The Selwyn Toogood Show

Both nights in the Opera House were booked out in a few hours. When the curtain swung back at eight o'clock every seat was filled. A thousand expectant faces took in an array of microphones, refrigerators, washing machines, lawnmowers, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. On stage strolled the Big Man of New Zealand Radio, the one and only Selwyn Toogood, ready to fire questions at hopeful contestants, and trade correct answers for such glittering prizes as airline trips round the world, or combination deepfreezers and refrigerators, or plain, always-acceptable lucre. The "Bird's Eye Show" and Rinso's "It's In the Bag" were on the air.

Gisborne didn't do so badly in this popular game of win-and-lose. Over the two nights, contestants got away with prizes worth just on £500, and the Red Cross, which sponsored the occasion, received about £400. None of the big travel prizes was won, nor did the "glamour prize" come our way, but several minor prizes and a fistful of notes took the edge off that disappointment.

Contestants for "The Thing" nervously hold their buzzer buttons and wait for Selwyn to give the first clue. From left, they are Pat Browning, June Long, Nancy Baigent, Mary Rigney and Ken Knight, The first clue: "It is a city, and it lies on the Tagus River". By a long chance, Mary Rigney, of Derby Street, had that very morning been listening to a radio feature which had for its locale the Portugese capital of Lisbon, on the Tagus River. Unable to believe her good fortune, she pressed her buzzer, was so overwhelmed when her answer was right that she had to be assisted to a chair. The prizes a 6.2 cu.ft. "fridge".

"In the Bag" crowd on first night had to decide weight of heaviest wood in world.

On second night, an even bigger crowd trooped on stage for a chance to compete. They had to decide which play had the longest run. Answer: "The Drunkard", which started in 1932 and is still running.

"The Thing" group on the first night. Left to right, Joan Stone, Molly Lawrence, Janet McNeill, Peter Keiha, Nat Cramp. Of these, Peter won a cintique lounge chair.

Judy Clare, who got her answers right and went home with a Murphy Miranda Stereophonic Radiogram.

Denis Kohn, who won a rotocut Lawnmower and qualified for the "glamour prize", but didn't make it on such posers as the name of the conductor of the Czech Symphony Orchestra, or "What is a cintre?" (It's not in our Concise Oxford, but it's something to do with building).

Burnley Cooper, who took home a Power Chief portable electric tool kit.

Jock White, whose hopes of higher things were squashed when he said a hamlet was an English village without a pub (it should have been church) nevertheless made off with a spindry washer and a year's supply of Rinso.

Adrienne Smith took the money at £50, said she would spend it on clothes. "What's my wife going to say next time she wants a new dress?" moaned Selwyn.

Mrs L. Rawlings won an electric razor.

Mrs A. Thompson, who took the money at £38.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 64 : October 15, 1959

The Selwyn Toogood Show