Smiley Ratliff's escape bid, 1984

Published: March 9, 1984, 1:06 p.m.

British government foils attempt by US millionaire Smiley Ratliff to buy his own Pacific island. This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.