The Salt Path

Dominic Thomas
June 2025  •  3 min read

The Salt Path – lost and found

There is a new film The Salt Path based on the book by Raynor Winn about her own story. In essence, it’s a couple that loses everything, and I really mean everything, and decide rather impulsively to go hiking as a way to clear their heads. In an interview, Ray talks of the walk being a line and a map for them to follow step-by-step, having lost everything and recognising that the way through had to be one which was a planned route.

We quickly discover that this is an impulsive decision, not well thought through; in fact it’s hard to think it even vaguely wise given the physical shape that her husband Moth is in – walking with great difficulty due to a condition diagnosed (in the same week as being made homeless) as corticobasal degeneration (CBD), which I understand to be a Parkinsons-related illness impacting movement and cognition. Not ideal when walking a coastal path with unforgiving sheer, steep drops.

To call it a walk isn’t really accurate, it’s a 630 mile hike, with all their meagre worldly possessions carried in rucksacks or worn. It’s an endurance, though I am pleased to say that the story is not.  Rather, it’s uplifting and revels in the human spirit and our ability to endure hardship. Set in the familiar beautiful scenery of the West Coast, they walk along the coastline from Minehead to Poole, funded only by a few pounds in benefits that they receive.

Together we face some of the reactions to them as a homeless couple, often with a great deal of kindness exposed. I haven’t read the book, and the film is naturally an adaptation with heightened dramatic impact, but it seems as though they also lack any friends willing to help, which may not be accurate (I don’t know).

I wondered why and how they managed to lose everything (their home, money and possessions) and it would appear that they invested in a friend’s business which failed and their assets were seized by creditors. Clearly there is another story there, but it is something that I have been asked about numerous times … “I have a friend who has asked me to invest in their business, what do you think?”.

As a business owner myself, I can assure you that it looks easier than it is. The failure rate is exceedingly high and whilst there may be a sense of ‘self determination’, there is an awful lot that is simply beyond your control. Geopolitics, pandemics, recessions, technology, competition, legislation, climate crisis, social trends, economic reality all batter the best of businesses. Perhaps investing in a friend or family member’s business is a great idea, maybe they are the next Bill Gates (hopefully not the next Elon Musk). So perhaps some pointers…

  1. Can you afford to lose all the investment?
  2. How much of your overall wealth would be exposed? Would this scupper your own security if it fails?
  3. How would your relationship cope with ongoing involvement, failure or success?
  4. Are you an active investor (regularly involved with the operational decisions) or passive? And if the latter, is that really code for “I don’t know what I’m doing”?
  5. What experience do you bring that can assist, beyond capital?
  6. Have you understood the risk? Have you checked past and current performance of the business? Do you really believe in the future projections or are these hopeful guesses wrapped in a spreadsheet?

Most of us are not venture capitalists, which is what investing in your friend’s business means. However, a professional VC looks at hundreds of businesses each year and considers the risk/reward very carefully indeed. The Government must incentivise most of us to consider any form of VC investment – with 30% or 50% tax relief and the promise of tax-free gains (in controlled investment solutions like VCTs, EIS and SEIS). These are regarded as suitable investments for probably no more than 1% of investors (according to our regulator, the FCA).

Whatever Ray and Moth invested in, I am confident that it would not have passed muster with any decent financial planner, and a compliance person somewhere would be screaming that they hadn’t had their appetite for risk or capacity for loss properly tested and explored. I understand these concerns, but of course the irony being that even having lost everything, their capacity for loss was not exhausted, they found a way through, it was not ‘the end’. Today, they would be classified as ‘vulnerable clients’ due to illness and experience, yet vulnerability as humans is how we learn most about ourselves and each other.

Ray and Moth rediscover a purpose and the value of life and their relationship. I don’t know if they learned any lessons about investment, other than to avoid it. The film is charming and life-affirming with a couple of familiar good actors – Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.

Financial planning is meant to be about helping you verbalise and clarify your values and goals, setting out the life that you want in your remaining years. We provide the pathway to help you assess the viability of them and how we might make things easier, less arduous and less taxing; minimising risks whilst ensuring you never suffer total financial loss.

Should you feel inspired to buy her books with a link here to Penguin, and here is the new film from Black Bear.

The Salt Path2025-06-12T10:12:36+01:00

KEEPING YOUR EYE ON THE BALL

TODAY’S BLOG

KEEPING YOUR EYE ON THE BALL

It’s the final weekend of Wimbledon. Our local global sporting event comes to an end on Sunday. The winners are those that “see the ball big” and like most sports’ folk, keep their eye on the ball. A tournament that creates legends of the game. Anyone that makes it through to the second week has played incredibly well, perhaps to the finest edge of their personal best. We can all list off some of the great tennis stars, and perhaps each victory acts as a landmark in time of our own lives.

However great you are in your field of expertise, does not necessarily translate into other areas of life. Indeed, success in your field of expertise, can bring its own problems. Fame, fortune and expectations. One of the Wimbledon legends announced his arrival winning the men’s singles final at just 17 years old. Boris Becker. I had just finished my O’Levels and was watching someone in the year above me win Wimbledon.

Solomons IFA Eye on the ball

A great Champion

Becker was hugely successful in his professional tennis career. He went on to win Wimbledon 3 times, the Australian twice, the US once and a Davis cup winner twice. A man that was so powerful, determined, focussed and successful on court had his problems off court. I have no wish at all to criticise Becker, he’s human, he made plenty of bad decisions in his personal and commercial life.

Selling the Silverware

This week Becker was forced to sell his trophy memorabilia to repay some of the debt that stands against his name. The auction raised £680,000. Declared bankrupt in 2017 his financial mismanagement caught up with him. The Court registrar at Christine Derrett said of Becker “One has the impression of a man with his head in the sand”. Which is probably a very polite way of reducing the facts of the case which included claiming diplomatic immunity. The debt was north of £5m. This against a career ending in summer 1999 – which saw his last grand slam win in 1996. His career prize money was $25m but that excludes all the sponsorship. His own advocate at the London hearing (John Briggs) in 2017 described him “he is not a sophisticated individual when it comes to finances”.

Game, set and match

There were many business ventures, some costly personal divorce and children, but a lot of money melted away, like an embarrassing 6-0 set full of double faults. There will be reasons, fame, character and pressure all combining against him perhaps, but the apparent lack of anyone that might be termed a decent financial planner would be my logical concern. Irrespective of fame, skill or wealth, the lack of a plan and someone to properly facilitate this can be disastrous. Becker is now having to sell his silverware to pay his bills. In tennis, most amateur players beat themselves rather than being beaten by a better opponent, the same is true for investors (amateur and professional). Keeping your eye on the ball – the financial one, is game, set and match.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

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Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

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GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

KEEPING YOUR EYE ON THE BALL2025-01-28T10:08:05+00:00
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