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Written by: Kamran Mofid

Published: 06 December 2018

Hits: 3629

 N.B. This Blog is in three parts:

Part I- Moth and Ranor Winn’s Amazing Story

Part II- The Book

Part II- The Movie

The Healing Power of Storytelling

Storytelling for the Common Good:

Telling our Stories, Sharing the Wisdom

‘Home is a state of mind. You don’t need walls’: The Story of Moth and Raynor Winn, as told by Sam Wollaston, a Guardian feature writer*

‘Facing homelessness and terminal illness, Raynor Winn and her husband decided to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. Raynor talks about that time and the Costa-nominated memoir their experience inspired.’

Raynor Winn, in Polruan, Cornwall, with her husband, Moth, and their dog Monty. Photograph: Jim Wileman for the Guardian

‘On a Thursday afternoon in August 2013, Raynor Winn and her husband, Moth, set off from Minehead in Somerset to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. She was 50, he was 53. They had a tent bought on eBay, a couple of cheap, thin sleeping bags, £115 in cash and a bankcard with which to draw out the £48 a week they were due in tax credits. They were broke and broken.

Through a combination of bad decisions and bad luck – a friend who turned out not to be a friend, and a toxic investment – they had lost the farmhouse that was their home and their source of income – renting to holidaymakers. It was also the place where their children had grown up and to which they returned during university holidays.

When the bailiffs came banging on the door, it seemed things could not get worse. But the bombshells didn’t stop. Around the same time, Moth was diagnosed with a rare degenerative brain disease, CBD. The specialist told him that death usually comes six to eight years after the onset – and that he had probably had it for about six years. “You can’t be ill, I still love you,” Raynor told the man with whom she had been since sixth-form college.

The idea of walking the coast path came to Raynor when she spotted a book she had read in her 20s in one of their packing cases. Five Hundred Mile Walkies was written by a man who had done the South West Coast Path with his dog. The walk gave Moth and Raynor some sense of purpose, and, she says: “We really didn’t have anything better to do.”

Their journey – which they split over two summers, wintering in a friend’s shed – ended a year later, in Polruan, Cornwall, with an offer from a kind stranger of accommodation – a flat at the back of an old chapel. That is where I have come today, over on the little ferry from Fowey, bearing well-wrapped fish and chips.

Moth is not here – he has gone for a walk. He is not as well as he was when they finished the big trek in summer 2014 (walking all day, with a big pack, kept his physical and mental deterioration at arm’s length), but he is still here, and still walking. He can have his fish and chips later, heated up, says Raynor. There is a microwave, plus a cooker, fridge, washing machine, pictures on the walls … and a kettle. She makes tea. On the coast path, they scrounged hot water and shared teabags. On a few indulgent occasions, they shared a bag of chips.’...Continue to read

*This article was first published in the Guardian on 6 December 2018

Read the Book

The true story of a couple who lost everything and embarked on a transformative journey walking the South West Coast Path in England

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER & SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD & WAINWRIGHT GOLDEN BEER BOOK PRIZE 2018

Photo:amazon.com

'The landscape is magical: shape-shifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriads of sea birds and mauve skies. Raynor writes exquisitely . . . It's a tale of triumph: of hope over despair; of love over everything . . . home was no longer about bricks and mortar. It was a state of mind' The Sunday Times

Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.

Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey.

The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

'The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea and tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly and beautifully told.' Jackie Morris

Buy the Book

See the Movie

 ‘I’m not sure if I’d … ever … camped … before’ … Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs as Raynor and Moth Winn in The Salt Path. Photo: Via The Guardian

'Raynor Winn’s bestselling memoir about her and her husband’s 630-mile trek around England’s south coast has become a film. Its stars, makers and Winn talk floods, fog and forgiveness.'

THE SALT PATH | Official Trailer

Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs star in Tony Award-winning director Marianne Elliott’s exhilarating adaptation of Raynor Winn’s prize-winning memoir. 

After a series of crises in their lives, Raynor (Anderson) and Moth (Isaacs) Winn decide to walk the South West Coast Path, a breathtaking 630-mile trek along the rugged coastline of Somerset, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. Though challenging, the journey also proves liberating, giving Raynor and Moth a renewed vitality and a deeper connection to both the natural world and each other. Boasting gorgeous cinematography and immersive sound design, The Salt Path is an affecting portrait of mid-life loss and rebirth.

Woman who inspired Hollywood film relives emotions

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Written by: Kamran Mofid

Published: 05 December 2018

Hits: 2770

OUR SACRED EARTH

Our Journey of Hope, caring for Our Sacred Earth

Conference Presentations: The Videos

14th GCGI International Conference

And

The Fourth GCGI and SES Joint Conference, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

‘OUR SACRED EARTH: Spiritual Ecology, Values-led Economics, Education and Society Responding to Ecological Crisis’

Villa Boccella, Tuscany, Italy, 28 August-1 September 2018

Part I- A bird's-eye view about the Forum

1- The Final Programme

2-  The Book of Abstracts (The title of presentations and a short bio of speakers)

3- Post-Conference Reflections

And Now The Videos

(With special thanks and gratitude to Peter Watson, our Video Editor)

Our Journey of Hope, Caring for Our Sacred Earth

The morning mist and the sunrise, Podere Belvedere in the Val D'orcia Tuscany. Photo:locationscout.net

OUR SACRED EARTH Tuscany Forum: The Videos 

Day 1- Wednesday 29 August

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1. "Founder's Welcome"  Kamran Mofid                         19 mins

 https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw00ISLs-fZOn_JlO

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2. "One Humanity"   Nina Meyerhof & Domen Kocevar               38 mins

     https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw06qGACp0bK7hBSx

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3. Unheard Invitations: All Life is Calling     Susan B. Eirich     19 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw1DpyQHYYTJt70s_

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4. "Honouring our Relations. Plants and Plant Consciousness" Maya Shetreat    22 mins                                                                               https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw0somSuOsnabBQmy

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5. "The Call of Mother Earth"        John Thompson                             19 mins

    https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxRLYwK_3r9ylI591

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6. "The Legal Rights of Nature"     Mumta Ito                  20 mins

      https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeawWgqWSuEp8q_htRW

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7. "A Question of Prosperity"        Anthony Jones                      25 mins 

         https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw0x4_3vsvI7K0jPl

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8.  "Land Ethics in the Context of Economics and Commercialisation Effects" Knut Ims  18 mins

        https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw0luruCdvxMRxvUF                     

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9. "What is Needed for the UN Development Goals to be Achieved?" Peter Bowman     20 mins

         https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw0oB_uAOGAt7wFcR

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10. "The Birth of the Earthfire Institute"    Susan B. Eirich     51 mins

        https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw1Hv0JgXmkICqkwc

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11. "Can You be Happy Paying Tax?"  Andrew Purves          7 mins

         https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaw08ubyX2nZD4fPJA

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Day 2-  Thursday  30 August

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"On the Ground with Earth School"    Patricia Walsh-Collins   28 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxHuvI40sLKc1SUhS 

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"Integrating Spiritual Values with Practical Action"  Amrita Bhohi  28 mins.

  https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxHpERz_K6XkHeFA2

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"Commoning as a Fundamental Economic Logic"  Tamas Veress  20 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxQcGGrZQREAGfGPV

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"Making Peace with the Earth"     Linda Goff    23 mins  

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxQmfgMM8V59QCK6R

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"Changes in Attitude to Climate Change"   Gherado Girardi    29 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxQp8BTWm84T3qW32

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"Contemplative Vision and Prophetic Action"   Alan Rice 22 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxQsC4AdBGUPh2WZR

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"Evolution not Revolution"   John Thompson 1hr 2 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxQxGnK9oR0YV7QnM

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Day 3-Friday 30 August

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"For the Love of Humanity"     Ian Mason        29 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxQ-HkjG0xcuJ9c6g

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"Looking into Practical Solutions to End Poverty"     Jamshid Damooei     28 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxRE7pNXm6oOQUsM3

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"New Categories for a Sustainable and Spirit-based Company"    Mara Del Baldo  27 mins

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiyPs3OswBeaxRCcEG4oIFdJ41YD

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"What is Life? A Scientific and Spiritual look at Life in All its Manifestations" Pier Luigi Luisi  40 mins