Pod Insights British Scandal The Shipwrecked Marriage | Auralyn | 1 About this episode Maralyn and Maurice Bailey want out. Out of the 9-5, out of the net curtains, out of the ordinary life they've always known. Together they risk everything to sail the world. They're not bringing a radio, because what could possibly go wrong? This is a real-life story of stubbornness, survival, and a couple who really should have packed more sensibly.
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0:00 Alice Levine? Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. Now, Matt, usually at this point in the show, we would do a much beloved comedy skit, if you will, but today we can't do that.
0:15 Matt Forde? No, we can't. All of us here at British Scandal and Audible Originals would like to apologize for the insensitive mispronunciation of a key character's name in this episode.
0:27 Alice Levine? Yes, we made some sweeping assumptions about the naming conventions of working-class 1960s men, so we plumped for Maurice Bailey.
0:36 Matt Forde? We did. We take cultural differences very seriously on this show, and we would like to apologize to all members of the 1960s working-class Derby community for misnaming one of your own.
0:49 Alice Levine? From here on in, he'll be known simply as Maurice.
0:54 Matt Forde? All right, Alex, let's crack on.
1:02 Alice Levine? Fourth of March, 1973, the Orlin, the Pacific Ocean. Maurice Bailey squints at the chart table, tracing the penciled line from Panama. He feels a flurry of butterflies. In three days, they will finally reach the Galapagos Islands. He's enjoyed the isolation out here in the Pacific. He and Marilyn haven't seen another person or boat in weeks, but he can't wait to explore the untouched land. Nine months into their two-year circumnavigation around the world, and finally, they're reaching the rare wildlife and crystal waters of one of their dream destinations.
1:41 Matt Forde? An all-inclusive in Benidorm.
1:44 Alice Levine? They just have to get through the shit tip that is the Galapagos. The rich smell of coffee drifts down through the hatch above Maurice's head, mingling with the salty air. Hearing Marilyn's voice calling to him, he shouts up. Be there in a minute, love. He shuffles his way across the tiny wood-paneled cabin to the galley kitchen.
2:06 Alice Levine? When a yacht suddenly lurches sideways, his water glass skids off the table. Hitting the floor, he grabs the nearest leg of the built-in table. Marilyn!
2:18 Alice Levine? Another slam shakes the hull. Maurice feels the vibration all the way up his spine to his back teeth. Crockery flies from the cupboard, smashing beside him, along with Marilyn's beloved dolphin figurines and their framed wedding photos.
2:35 Alice Levine? And then? Stillness. Maurice scrambles to his feet. Calls back up to Marilyn. Marilyn! Are you okay? His heart thuds against his ribs. Marilyn! Marilyn! Maurice's blood turns to ice as he casts his eyes towards the bow, where a fracture line is creeping across the plywood. He rushes towards it as it starts to spread. Six inches. Eight. Twelve. Sixteen. He desperately snatches a tarpaulin as liquid begins to force its way through the hold. But this doesn't look like seawater. It's the wrong color.
3:20 Alice Levine? It's bright red. Like blood.
3:24 Alice Levine? He winces as a hot metallic stench, iron mixed with a rancid sour oil, fills the cabin. Within seconds, it's spreading across the floor. He feels sick as he catches a glimmer of a dark-skinned creature, thrashing and twisting. He scrambles backwards, never taking his eyes off him. He peers through the crack and sees a row of giant teeth. And then a terrifying eye raising up, peering back at him. Maurice gasps, knowing only a piece of splintering wood lays between him and its jaws. Maurice snaps his head round to see Marilyn standing at the bottom of the steps, her face ghost-white with fear.
4:10 Alice Levine? It's a whale! A mad fucking whale! Help me! His throat is too tight, his mouth too dry. He scrambles around the cabin for some kind of weapon. Because if he doesn't stop this creature now, he knows he and Marilyn are going to die.
4:34 Speaker 02 Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of American History Tellers. In our latest series, US Army Lieutenant Adolphus Greeley and 24 other men embark on a scientific expedition to the Arctic in 1881. But despite achieving several triumphs of discovery, the men will soon face tragedy. Listen to American History Tellers on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts.
4:55 Speaker 03 He lurks in shadow. He slips into dreams. He casts no reflection. Audible presents Graham Stoker's Dracula, a new full cast audio thriller, starring Jonathan Bailey as Dracula and Ella Purnell as Mina Harker. Don't miss the year's best new audio thriller. Listen to Graham Stoker's Dracula only on Audible.
5:17 Alice Levine? From Audible, I'm Alice Levine.
5:19 Matt Forde? And I'm Matt Ford.
5:20 Alice Levine? And this is British Scandal, the show where we bring you the murkier stories that ever happened on these odd little isles.
5:28 Matt Forde? British scandals come in many shapes and sizes. Some are about money, some are about sex. They're all about power.
5:34 Alice Levine? But when we look at scandals a bit closer, they turn out to be stranger, wilder, just plain weirder than we remember.
5:41 Matt Forde? So we're journeying back to ask who's to blame for what happened.
5:44 Alice Levine? And when the dust settled, did anything really change?
5:58 Alice Levine? Matthew, what comes to mind when I say a gap year?
6:02 Matt Forde? Predominantly posh people taking a year off before you need to travel around the world and find themselves and come back absolutely unchanged.
6:10 Alice Levine? I feel targeted by that comment.
6:11 Matt Forde? Did you have a gap year?
6:12 Alice Levine? I did.
6:13 Matt Forde? Where did you go?
6:14 Alice Levine? All of the places you would imagine. Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, America.
6:19 Matt Forde? Vegas.
6:19 Alice Levine? Vegas. I actually did go to Vegas.
6:23 Matt Forde? Did you come back changed?
6:24 Alice Levine? I came back with change. So you didn't do one?
6:28 Matt Forde? No, instead I joined the Labour Party and travelled around various constituencies in Nottingham, really getting to know the peoples there and their cultures.
6:38 Alice Levine? Well, this scandal is a bit more travel-based than domestic.
6:41 Matt Forde? Oh no, something happened with Ramesh and his mum.
6:44 Alice Levine? Sadly, even though I've done a lot of digging, I actually can't find anything. This series isn't actually one that you will have heard of before, but warning, it's pretty wild. This is about two ordinary people obsessed with freedom. The more they chase their dream, the more they risk.
6:58 Matt Forde? The problem is, this is British scandal, so I'm guessing it doesn't work out well.
7:02 Alice Levine? Yeah, you're right. This isn't Diary of a CEO, so it isn't like, I converted that into a success and that's why you see that my KPIs are through the roof.
7:09 Matt Forde? You are scarily good at that.
7:11 Alice Levine? This is a tale about a couple who put their life on hold and decide to pursue their dream to sail around the world. The trouble is, there are, as you can imagine, a lot of reasons why they shouldn't. One of them being that 50% of them can't swim.
7:24 Matt Forde? On the other hand, that doesn't mean that 50% of them can swim.
7:27 Alice Levine? I wish I saw the world through your eyes. This is a mad tale about risk, relationships, arguments, obsession, fame and marriage. And at its centre, an unbelievable story of survival. This is episode one, Orlin.
7:47 Alice Levine? Eleven years earlier, March 1962, Kedleston, Derbyshire. Twenty-one-year-old Marilyn Harrison swings her Vauxhall Cresta around another tight bend, the surrounding hedgerows blurring past. She engages the clutch, slams her foot to the floor, adrenaline pumping. Told you she could move. This baby has a 2.3 litre, six-cylinder engine. She can do nought to sixty in seventeen seconds, up to ninety miles per hour. Marilyn sneaks a glance at the man in the passenger seat, his jaw clenched as he grips the door with both hands. I believe you. Please slow down. She can't believe her colleague from the tax office thought she'd like this guy.
8:32 Alice Levine? She only agreed to bring a blind date to this car rally to stop her mother nagging her about settling down.
8:38 Matt Forde? She took a blind date to a car rally? I mean, I know Britain was different in the 60s. That seems mad.
8:44 Alice Levine? Well, the obvious thing is like, just straight to sex, probably, because they could not get enough of it.
8:48 Matt Forde? Oh, in the 60s, it was carnage. What are they doing mucking around at a car rally?
8:53 Alice Levine? Because the 60s is definitely a decade of two halves. One half actually quite stayed and prudish. And then the other one, obviously the sexual revolution. So was there a day when it was like, go, go, go, get your tonk on?
9:05 Matt Forde? I think this was it. March 1962.
9:09 Alice Levine? The tonk gates were opened.
9:14 Alice Levine? But Marilyn has no intention of settling for anything. Least of all, an uptight 29-year-old square. She pulls into a large field, kills the engine.
9:25 Matt Forde? Here we go.
9:27 Alice Levine? Marilyn drags Maurice through the crowds. She refuses to let him dampen her spirits. Sorry, I'm not good with new people or crowds. Could we start again? Marilyn feels a pang of guilt. She lets him guide her to the stands, accepts a mug of hot bovril he buys from a hawker as a series of vintage Austin Sevens howl around the track. She soon loses herself in the action, cheering the drivers as the dust flies. She's surprised when she turns to find Maurice scribbling notes in his programme. I didn't realise how much skill these drivers needed. Car four, one minute, 4.3 seconds. Car four wins a small volume category. No, I saw him clip a bollard.
10:11 Alice Levine? That should incur a two-second penalty. Marilyn smiles as Maurice looks incredulous. You should volunteer to officiate. Oh, I don't think so. Boats are more my thing. You'd be surprised how much ground you can cover without all that noise. Marilyn raises an eyebrow. You, boots.
10:31 Alice Levine? I don't have the most exciting career, but on the water, I feel such a sense of freedom. Marilyn grabs his arm. That's how I feel about all this. It's an escape. I don't want to be a tax clerk forever. I'm only doing it until I marry and have children, of course. Why does everyone think that's all girls my age want? She puffs out her chest defensively, awaiting the typical response: shock, incredulity, assertions that she'll change her mind. Instead, Maurice nods. I don't want kids either, never have.
11:10 Alice Levine? Marilyn eyes him, her interest piqued. So do you have your own boat? Hopefully one day, most weekends I'll rent a sloop or a barge.
11:20 Matt Forde? What's a sloop?
11:21 Alice Levine? I'm so glad you asked. It's sort of like a soup, but it's thicker.
11:27 Matt Forde? It's a gravy boat?
11:28 Alice Levine? It's a gravy boat.
11:33 Alice Levine? But just in case you did want to know, it's a modern sailboat. It's simple rigging, Matt. It's one mast, two sails. You know, you know the type.
11:40 Matt Forde? I know the type, yeah.
11:42 Alice Levine? He clears his throat, nervous. I don't, I don't suppose you'd like to come with me sometime?
11:50 Alice Levine? Marilyn feels a frisson of excitement. She takes in his dark, kind eyes, grins. How about next weekend?
12:05 Alice Levine? One week later, March 1962, Norfolk Broads. Maurice unties the mooring rope and eases the barge from the riverbank. Settling his grip on the tiller, he smiles as Marilyn throws her arms to the sky. He lets the fresh air hit his face, takes in the flat, open marshland, broken only by the skeletal sails of distant windmills. Anchors away! He watches her dark hair flutter in the breeze as they glide through the water, his nerves jangling. He's only ever sailed alone before. In truth, he's hardly dated, but he likes this girl, and he's determined to make a good impression.
12:48 Matt Forde? This is a great date. More of us should do this. I don't know much about modern dating, but I imagine it doesn't often involve canal holidays.
12:56 Alice Levine? Do you know much about modern barging? Same thing some would say.
13:03 Alice Levine? What is wrong with us today?
13:05 Matt Forde? We're recording this during a heatwave, so maybe we're just giddy.
13:10 Alice Levine? Maurice glances down at a wicker hamper filled with crusty white bread, a block of sharp cheddar and a thermos of hot tea that he's hidden under a blanket. He's planned a picnic at a spot a few miles along the canal. He's hoping he might even be able to point out a few of the broad's rare bittens. How about I hold the steering wheel? His eyes flick down to his watch. He wants to reach his spot before it gets too late, and he likes to run a tight ship. It's called the tiller. Just leave everything to me. We'll go a little further, then pull in. Oh, please. Maurice looks into Marilyn's pleading eyes and reluctantly switches places.
13:53 Alice Levine? He stands behind her. He feels the warmth of her body as he guides her hand.
13:58 Matt Forde? Smooth as. That ain't the tiller.
14:03 Alice Levine? Okay, open the paddle, that's it. Watch the prop wash. Ease her over. Ease, not yank. Maurice's heart thuds as Marilyn overcorrects, steering them towards the bank. Hard to port. Hard to port. Which one's port? Marilyn, stop. It's a hire. The barge crashes into the riverbank. Maurice closes his eyes. He feels sick to his stomach. When he opens them again, he sees a few men laughing, and one passerby in white flannel trousers and a cravat shake his head and mutter to his companion. More of the bloody gin and tonic brigade. Shouldn't be allowed on the water.
14:47 Alice Levine? Maurice is flooded with memories of his childhood, his bullish father chastising him for being weak. Suddenly Marilyn shouts across to the man on the towpath. Yeah, well, you shouldn't be allowed out in that get-up. What are you, a bloody cricket umpire? The man's face turns puce. Maurice looks at Marilyn grinning, and he finds himself laughing. Properly hysterically, in a way he hasn't done for years. Marilyn doubles over beside him. Can I let you into a Secret Maurice. He nods vigorously, still recovering. I can't actually swim. Maurice feels the blood drain from his face. What? He looks from her twinkling eyes to her loosely tied life jacket.
15:33 Alice Levine? It's okay. If anything were to happen, I know you'd save me. Maurice feels goosebumps prickle his skin. She says it with such utter certainty. No one's ever put that much faith in him before. Watching her reach for the tiller, eager to try again, his heartbeat quickens. Don't.
15:53 Matt Forde? I wasn't.
15:54 Alice Levine? Marilyn is everything he's not. Fearless, free spirited, irrepressible.
16:01 Alice Levine? He glances down at his perfectly packed picnic. Every container is labelled, every napkin folded. He chuckles. She's exactly what he needs in his life. He knows it'll be a different kind of adventure with Marilyn, but it's one he intends to embrace. Because he's going to marry this woman and make Marilyn Harrison his wife.
16:33 Alice Levine? Three years later, November 1965, Derby. Marilyn feeds another form into her typewriter and hammers the keys. Around her, rows of women shuffle tax forms from one desk to another.
16:49 Alice Levine? Before the five o'clock bell has finished ringing, Marilyn is reaching for her coat. Going on one of your river cruises with the hubba? Marilyn glances across at her colleague Janet. Not this weekend, we've got people coming round. Marilyn watches Janet's smile widen. Imagine that. Marilyn pauses. Imagine what? Oh, it's just when I first met you. You're always going on about fast cars and becoming a racing driver. Marilyn bristles. She never saw herself settling down in the suburbs. But having security was so important to Maurice, so she was happy to go along with it. She just imagined it'd be filled with more... adventure. Investing wisely doesn't mean settling, Janet.
17:33 Alice Levine? Our new neighbours are a lot of fun, actually. Picking up her bag, she tries to sound light and carefree. But the reality is, she's never met her neighbours. That's why she's throwing this party. She's hoping to finally meet a couple who share their interests. Janet shrugs. If you say so.
17:56 Alice Levine? Three hours later, Marilyn glides through her warmly lit living room with a carefully assembled cheese and pineapple hedgehog.
18:04 Matt Forde? It was better back then.
18:05 Alice Levine? I knew you were gonna say that.
18:07 Matt Forde? Better than a... I don't know, what do they eat now? Protein bars.
18:10 Alice Levine? Huul.
18:11 Matt Forde? Huul. We've become protein-obsessed as a planet. And a cheese and pineapple... Mind you, you could probably call those protein bites, I imagine. Cheese is protein, and the pineapple's got vitamins in it.
18:22 Alice Levine? And hedgehog meat is probably protein, yeah.
18:24 Matt Forde? Yes, we should clarify. That will be a baked potato wrapped in tin foil, and these cocktail sticks are stuck into it. People weren't putting cheese and pineapple into hedgehogs.
18:35 Alice Levine? The party is in full swing. Or at least it's meant to be. Marilyn had imagined meeting new, interesting people. Instead, she's been invited to join the local WI. Placing the hedgehog on the sideboard, she picks up a glass of baby sham and knocks back her fourth in an hour. Joins a group of women nearby. I thought it would get easier once they got past the terrible twos, but Lesley's still so clingy. She doesn't start school for another year. Talking of, have you read about St Joseph's in the Gazette? They're going open plan. Marilyn rolls her eyes and immediately regrets it. One of the thin-faced women fixes her with a look. Tell me Marilyn, you must be starting a family of your own soon.
19:20 Alice Levine? You're what, 25? She bristles. I'm 24. I was expecting my second by then.
19:29 Matt Forde? Yeah, well, I've had four baby shams. That's better than having two kids.
19:33 Alice Levine? Marilyn glances across at Maurice, who's standing with a gang of husbands. She catches him laughing along as the men debate lawn care.
19:43 Alice Levine? Later, shutting the door behind the last guests, Marilyn kicks off her shoes and heads back into the living room, where Maurice fills two glasses with Blue Nun.
19:52 Matt Forde? Classic white wine of the era.
19:54 Alice Levine? It's a very syrupy-based culture, wasn't it, the 60s?
19:57 Matt Forde? This was, I guess, in a way, the Alkapop of the suburbs.
20:01 Alice Levine? Marilyn tenses. She can't understand how Maurice is content spending his evenings talking about grass and dahlias. He pushes a glass towards her. At least we know not to invite that lot again. Marilyn stares back at him in shock. But before she can say anything, she hears him continue. But the bungalow's going up in value, building us a nest egg, so we'll still have the cash for plenty of trips away. We could see the Highlands, the lakes. Marilyn again sinks into herself. The holidays sound lovely. She wanders to the window and peers through the net curtains into the dark close, with its neat gardens and identical bungalows. Identical lives.
20:45 Alice Levine? But is this what the next 10, 20 years looks like? Every day, going from a picket fence prison to a dreary tax office, with only the odd weekend getaway to look forward to. She loves Maurice. She wants them to have a life together. But for the first time, she feels suffocated. She needs more than this. She needs adventure. And she needs to make Maurice realise that.
21:16 Alice Levine? January 1967, the boat show, Earls Court, London.
21:23 Alice Levine? Marilyn weaves through the busy exhibition, her eyes widen as she takes in the vastness of the gleaming hulls, the finery of the luxury yachts. This place is incredible. She stops behind Maurice as they reach a modest sloop. They've been saving all year for a boat of their own, so they can take an extended holiday, exploring the entire Lincolnshire coast. Marilyn knows Maurice is keen to explore the coastal ecology of Skegness.
21:50 Matt Forde? Wow.
21:51 Alice Levine? You're gonna be looking. He's especially excited about the Brent geese that can be found there. But seeing Maurice frown as he studies the price board, she tenses. He pats her hand reassuringly. You have a wonder, I'll ask about part pay-in on HP.
22:08 Matt Forde? Higher purchase?
22:10 Alice Levine? Go on.
22:11 Matt Forde? In the olden days, basically just paying it back in installments, I think, with a rate of interest.
22:16 Alice Levine? A bit like...
22:17 Matt Forde? Klarna.
22:18 Alice Levine? Klarna.
22:21 Alice Levine? If that fails, tell them you'll make up the difference by selling your body. She smiles at him, as always, shaking his head and blushing. As she heads deeper into the hall, her attention drifts to a small crowd forming by a stage. On it, a weather-beaten sailor clicks through slides. A coastline, shimmering blue sea, a magnificent golden hind cruiser. And then we were there, the New Zealand coast. I'm not ashamed to say that me and the missus both cried, the sheer beauty of the place. Marilyn edges closer, fixed on the next slide of a lush, untouched landscape. There were times when we thought we'd never make it, but that moment made every storm we battled, every sleepless night, worth it.
23:06 Matt Forde? No, it didn't.
23:07 Alice Levine? Go on.
23:08 Matt Forde? But it wouldn't for me. I mean, the thought that you're so desperate to see a sand dune, that you would risk your life, means that you are a maniac, and I am not interested in anything you're trying to flog me, pal. I don't want to wind up dead at sea. Just go and stay in a hotel or an Airbnb, and never leave the country of your birth. It's scary out there, people.
23:30 Alice Levine? Marilyn feels her spine tingle. She's transfixed as the speaker talks about weeks exploring the unspoilt coastline, the wildlife he and his wife encountered. As he wraps up and asks if there are any questions, her hand shoots into the air. Did you miss your life back home, like family, friends? Sometimes, but let me tell you, there's nothing like the achievement you feel when you see a new country you've worked so hard to reach. Marilyn turns to see Maurice approaching.
24:02 Alice Levine? Right, I've got some figures. Marilyn barely hears him. She turns, points across the room to the forty-foot cruisers. What if we bought one of those instead? Love, those are ocean cruisers. Marilyn grabs him with both hands. I know, what if we... She decides to come out with it. Quit our jobs and sail round the world? Only as the words leave her mouth, does Marilyn realise just how much she wants this. She stays on Maurice, her pulse racing as she waits for his answer. Come on. I'm serious. We'd have to save for a few more years, but why not?
24:43 Matt Forde? Because I like sleeping in my own bed. I like sanitation, I like a roof over my head, I like mowing the lawn.
24:50 Alice Levine? And I like crisps.
24:51 Matt Forde? Oh god, crisps, dairy milk, football on the telly, toast.
24:57 Alice Levine? Marilyn sees Maurice look at the yacht, then back at her. He runs a hand through his neatly combed hair, his smile fading into exasperation. Love, people don't do this. Before Marilyn can argue, Maurice walks back to the sloop stand, shaking his head. The show will be closing in thirty minutes, that's thirty minutes.
25:21 Alice Levine? Instead of following him, Marilyn steps towards the cruiser display and picks up a brochure, tucks it into her coat pocket. She isn't going to settle for white picket fences and pineapple parties. She's determined to experience everything this world has to offer. And if Maurice refuses to see that, she'll just have to do it alone. Marriage or no marriage.
25:49 Matt Forde? It does seem mad that a woman who, a moment ago, couldn't steer a barge, couldn't swim, and is a tax clerk, is at a boat expo genuinely planning to invest in a seafaring vessel.
26:04 Alice Levine? Yeah, wandering around like they've gone to Big Sainsbury's, just sort of seeing what catches their eye on offer. I mean, this is a particular moment in time. You will have obviously heard of the amateur circumnavigation boom.
26:14 Matt Forde? Oh, yes.
26:15 Alice Levine? A lot of people with very little experience but disposable income, as we've discussed, were getting into sailing. So it wasn't totally bonkers to go to one of these things, have a wander around and think about doing it as your hobby. This wasn't just full of kind of yacht-y types with loads of money. And people might remember, don't worry, you don't have to remember, Matt, you were off, Race to Ruin, series 38 of British Scandal. We actually spoke to Francis Chichester, who did the first solo lap of the world. So there was this sort of moment of romance about sailing off into the sunset that we can't quite get our heads around now.
26:49 Matt Forde? So even kind of normal working class people saw sailing as an attainable lifestyle?
26:57 Alice Levine? Absolutely. And you should go back and listen to our series about Crowhurst, about his attempt to win the Times' Golden Globe Race. Spoiler, as it's British Scandal, you can imagine, he did not win.
27:07 Speaker 02 By 1779, Benedict Arnold had sacrificed more for the Revolution than almost any other man in America. One of George Washington's most effective commanders, he had nearly lost a leg in the Second Battle of Saratoga. But in return, Arnold believed he had been humiliated by Congress and cheated of his glory by lesser men. So he decided to make them pay. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of the podcast American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in US history: presidential lies, environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our latest series, Benedict Arnold turns his back on his comrades in the Continental Army and secretly defects to the British. With the help of his wife, he plots to hand over the most important colonial fortress to the
27:52 Speaker 02 enemy and doom the Revolution he once served. Follow American Scandal wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
28:08 Speaker 04 Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice, except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you, his coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches, your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to profess their undying love for one another. You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good, you'll give love a second chance. Audible, stories that speak to you.
28:44 Alice Levine? One week later, Ulster, Derby.
28:48 Alice Levine? Maurice follows the heady aroma of spices into the kitchen. He steps through the door and stops. Marilyn is standing by the stove in a sailor's cap and apron. Just an apron.
29:00 Matt Forde? God, that's hazardous.
29:02 Alice Levine? She lifts her hand and snaps off a salute. Captain on deck! Maurice feels his face flush. Marilyn, good God, what have the neighbours seen? He yanks the blind closed. Well, they'll finally have something interesting to talk about. Only now does Maurice notice the table, covered in bowls, each with a small, hand-drawn flag sticking out. What's all this? Marilyn points to one. That's paella, the rice is a bit crunchy. I don't think I gave it long enough. Duck, I'm more than happy with pie and chips.
29:35 Matt Forde? Should make it clear, duck is a term of endearment in the East Midlands. Alice and I, both from Nottingham, grew up with it. All right, duck, how you doing?
29:42 Alice Levine? All right, ducker. But in the context of meal prep, that potentially is a bit confusing.
29:47 Matt Forde? Very confusing. Never say duck in a Derby kitchen.
29:51 Alice Levine? Forget the paella. Marilyn pushes a bowl of green mush towards him. Cuckoo, Barbados's national dish. Imagine how good the real thing would taste in Barbados! Only now does Maurice see the Golden Hind brochure next to the bowls. He groans. Marilyn, not this again. Marilyn grabs a large, hard-backed volume from the worktop and slaps it in front of him. 'Voyaging Under Sail' by Eric Hiscock. He sailed the world in eighteen months, twice. Spain, the Canaries, Barbados, New Zealand. It's all in here. Routes, provisions, how to handle bad weather. I know you could learn all that if you just open your mind.
30:35 Alice Levine? I won't be lectured about sailing by a woman who doesn't even know her port from her starboard. I've started reading up. I'll learn everything, follow every order. You'll be the captain and I'll be your hard-working steward. Maurice has her move her hand to salute again. He grabs it. We've got bills to pay, a mortgage. We can rent the house, keep the nest egg. We'd still have to start all over again when we come back. Maybe at your age, this isn't such a big deal, but I'm 35.
31:04 Matt Forde? Which back then was about three years away from death.
31:07 Alice Levine? Yes, that is as old as you could be. Maurice looks deep into her eyes, determined to assert himself. Look, there's a difference between a hobby and over a year at sea. I'm sorry, Doug. That's my final word. Maurice feels a lump form in his throat as she removes the sailor's cap. Think I'll have a bath.
31:30 Alice Levine? He watches her pad down the hallway. Feeling wretched, he empties the food into the bin.
31:38 Alice Levine? His chest tightens as he stares at a photo of him and Marilyn, arm in arm, smiling aboard a barge on the North Downs.
31:47 Alice Levine? He can't risk losing her, can't imagine a life without her. She's the best thing to have ever happened to him. But he can't just up and leave, can he? He eyes the Hiscock book, stares at it. He knows that life won't be worth living if Marilyn isn't at his side, isn't happy. So he flips it open and starts to read.
32:17 Alice Levine? Two years later, March 1969, Plymouth, Devon. Maurice leans across the workbench, rubs his tired eyes and beams at the plans laid out in front of him. Even the exhaustion from working two jobs and travelling back and forth from Derby can't dampen his excitement as his architect chats away. He's been obsessively reading accounts by Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh, amazed at how they navigated the world by avian tracking, star signs and looking glasses. He's even started a Royal Yachting Association course on astro-navigation.
32:53 Matt Forde? To get to Plymouth? Just take the motorway, mate.
32:57 Alice Levine? Bulkhead framing and cabin sole is done. You still need to choose an engine. I'm thinking the Perkins diesel. The architect nods approvingly. Maurice puffs out his chest. Since agreeing to Marilyn's idea, he's spent all his time obsessively studying sail routes, navigation techniques and boat building. And as his knowledge has grown, so has his confidence. He looks around the empty plywood interior of the 31-foot yacht. What happens next? Maurice watches the architect hesitate, then slowly fold the plans over. Thing is, we're going to have to stop. Maurice stays on him, confused.
33:40 Alice Levine? We're looking at another £800 minimum to start on the interior fit. My men need paying.
33:46 Matt Forde? You know what I'm going to ask?
33:47 Alice Levine? I do, but ask it all the same.
33:49 Matt Forde? How much is that in today's money?
33:52 Alice Levine? That is £14,000.
33:54 Matt Forde? And I'm not surprised. They are building a boat.
33:58 Alice Levine? Maurice's chest tightens, looking around the yacht. The empty space where a cabin should be. They've already taken out countless loans, sold Marilyn's beloved car, put every penny of their savings into this. How long can you wait? A few weeks. After that, I'll need the cradle for another job.
34:21 Alice Levine? It's dusk by the time Maurice steps into the bungalow's living room, where Marilyn is asleep on the settee, still in her waitress uniform from her extra job. He hates waking her up, but he knows he has to. A few minutes later, they sit next to each other in silence. I already asked the bank for a top-up. They said we're at our credit limit. I suppose I could ask my mum. Maurice shakes his head. She's oddly likely to start supporting us now, is she? I'm sorry, Doc. He smiles weakly at Marilyn. He can't say the words. But she knows. No! He watches her, staring into her lap. Then she snaps her head up.
35:05 Alice Levine? What if we didn't rent the bungalow? What if we sold it? Maurice blinks. Surely, he's misheard. It gives us everything we need. Money to finish the build, rent in Plymouth. We could even do some work ourselves to save on labour costs.
35:22 Alice Levine? Maurice leans forward. This place is our nest egg, Marilyn. If we sell it, we'll have nothing. When we're on our deathbed, what do you think we'll regret? Playing it safe, or taking a leap of faith?
35:36 Matt Forde? Yeah, but we'll be on a death waterbed, very early, because we've gone sailing. And then, in a year's time, we're just lying there in the middle of the ocean during a massive storm or something. I think I will regret it.
35:47 Alice Levine? Their deathbed will be the door from Titanic. And only one of them will have room on top of it. "I'm sorry, Marilyn, I did tell you so", snaps off her frozen arm, pushes her down into the deep.
36:02 Alice Levine? Maurice gazes into Marilyn's eyes. If they sell up, there's really no going back. But he realises, this isn't just his wife's dream anymore. It's his, too. He wants this, needs this, as much as she does. He squeezes her hand. He already knows what he has to do.
36:30 Alice Levine? Three years later, June 1972, Swanwick, Southampton. Marilyn rounds the corner of the boatyard and stops dead. She gazes at the yacht's gleaming white exterior trimmed with wood and its 40-foot mast. She's imagined this moment for years, and right now, it's worth every sacrifice they've made. Maurice is up a ladder against it, carefully painting the final letter on the stern. Spotting her, he grins and points at his handiwork. Marilyn's smile widens as she reads the name: Orlin.
37:09 Alice Levine? Both of us in a word. What do you think? I love it.
37:15 Matt Forde? It's sort of both of you in a word. When both of your names begin with M, that would have been an obvious place to start.
37:25 Alice Levine? Maurice jumps down and grabs her hand. Come back and look at this.
37:31 Alice Levine? She follows him below deck. It's less like a yacht and more like a home with their wedding photos hung on the walls, the porcelain dolphins that decorate the shelves. Maurice spreads his neat weather charts across the dining table. His eyes gleam. High-pressure sitting right across the Bay of Biscay. Trade winds down to the Canaries.
37:54 Matt Forde? All I know about the Bay of Biscay, it is the choppiest part of water on the planet, so bad that a lot of ferry companies simply just don't go through it anymore.
38:03 Alice Levine? I've been on a ferry and I... It was a 24-hour ferry, obviously not exclusively all in the Bay of Biscay, but I puked from start to finish. It is the choppiest journey I have ever been on. It was horrendous.
38:17 Matt Forde? Adult or child?
38:18 Alice Levine? Teen.
38:19 Matt Forde? And was it worth selling your house for?
38:22 Alice Levine? Selling my parents' house for, yeah. To go on that Eurocamp trip, yes, it was. He taps the chart. If we leave in the next day or two, we'll catch it all perfectly. Marilyn feels a rush of excitement. It's finally happening. Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait. She grabs one of the oilskin jackets they bought for bad weather and whips it on. Should I head up, Captain? Trim the sheets. To her delight, Maurice plays along. Aye, deck, and... Ease her and bear away. Aye, aye, Captain. I'll check our position. Marilyn heads to where the architect told her the radio would sit, then pauses. Something's missing. She turns to Maurice, puzzled. Maurice? He doesn't look up.
39:07 Alice Levine? Where's the radio? He smiles sheepishly. Uh, about that. The excitement drains from her. Look, seriously, where's the radio? We haven't got one. Marilyn stares at him. I can see that. She watches him carefully fold the map. Saving for one would mean delaying our departure. Marilyn looks at him pleadingly. By how long? Another two months. Then we delay. No. His firmness catches her off guard. I've been reading Captain Cook's journals. He crossed the Pacific three times without radio contact.
39:47 Alice Levine? We have charts, a sextant, and Anna Mommy T, everything Cook had, and more. I... we don't need a radio. As Maurice is saying, radios at this time were expensive. They were also bulky. They couldn't totally be relied on either because they were really temperamental. And some people in the sailing community felt like if you were using a radio, you were cheating.
40:14 Matt Forde? That's what a life jacket's cheating.
40:16 Alice Levine? Yeah, exactly. Taking supplies is cheating.
40:18 Matt Forde? For a guy who is so by the book, it seems odd that you would want to do this for the first time without like a crucial bit of kit for your safety. Also, why are you citing Captain Cook? Radio hadn't been invented. Is that saying no one was all right? And people still talk about him and he had tons of animals. We haven't got to deal with that.
40:38 Alice Levine? Marilyn takes a moment to digest. She loves her husband's newfound confidence, but even she has a line. Don't care, Cook was the most experienced navigator of his age, and he still managed to get himself killed in Hawaii. Maurice exhales sharply. Without a radio, he'd be completely cut off. Why are you being so stubborn? Marilyn folds her arms, waiting for him to try to blind her with facts and figures. Instead, his expression twists into something unexpected: anger. Stubborn. He gestures round the cabin. Five years ago, this was your idea. I was terrified of the whole thing, but you insisted I could do it. You made me believe. Marilyn feels her throat tighten.
41:23 Alice Levine? What happened to you trusting me with your life? Marilyn looks into Maurice's determined eyes. This was the man who hated risk. In his place is someone who genuinely believes they can sail around the world. He's come so far, sacrificed so much for them to live her dream. And all he's asking for now is for her to have faith in him. She takes a deep breath. All right, all right. If you say no radio, no radio it is. We'll go tomorrow. She promised to put her trust in her husband. And that's exactly what she's going to do.
42:10 Alice Levine? 5am the following day, Southampton. Marilyn holds her hat against the wind as Maurice uncoils the rope from the cleat and throws it clear. She grabs the guardrail to steady herself. As the Orlin swings out from the pontoon and surges forward, the deck tilting beneath her feet. Coil that line, keep it clear of the prop.
42:33 Alice Levine? Marilyn struggles to haul the rope in, her fingers cold and clumsy. She'd imagined them sailing out to sea for their big adventure in bright sunshine. But this morning, the sky is dark and foreboding. And the Hambel River's grey waters churn aggressively.
42:48 Matt Forde? I've changed my mind.
42:50 Alice Levine? I don't want to go.
42:52 Matt Forde? Why don't we sell this and buy a house?
42:55 Alice Levine? Marilyn's head starts to spin. A bitter taste fills her mouth. And then, she hangs over the side of the boat, watching the contents of her stomach disappear into the waves. I'm so sorry, I, I... Marilyn hangs on for dear life, her knuckles as white as her face. Only now does it occur to her how calm the water was on their practice crossings. Marilyn snaps her head round to see Maurice checking a gauge on the panel. She feels a jolt of panic as he pulls her from the rail and sticks her hand on the tiller. Hold her steady. Before she can argue, Maurice disappears below deck.
43:36 Alice Levine? Marilyn grips the tiller and looks to the horizon, praying her seasickness subsides. She's never sailed in these conditions, and every bit of knowledge she's learnt these last few years seems to be deserting her. Marilyn turns to face Maurice as he emerges from below. She sucks in her breath. Was my mum right? Was this a terrible idea? A stupid fantasy, like you said. She stays on him as he breaks into a smile. No, it's real. You made it happen. Marilyn looks down at her vomit-splattered oil skin. It's just not how I... Marilyn trails off as Maurice unclips his life jacket, flings it to the floor.
44:18 Alice Levine? Her eyes widen as he moves on to his jumper, his shirt.
44:24 Alice Levine? Maurice? She gasps when he removes his trousers and socks, then finally, his Y-fronts. You wanted freedom, remember? He opens his arms, stark naked, except for his captain's hat. This is freedom. Marilyn splutters a laugh. Your turn. That's an order.
44:46 Alice Levine? I think I'd be like, so sexy, let's be naked, really cool. But let's practise safe sex, so can I put on my life jacket?
44:54 Matt Forde? Why don't I get some of that inflatable lingerie I've been reading so much about?
45:00 Alice Levine? Without another thought, Marilyn unclips her own life jacket. Minutes later, she's naked too. She falls into his arms. We're really doing this, aren't we? You bet we are. Marilyn lays her head against his chest. She's going to embrace the freedom she's been chasing all these years. She quietens any concerns she has, and instead fixes her eyes on the horizon. She can't wait to explore it.
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46:07 Speaker 04 Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia spent her life exposing powerful people. Then, in 2017, she was killed in a car bombing. I'm Stephen Gray, and for the past nine years, I've been trying to find out who wanted her dead. That search took me to Malta through secret companies, organised crime, and eventually to one of the island's richest and most powerful men. Now, after years of waiting, this trial has finally happened. But when the verdict came in, the case took a turn that almost no one had expected. In a brand-new update to the multi-award-winning podcast Who Killed Daphne?, I'm returning to Malta to find out how we got there and where the search for the truth goes next. Listen to the new episode of Who Killed Daphne? wherever you get your podcasts,
46:52 Speaker 04 and you can hear the full six-part investigation from the beginning ad-free with Audible. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app and by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
47:17 Alice Levine? Nine months later, March 1973, the Pacific Ocean.
47:23 Alice Levine? Marilyn lies stretched out on the deck, eyes closed, a warm breeze on her skin as the oerolyn slices through the blue crystal waters. She flinches as she feels something cold and slippery hit her thigh, then another. She opens her eyes to see a small silver fish flapping beside her, smiles at the sight of the flying fish covering the deck. She leans over the portside and gasps in excitement. Dolphins! Maurice, look! She claps her hands as a pod of dolphins leap along the side of the boat. She and Maurice have been at sea for almost nine months now. In a few days, they should reach the Galapagos Islands.
48:07 Alice Levine? She feels Maurice at her side. It's a paradise! Just us, and a few sea lions, iguanas and dolphins. Marilyn grins. Two untouched lambs. Can I get your coffee? Marilyn smiles, nods as Maurice heads down below deck. She picks up her worn naturalist's guide to the Galapagos, bought in Balboa two weeks ago. The last time they were around other people. Since then, they've been in blissful isolation. She can't even remember when she last saw another boat. She's read that it's up to 4,000 metres, over two miles, deep at this point in the Pacific. She can't imagine what other kinds of sea life is still to be discovered.
48:53 Alice Levine? She flicks through the guide, the red-lipped batfish, the dandelion siphonophor.
49:00 Alice Levine? She peers into the water, then pauses as she catches sight of a giant dark shadow pass under the boat. She blinks, squints up at the sky. It must have been a cloud, but the sky is a clear dazzling blue. She glances over her shoulder to check Maurice is still below deck. She doesn't have her life jacket on, and she knows she shouldn't, but she doesn't want to miss more dolphins. She rests her hands on the side of the boat, edges further down into the water so that her nose is almost touching the surface.
49:37 Alice Levine? She laughs as the water tickles her nose, the smell of salt filling her nostrils. When she gasps in excitement, jolts her face away. There it is again, but it isn't dolphins. It must be over forty feet long, the size of a double-decker bus, two double-decker buses. She shrieks in delight. A sperm whale! Maurice, come look!
50:04 Matt Forde? She's way more delighted than I'd be about seeing a sperm whale right next to my boat when I'm in the middle of the ocean with no radio.
50:11 Alice Levine? Inches from your eyeballs. I mean, I'd love to see one, but probably, you know, I want to be able to like point and go, I think that's one, there.
50:19 Matt Forde? Maurice, look, a pack of hungry polar bears. They're in our ten.
50:23 Alice Levine? But as she keeps her binoculars fixed on it, she realises it's heading straight towards the orolin. She waits for it to dive under, but it doesn't. She lowers the binoculars, peers over the top as she feels her chest start to tighten. Water starts to part as the creature nears. Twenty metres, ten metres, five metres. It's picking up speed, faster and faster. She takes a step back, freezes as it appears to lift its giant blunt block of a jaw and crashes into the starboard side.
51:05 Alice Levine? Marilyn lets out a scream as she's thrown from her feet. She tries to grab the base of the mast as the orolin tips on its side before steadying itself. She feels blood thumping in her ears. She scrambles to her feet, wipes water from her face, but as she does, she realises the water is red. She stares at the tips of her fingers, instinctively touches her forehead as she realises it's blood, but it's richer, darker, thicker, almost black red and oil laden. Marilyn runs to the starboard side to find it splintered and dripping with an opaque near-black crimson.
51:48 Alice Levine? Tendrils of black red in the water and flesh.
51:54 Alice Levine? She screams as she sees the shadow of the whale circle the boat and then disappear. She peers over the splintered edge.
52:04 Alice Levine? Until a second deafening crack echoes across the open ocean. Marilyn! She scrambles on hands and feet along the deck and practically falls down the hatch below deck. She feels the blood drain from her face at the sight of Maurice, ankle-deep in blood-red water. Then she sees a hole, the size of a suitcase, and the sea is pushing through it in a solid, pressured stream. The air rancid. The manual pump, now! Marilyn drops to her knees, grabs the pump handle. She works it in long, fast strokes while Maurice grabs a jib sheet from a lotter and
52:46 Alice Levine? pushes it over the hole, leaning his whole weight against it. Marilyn tries to work faster, but it's no use. The water is up to their shins. She locks eyes with Maurice, her voice pleading. It's not working! He stays on her, his face draining of colour.
53:05 Alice Levine? Until another deafening crack cuts through the cabin as the whale smashes through the bow of the boat. She looks down, sees the water pouring in, and realises: they're sinking.
53:30 Alice Levine? From Audible Originals and Samus dot audio, this is the first episode in our series, The Shipwrecked Marriage.
53:37 Matt Forde? A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatisations are based on historical research.
53:45 Alice Levine? If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read 117 Days Adrift by Maurice and Marilyn Bailey, Maurice and Marilyn by Sophie Elmhurst, and 117 Days Adrift: The Full Story on paradise.ducastaway.com.
54:01 Matt Forde? British Scandal is hosted by me, Matt Ford.
54:03 Alice Levine? And me, Alice Levine.
54:05 Matt Forde? Written by Wendy Granditer. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor was James Maniac. Sound design by Rich Evans. Our engineer was Jai Williams. For Samusdat, our series producer was Chica Ayers. Our assistant producer was Louise Mason. Our senior producers were Joe Sykes and Dashillic Sizina. Executive producers for Audible were Theodora Leludis and Estelle Doyle.
54:41 Speaker 04 You stepped out for your morning jog, except it's not your usual morning jog. You started listening to an epic sci-fi book on Audible. Thirty chapters later, you've accidentally run a half marathon. You lost track of how far you've run, somewhere just past the city limits. You can't stop, you have to find out what happens next. Then it's over. The universe seems bigger. You feel different. You feel like you have no idea where you are. Audible, stories that speak to you.
55:11 Speaker 03 There are books that change how you see the world, and there are books that change how you see yourself. In a new podcast series, A Great Book with Barack Obama, President Obama sits down with a series of surprising and sharp guests to explore six books that have shaped his life and perspective on the world. From Song of Solomon and the Fire Next Time, to All the Pretty Horses and Gilead, the president is joined by guests like Tom Hanks and Ta-Nehisi Coates to reflect on how these timeless stories shaped his thinking on everything from fatherhood to leadership, and discover together what they tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to create.
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