Latest news with #SouthWestCoastalPath
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
They claimed it was a 'true story', it turned out to be anything but
Is The Salt Path based on a true story? As the basis of May's movie starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, we've been led to believe it is. However, according to a new investigation, it may not be as honest as we initially thought. Penned by English author Raynor Winn - real name Sally Walker - this popular 2018 memoir follows a couple's journey on foot across the South West Coastal Path. Along the way, we discover how this long trek helped them overcome personal and professional struggles. At its centre are Winn and her husband Moth (real name Tim Walker), played in director Marianne Elliott's film by Anderson and Isaacs. After a bad business investment costs them their home and life savings, Moth is diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease with no apparent cure. Left at their wit's end, the couple find solace in a 630-mile walk across the South West coast. Along the way, they experience homelessness and rely on the kindness of strangers. Meanwhile, Moth's health unexpectedly improves by the time their journey is over. This uplifting and inspiring tale helped Winn's book become a prize-winning bestseller. However, new claims published by The Observer have suggested that elements of her story may not be as true to life as they appear. While the truth remains obscured. Winn's lawyers have assured The Salt Path is 'the true story' of the pair's journey, and the couple have denied all allegations against them."[The] Observer article is highly misleading," the couple's rep told The Telegraph. "We are taking legal advice and won't be making any further comment at this time." These claims are far from the first time stories presented to us as truth have later emerged as a little more complex. 2003's A Million Little Pieces initially sold itself as a memoir before the truth later came to light. It follows author James Frey's painful rehabilitation journey after falling into the depths of alcoholism and crack cocaine abuse. Throughout his ordeal, readers wince as Frey is forced to have dental work done without painkillers and undergo battles with internal demons in order to reach sobriety. However, three years after its release, investigations into elements of Frey's story - including his arrests and even those painful, pain-killer-free root canals - led to it being re-evaluated. After initially praising the book, Oprah Winfrey later led its deconstruction, quizzing Frey on many key moments which were later deemed to have been embellished. As a result, A Million Little Pieces was re-labelled as a work of semi-fiction. In 2019, it inspired a fiction film starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the leading role. Leonardo DiCaprio had Tom Hanks on his tail in Steven Spielberg's 2002 caper classic Catch Me If You Can. The story was sold as a true one, with DiCaprio playing Frank Abagnale Jr., a young fraudster who scammed countless companies and faked his way into living the high-flying life of an airline pilot. Abagnale Jr.'s story undoubtedly made for compelling viewing, although in the years since his exploits came to a close, his various close calls have been called into question. Claims that he had cashed $2.5 million in bad cheques, spent time working as a night shift doctor in a hospital and eluded the FBI on multiple occasions have all since been refuted by journalists. The exact truth remains obscured. Likewise, experts have claimed there remains a lack of hard evidence to support the suggestion that he worked for the Louisiana State Bar legal organisation. Still, that's not to say that all of Abagnale Jr.'s claims weren't based on some element of truth. However, their extent and specifics appear to have been exaggerated on various occasions. 2009's The Blind Side is based on Michael Lewis's book of the same name. It follows Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a young black teenager who rises to NFL success after a white couple adopts him from foster care. The film was a critical success, winning Sandra Bullock a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Oher's adoptive mother Leigh Anne Tuohy. However, it has since been chased by controversies. In addition to claims that it showcases 'white saviour' storytelling tropes, Oher later suggested that his adoptive parents didn't actually adopt him at all. Instead, he alleged they simply set up a conservatorship which provided the opportunity for them to make money from his life story. These allegations were denied by The Blind Side's creative team and the book's author. Ultimately, his adoptive parents ended the conservatorship and stopped referring to Oher as their adoptive child. Wait, you're saying Cocaine Bear wasn't completely accurate? While it may not walk that tightrope of truth and fiction as narrowly as some of the other titles on this list, 2023's comedy horror does have some elements of truth to it. Its core story is pretty spot on. As depicted in director Elizabeth Banks' movie, a former Army official turned drug smuggler did indeed lose a duffle bag containing $15 million worth of cocaine after jumping out of a plane above Knoxville, Tennessee. Much like in the movie, the bag didn't stay lost for long. Two months after this incident, a local hunter found the package alongside a huge 200-pound bear which appeared to have found it first. It was later deemed that the animal had died due to cocaine intoxication after eating around four grams of the white powder. So far, so true. However, if you were to believe the events depicted in the movie, you'd be under the assumption that the bear embarked on a souped-up killing spree before it met its end. Thankfully, that's not what happened in real life. Banks even admitted as much, telling Variety that her film should be seen as "the bear's revenge story."
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Huge charity hike for Wellington firefighter's 30th birthday
A firefighter will mark her 30th birthday this year by walking hundreds of miles across the UK in less than three Harding says she hopes to find a place to stay each night through the fire stations she passes along the South West Coastal 29-year-old works for the Ministry of Defence but is also an on-call firefighter at the Wellington station in said she was "always up for a crazy challenge" and it was important to "give back to the path". Her 630-mile (1,014km) hike, which will raise money towards maintaining the route, starts on 30 June with a finish date pencilled in for 7 keen hiker is no stranger to endurance events, having finished a 50-mile (80km) race along the Shropshire Way and a 70-mile (113km) hike from Ulverston to Harding said she had previously walked parts of the coastal route, which runs from Somerset to Dorset, and Minehead was "an incredibly special place" to her 30th birthday this year, she said she hoped it would be a memorable way to mark the occasion."I have many fond memories from numerous family holidays, so it seemed like the perfect challenge," she Harding also hoped to receive support from fellow firefighters along the trek and the funds raised will also go towards the Fire Fighters Charity and a charity linked to the armed forces. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
10-05-2025
- The Sun
One of England's most secluded beaches you can now only reach by boat
ONE OF the UK's most secluded beaches features golden sands but is now only accessible via boat. Porthbeor Beach in Cornwall stretches around 500 metres and is usually quiet even through the peak of summer. 4 4 Until recently, the lesser-known spot was accessible via a footpath. However, that has since been closed due to erosion with no plans to reopen. To get to Porthbeor Beach now, you will need a boat. Locals have been left gutted by the path closure. One wrote: "Its a shame they don't repair it as its nice and quiet for locals during the busy months." Whilst swimming is not advised at the beach due to there being no lifeguards, on calm days it is the ideal spot for a dip. In addition, the beach is dog-friendly year-round. The beach also features a number of rockpools that can be explored - but make sure to go at low tide to ensure they are full of creatures. One visitor recently said on social media: "A beautiful, long beach of soft sand and rocks that used to be very popular until the only pathway down collapsed due to erosion. "Occasionally seals will haul up to rest knowing they cannot be disturbed. Sheep and lambs in the fields at spring time." For those wanting to explore the local area, the beach also sits on the South West Coastal Path. Just up from the beach are two National Trust properties. The first is Whitewashed Bohurrow Farm Cottage, which boasts panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and sea. The cottage has a multi-fuel stove and is close to the historic fishing village of Portscatho. Alternatively, visitors can head to Durgan Old School House which is part of a former Victorian school. Built in 1876, the stone cottage sits on the Helford River estuary and can sleep up to three people. Shortly up the road is also a secluded cafe, ran by Seth and Jodi Richards. 4 Cafe Thirstea serves a range of refreshments and meals, with 97 per cent of what they sell or use, produced locally. There are a number of other beaches in the area that can be explored, including more accessible ones such as Porthcurnick Beach. The UK has a number of secret beaches where you won't see the crowds. Plus, there is a secluded UK beach away from the crowds that has clear water, seals and 'singing sand'. 4
