The Salt Path

[Mothership4two]

Anyone planning to go and watch this? And did you read the book? I am hoping to go in the next couple of weeks. There are four of us going, two have read it and two haven't. Looking forward to the scenery as much as the story.

DP is a lawyer and said the story at the start (about how they lost their house because the mean judge wouldn’t look at one document that would have proved their case because they submitted it too late) was very very unlikely in legal terms. I tried to find out more about them and the backstory to this, but it was super difficult — I think Winn is actually a pseudonym. The whole way she says they lost their house just didn’t completely ring true.

It also seems bizarre that they couldn’t have found accommodation with friends or family for short periods — and what about their children? Or just renting somewhere temporarily and her getting a job? She seemed to have dismissed the idea that she might go out and get a job somewhere but was clearly perfectly capable.

I found their attitude to things really frustrating generally — not having any common sense when camping, about money, basic stuff, and also seeming to feel entitled to do things they shouldn’t really be doing because they were nice middle class people. And she complained about everyone else they met all the time! I found their attitude to the whole thing really irritating, and had to give up reading it, but am going to see the film this week so I hope it’s not as frustrating as the book!

I found Gillian Anderson’s wildly fluctuating accent annoying and the way she always seemed to be hunched and shuffling, with her mouth open. Was she meant to be physically portraying the weight of the worries the author felt she was carrying? And they seemed to be carrying lots of clothes in those small backpacks, as well as books and the radio and cooking utensils and sleeping bags …Mary Poppins backpacks. And the free diving scene was odd - was that in the book? I can’t remember. It was all so wind and rain swept and miserable. Summer in the south west of England, eh…Didn’t look any fun to me!

I think that the film sounds much like the book. It’s very factual, and it’s really just about their position in all of this. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m glad that it sounds the same as the book. It’s very real, very raw, and concentrates on the moment, as they live it.

Yes! Those fluffy bunnies were hilarious! What on earth was that about!

Just seen the film. Boring and repetitive. The scenery is much better in real life. The whole cinema sniggered at the free diving bit when a turtle floated past. And yes the rabbits were definitely pet rabbits. And I’ve never walked a section of the coast path so empty.

Also they seemed to run out of steam and just abruptly stop and then typed out the rest of the story. You’d think they’d at least reach lands end

I live on the sw coastal path and so have to tolerate Winn turning up at every local literary festival.
We walk the path slowly with toddlers, briskly before school pick ups and work commitments. We greet friends and neighbours and clock the views change their colours but not their shape.
There's a whole world of community along the path which we all contribute to. I can't be arsed with miserable strangers, marching through moaning about themselves.
We reckon a lot of it's success was due to the lovely woodcut cover.

Has anyone been to their Saltlines show? I have to say I didn’t love it and she is really not cut out to be on stage imo.

Still haven't seen it.

a few posters have asked why they didn't go to their adult children. It has been a while, but I think they were at university and they didn't want to involve them in their homelessness. Probably wasn't much they could have done anyway. Again, details are hazy now.

That in itself is very irresponsible of them, I thought. If my mum and dad were existing on pennies I’d have wanted to know! One suspects the children would have had a lot to say about this mad scheme for camping on the coast path (like: stop it 😆)

In their position I'd have been getting a job PDQ to support my kids at university and making damned sure we had a roof over our heads of some kind so they had something to come home to.

So that was the problem with it to me, it was just fundamentally self-indulgent and naïve at best, in a way I'd never be myself, so I can't relate to them.

I watched it as I had a free ticket and didn’t fancy the kids movies that were the only other options!
Really dull and pretty dumb The fever dream diving scene!
I had actually just come back from Polzeath the previous week and would love to know how they got so much footage of their walk on a sunny day with hardly another human around. There’s a group in posh outdoor clothing every 50 yards on that path anytime the sun comes out.
Was hoping for some beautiful cinematography but no.
It’s just tedious and emotionally manipulative.

I'm not 100% convinced it's quite true either,neither was my book club . Really poorly written and so monotonous.

Also surely you are not allowed to literally pitch your tent smack on the path? What if everyone did that? It would be grim. Nit very nice for other walkers going past their grotty impromptu campsite. I was kind of with the old buffer with the stick.

My recommendation, book or film, is Wild by Cheryl Strayed played by Reese Witherspoon.

I did a far bit of long distance walking with camping in the 90s and the obsession with gear absolutely rings true. Small things, that if you need you carry, become hugely important. I'm still trauma bonded with my saucepan and little mug. The Salt Path doesn't ring true.

Cheryl, like Winn and Moth, has had tough times but she brings great nuance and emotional range to her travel writing. I thoroughly recommend.

I also recommend the SW coast path in chunks. It always seems a shame to devalue it slogging along in one whole go. The whole, on a cliff, sea to one side, dulls with wind blasted repetition. Great long distance paths give you more variety.

It's a couple of years since I read the book but I seem to remember they pitched their tent in various places they shouldn't have, it seemed very entitled behaviour.

I hadn't realised they had children!! Who looked after them while they went walking?

They were at uni.

But presumably not 100% of the time. My 2 oldest are at uni and they don't stay there during all holidays or after term ends.

IIRC they did claim benefits, but having 15p left at the end of the week on working tax credits is pretty normal.

I haven't seen it yet, but I walked the Port Isaac- Rock stretch of the SWCP the other day, and between Pentire Head and Polzeath there were indeed a fucktonne of rabbits. Little pairs of ears all over in the golden evening light, very lovely.

Absolutely there would be rabbits, but they wouldn’t look like those movie rabbits.

😆 How far did you walk- half a mile?!

So....a few days ago: The first half mile out of Port Isaac: dozens of people, many in flip-flops, taking selfies. The next 10 miles: passing about one hiker/ group of hikers every 10 minutes (which is busy for the SWCP). Entering Polzeath: hundreds and hundreds and fucking hundreds of people all of a sudden.

The next day I set off the other way- Port Isaac to Tintagel- and saw not a single other person for 2 hours.

Have read, planning to see the film. The trailer and reviews seem promising.

He's still alive, but I don't think he's 100% well.

Ah, I haven't seen it yet. Will look out for the inauthentic rabbits.