The Salt Path (The Film)

Crikey. I don’t feel so bad about disliking her now. It was always obvious that a lot of it was made up because no one would be able to remember that amount of detail. She reminds me of a friend my daughter had. She appeared from nowhere with quite a back story. Had several beautiful horses etc. But every time we started to disbelieve what she said something would validate her story eg she would turn up riding one of the horses. We realised that her lies were good because she actually believed them herself, and I think Raynor Winn is the same. Perhaps she can detach herself from the fictional person she has invented? She is obviously a very good writer. But one of the worst things anyone can do is use a fictional illness to deceive people.

I always thought that taking such a walk when you have just been diagnosed with such a terrible illness was a bit odd. Now we know that this is a couple who have no morals and have taken a lot of people for a ride. They should be sued for all their money.

There are lots but it takes an extra nerve to seek the limelight too like all the ones mentioned!

Does anyone remember Charles and Diana Ingram and Tecwen Whittock the Who Wants to be a Millionaire fraudsters?

I wonder how many more con artists there are at large, some of whom will never be exposed?

Lathyrus3

At least I didn’t appear to say “I told you so”.

Whoops😬😂

Oh, go on, say it!
If you do I will!!

I wish we'd photo-bombed the shoot now.
Do you think we'd have got paid as extras?

They sound like Captain Tom's daughter,Hannah-Ingram-Moore and her husband . Utter frauds.
I thought the financial situation in the book was odd, also that an apparently casual acquaintance offered them a home and work, but accepted it 'because they wouldn't publish it if it wasn't true.' Me, gullible??
I do wonder why the truth has taken so long to come out.

I have neither read the book not seen the film. What I find amazing, having just read the Observer article is how they thought they could get away with it.

With the amount of deceit, fraud, and criminal behaviour behind their story how did they think they could get all the publicity they caught and sought and not be found out.

I have to say that I did find it odd when I read the book that there was little mention of their adult children (who must be cringing now and hoping they can continue to keep a low profile 🙁).

I don't feel foolish for having been taken in by the story she wove by writing the book, it's not as if I was the only one, beginning with the agent and the publisher. 🤷‍♀️

I agree Whitewavemark2. Until pointed out by Crossstitchfan, I hadn't noticed or counted who posted what...

At least I didn’t appear to say “I told you so”.

Whoops😬😂

Crossstitchfan

Crossstitchfan

This is clearly the Lathyrus3 show!

19 posts!! Good grief!

How unpleasant.

This post is an example of GN becoming more intolerant.

I had to look back to see what you meant, but in point of fact it is clear that lathyrus was merely in conversation with other posters. And even if she wasn’t, it does you no favours making such an aggressive comment.

Crossstitchfan

This is clearly the Lathyrus3 show!

19 posts!! Good grief!

It does seem astonishing that none of this has ever come to light before

This is clearly the Lathyrus3 show!

It's too bad for people who were taken in.

Disappointing.

I just KNEW from first reading the book that large parts of it were dodgy. Thank you so much to the person who linked to the Observer article.

I have seen the couple interviewed several times on TV and they never look very comfortable about some of the questions.

In both the book and film they never made it clear exactly how they lost their home.

They barely mentioned their adult kids and pretty sure they didn’t mention their own parents and siblings either. That is very odd. With all that time to think whilst walking (if they ever really did!) they must have thought of their families or even considered asking for a bit of financial support.

They could have asked the Consultant treating “Moth” to do a foreword to the book, but they didn’t. That’s odd.

There’s loads more stuff that made me dubious but I am just glad they have been exposed.

Outcast52

I'm absolutely stunned and disgusted by the number of thoroughly unpleasant posts on this thread - pious, superior, judgemental, critical - not an ounce of sympathy, empathy or compassion, and in some instances, sceptical, cynical and disbelieving. I suspect many of these carping voices have never read the book and just leapt on the "middle class, professional scroungers" bandwagon.

This couple bought an old, run-down farm and gradually rebuilt and refurbished it into a beloved home where they brought up their family. Via a combination of circumstances, they lost it, fought tenaciously but ultimately unsuccessfully to right the injustices and keep their home and many of these posters simply roll their eyes, label them stupid or arrogant or too mean to pay for legal advice and "brought all this misfortune on themselves". They DID seek legal advice and actually spent all their savings on solicitors' fees - obviously to no avail. Owing to a recent change in the law, there was no access to legail aid for a barrister, so Raynor had no option but to try and defend herself in court. She made one simple error of timing / admin request: how many of us would have the capacity, in those circumstances, to navigate the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the legal / justice system, but of course it was all their own fault! So were they supposed to just say "Oh silly us, ok take our home"?

At almost the same time, they received the devastating diagnosis of Moth's incurable condition. But of course they must have exaggerated, given up too easily, maybe even lied. They couldn't possibly have been so shattered and broken, sent from pillar to post by a deeply unhelpful benefits and housing system that they simply didn't know what to do and fled, in a sense.

How dare you look down on them for "stealing a chocolate bar"? "I hope they went back and paid for it" someone opined. Which of us would not do the same if we were desperate to survive? Does anyone think there might be the slightest chance that those businesses have benefitted hugely from the success of Raynor's book and this new film? Might there have been a massive influx of tourists boosting the economy of that whole region, including the victims of the great chocolate robbery?

And by the way, Raynor wrote the account of their epic journey as a memento for Moth, not in some kind of cynical, grasping decision to make a fortune out of their misfortune. They received great kindness from strangers and dispensed it themselves, even with the little they had.

Raynor has done a huge amount for the homeless in this country, raising awareness and lobbying for change and has donated a good deal of money to associated charities. The despicable attitudes to her and Moth and what they suffered, survived and have achieved are shameful. I hope to goodness that none of you ever have to deal with similar and I hope to God that she never reads this site.

Wow! You really fell for it hook, line and sinker didn’t you.

Remember the old saying “if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”

I have just read the article, honestly, not one bit surprised

Wandering apostrophe, thanks autocorrect, I changed it once!

I'm not a bit surprised.

She always looked disingenuous in interviews, now we know that she is a fraud through and through.

Jason Isaac's, Gillian Anderson, the producers - all deceived and showing support for them in interviews.

How interesting. I started the book then abandoned it for 2 reasons. My OH died with PD and I did not particularly want to read about someone woth a neurodegenerative disorder... been there, done that. But also I simply did not believe a word of it.
I thought I was just an old cynic ... but maybe not .....

The only surprise I feel is that their behaviour was even worse than I suspected. I was telling myself I was just an old cynic.

Oh dear. I loved the book and the film and now feel shocked.
But I think they did do the walk, although how much of it is true I can't imagine. I hope they feel ashamed.

Oh dear, I am now wondering if any of it was true. Was the whole journey a figment of the Winn/ Walker imagination? Did they get the idea from their real surname? The only sure thing, imo, is that they have been successful con merchants.

I saw the trailer and didn't fancy it. Mumsnet has a very interesting thread about this pair and someone put a link to the newspaper article in The Observer. I wont be buying the book or watching the film. To be honest I was wary of all the hype from the beginning, in my experience, over- hyped books and films are always disappointing.