026 00:08

YourMoneyforFrothingandYourChipsforFree · 28/07/2026 13:18

Comment of the day...

Grin
DisappointedReader · 29/07/2026 13:44

Anythingbutheadlands · 28/07/2026 12:20

New post on IG. Ponies on a wet moor. Caption: “A few of the characters I met along the way. Safe to say the moors never disappoint”.
It’s an open goal for comments! Hopefully someone will have a go. (I would if they would be visible but my last ones weren’t.)

Edited

I heard it straight from the ponies' mouths that it's all bull manure. I showed them a mugshot of Salray and asked them if they'd ever seen her walking by. They said neigh.

Taking my name in vain too! The moors may not 'disappoint' but Saltim definitely do.

Good afternoon everyone. I hope you are all well today.

Salray and her vacuous posts can hoof it!

OP posts:
ThompsonTwin · 30/07/2026 09:00

Raymoth may have started a trend!

Cambridge’s diversity poster boy faces questions over ‘miracle’ 600-mile run

ShinyBlueTractor · 30/07/2026 09:53

ThompsonTwin · 30/07/2026 09:00

Good grief - what did I just read!?

BrandiedAromatics · 30/07/2026 10:44

ThompsonTwin · 30/07/2026 09:00

I have to call out that Telegraph heading for the article, not helpful. There are definite things that need scrutinising about this academic. Plagiarism has been rejected - but I have seen examples of this, where he hasn't quoted the source. Rather like Sal mentioning 500MW initially but then going on to have paragraphs that are strikingly similar .. and the dog thing.

The athletic feats are very reminiscent of Moth's claims aren't they? There is a book being published in a month by Jason Arday. I also notice the TLS got shut down in what it was saying - a threat of defamation from JA's lawyers.

PullTheBricksDown · 30/07/2026 11:17

On the Arday case, if you read the substack on this, the plagiarism is pretty evident. It lists specific examples.

https://ncofnas.com/p/dei-fraud-and-cover-up-at-cambridge?utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true

The other issues about his running and so on are hard to disprove, for reasons similar to Raymoth. I'll be interested to see if his memoir comes out on schedule, or if they switch to the On Winter Hill model of 'delay publication, delay again, hope people forget'

DEI Fraud and Cover-Up at Cambridge

University refuses to investigate DEI star’s plagiarism

https://ncofnas.com/p/dei-fraud-and-cover-up-at-cambridge?triedRedirect=true

YourMoneyforFrothingandYourChipsforFree · 31/07/2026 14:07

PullTheBricksDown · 30/07/2026 11:17

On the Arday case, if you read the substack on this, the plagiarism is pretty evident. It lists specific examples.

https://ncofnas.com/p/dei-fraud-and-cover-up-at-cambridge?utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true

The other issues about his running and so on are hard to disprove, for reasons similar to Raymoth. I'll be interested to see if his memoir comes out on schedule, or if they switch to the On Winter Hill model of 'delay publication, delay again, hope people forget'

Doesn't necessarily prove it, but a quick search does throw up 2 local paper articles from 2010 about him completing his first and last marathons in the 30 in 35 days challenge.

https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/8350040.clapham-based-jason-arday-completes-30-marathons-in-35-days-for-shelter-and-the-shooting-star-childrens-hospice/

College lecturer completes marathon challenge

Jason Arday completes 30 marathons in 35 days for Shelter and the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice.

https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/8350040.clapham-based-jason-arday-completes-30-marathons-in-35-days-for-shelter-and-the-shooting-star-childrens-hospice/

BrandiedAromatics · 01/08/2026 10:36

YourMoneyforFrothingandYourChipsforFree · 31/07/2026 14:07

Doesn't necessarily prove it, but a quick search does throw up 2 local paper articles from 2010 about him completing his first and last marathons in the 30 in 35 days challenge.

https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/8350040.clapham-based-jason-arday-completes-30-marathons-in-35-days-for-shelter-and-the-shooting-star-childrens-hospice/

Thanks, this whole story varies depending on the agenda of the writer/publication. There is a fair article in Plagiarism Today, called Race, Cambridge and the Jason Arday Plagiarism Scandal. I will not link or quote as it requests you ask them first - fair enough considering their subject!

As with the Walkers, it is really Penguin/Cambridge who need rigorous scrutiny here - and seem to have fallen well short of what we would have (once?) thought of as due diligence.

NowSober · 01/08/2026 11:06

BrandiedAromatics · 01/08/2026 10:36

Thanks, this whole story varies depending on the agenda of the writer/publication. There is a fair article in Plagiarism Today, called Race, Cambridge and the Jason Arday Plagiarism Scandal. I will not link or quote as it requests you ask them first - fair enough considering their subject!

As with the Walkers, it is really Penguin/Cambridge who need rigorous scrutiny here - and seem to have fallen well short of what we would have (once?) thought of as due diligence.

I will not link or quote as it requests you ask them first - fair enough considering their subject!

I think that you may have misunderstood. Copying their content without permission would be impolite not to mention a violation of copyright but linking to their website is fine. I'm sure they want as many eyes as possible seeing their article.

Thanks for finding the interesting article on an interesting website.

www.plagiarismtoday.com/2026/07/28/race-cambridge-and-the-jason-arday-plagiarism-scandal/

YourMoneyforFrothingandYourChipsforFree · 01/08/2026 20:13

Heard this on the radio news earlier. Another tortoise sighting in Cornwall. This one near St Ives. Not walked on a lead though like others that have been - including the elusive non-existent "Lettuce" and its safari dressed owner on an unlikely remote section of path.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdewz5n28d6o

BrandiedAromatics · 01/08/2026 21:19

Cantseeforrest · 01/08/2026 16:23

The Guardian published an article today. It’s just wild. At the very least he is a master of embellishment.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2026/aug/01/playbooks-plagiarism-pigs-head-new-claims-surrounding-cambridge-professor-jason-arday

Yes, thanks I'm getting strong Sal vibes in the way Jason doubles down when he is challenged. I wonder if his book will be out soon?

Peladon · 01/08/2026 21:30

"Vile accusations"

PullTheBricksDown · 01/08/2026 23:28

BrandiedAromatics · 01/08/2026 21:19

Yes, thanks I'm getting strong Sal vibes in the way Jason doubles down when he is challenged. I wonder if his book will be out soon?

27 August is the release date. So very soon. Too late to do anything about the contents. The reviews will be quite something.

notanotherfootballmatch · 02/08/2026 10:52

I guess not many people on Mumsnet are invested in Arday in the same way they had been in The Salt Path, although he has been mentioned a few times as inspiration for successful adults following being a child with SEN.

I'd love to see Mumsnet do it's fact checking on his various claims though - some excellent fact checkers here.

NowSober · 02/08/2026 12:51

notanotherfootballmatch · 02/08/2026 10:52

I guess not many people on Mumsnet are invested in Arday in the same way they had been in The Salt Path, although he has been mentioned a few times as inspiration for successful adults following being a child with SEN.

I'd love to see Mumsnet do it's fact checking on his various claims though - some excellent fact checkers here.

I think we will have to wait for the book to come out to analyse properly but on the face of it some of the claims of long distance running are as implausible as Moth herding llamas with cats. It also seems unlikely that a university professor was unable to read & write aged eighteen or was mute until age eleven.

YourMoneyforFrothingandYourChipsforFree · 02/08/2026 13:27

This reply has been hidden

This reply has been hidden until the MNHQ team can have a look at it.

DisappointedReader · 02/08/2026 13:30

Good afternoon all. I hope you are well today.

To avoid derailing our TSP thread, perhaps a pp about Jason Arday would like to start a new, separate thread to discuss further.

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