Who remember Michael Miles and Take Your Pick?


Mark Praid… Yes…….Bong

Andrew Reid McDuffie… Good God…..yes, I do!  Are we really that old……….?

David Edwards… Open the box!

Ernest Ballard… And you’ve won tonight’s booby prize. Sounds fascinating now lol.

Dennis Torrance… Loved this as a kid loved the crap prizes

Keith Veness… Take the money

Arthur Sutherland… Very twee, but there was not so much competition then, what was the beeb answer to this, I can’t recall.

Alan Parker… was it double your money, Hughie Greene?

Arthur Sutherland… I don’t think so, Michael Miles and Huge e green both worked for ITV or one of its associate companies. I recall it being on the night before.

Chris Meachen… Your quiz inquisitor…

Nigel Goodman… Open the box

Nick Shute… Yes Michael…..I’d like the blow on the head….right there where it hurts!…..anyone remember that??

Mike Wright… The Yes/No interlude was the best bit…..I think it started on the radio first….Luxie ?

Richard Wood… No it didn’t – “Bongggg!”

Jim Hobbs… Open the box, it may be worth more than 13 shillings and 6 pence.

Terry Pack… I do (note the careful avoidance of the term usually used to express affirmation)

Pete Prescott… Oh yes !

Terry Corder… Take the money!

Neil Cartwright… Sadly, yes (Am I that old??)

Eugene Hughes…  The yes/no interlude. You didn’t just say yes did you?

Lyn Humphrey… I’m not saying times were hard, but at the time, I’d have been happy with the (I think) five bob consolation prize. That was several weeks pocket money to me!

Alan Pepper… Yes ! Oops !  Am I right in saying that box number 13 had something special in or was it a booby prize ? This was such a long time ago .

Dave Nattress… Very much so.  My Father used to call it “Take your pick and shovel and get on and dig that hole”.

Nigel Ford… Was a treat when staying at Nan & Grandad’s overnight on a Friday on a rare occasion Mum & Dad were going out as we only had BBC at the time. Watched through the fug of Grandad’s Players Navy cut smoke!!

Eugene Hughes… That Was The Week That Was. I can hear Millicent Martin singing it now.

Roy Winchester… great game still on tv today reruns.

Andre Martin… Back in the 1950s, when I used to go and stay with my Nan and Gramps in Highworth, just outside of Swindon, I recall that also on Friday Nights was the ” Army Game” comedy about the National Service Soldiers at a Ordnance Depot somewhere in UK. The spin off was Bootsie and Snudge in 1960s. Think this followed this quiz show. Memories without a doubt.

Peter Finch… My mother, Lilian Finch of Ruislip, Middlesex was the first person to win the star prize, namely a Ford Poular in October 1955. The show TAKE YOUR PICK with Michael Miles, had only been going a month when my parents obtained tickets to see the show’s recording at Associated Television Studios, Wembley. They sat in the audience about half way down. Before recording, Michael came onto the stage and asked who would like to be on the show. Most people put up their hands including my mother. A few were picked and then he said “That lady half way down wearing pearls!” She touched her necklace and Michael said “Yes, you madam in the blue dress and pearls”. She went up on stage and went through the “Yes No Interlude” which she failed! Later she answered three the general knowledge questions correctly and chose the key to Box No. 5. Michael offered her money eventually, about £2 for the key which she refused. Michael then said “Open the box and take out what’s inside” Inside was a cardboard box covered in brown paper, string and sealing wax with in black large letters “BOX 13”. Michael then said “Inside the box is a card which says you have won a tie-pin or this” At that moment the curtains behind her parted and revealed a brand new Grey Ford Poplar motor car. The audience then went, “Ooooooooh” Michael then offered more money up to £10 for her to hand back the box. (£10 was a lot of money in those days for doing nothing!) Mother “ No thank you.” He then said “Ok I now want you to go home and take the box with you, come back next week and we’ll carry on. Before you go I have here ex-Detective Superintendent Charles Vanstone, formerly of the Fraud Squad who will examine the box now and then when you come back next week he will examine it again making sure it hasn’t been tampered with” So that was that for the evening. Both eventually came home late and I came out of bed and downstairs to listen what had happened. Wow what a night. Over the next few days we had the press come round. Photos taken of my Mother and Father plus myself and my older brother. Photos appeared in the TV TIMES, most newspapers of the day. Our phone hardly stopped ringing. Anyway, she did go back to the studios the following week plus two more appearances where she was offered a £100 to return to box. She said “No”. Michael then said, open and read what is on the card. This she did and the card said “You have won the star prize, the Ford Poplar” She, plus the audience went “mad”! Anyway the keys were handed over and the car was hers. Michael then said “the car will be delivered to your home address on Saturday” Well, what an experience, the first person on British Commercial Television to win such a big prize. The car was delivered on the Saturday by a chauffeur!! More press photos and more coverage in the papers. Later, in the shows there was no “cardboard Box 13” but a separate Box 13 above all the other 1 to 10 boxes. We learnt later that Michael uses his cameras before recording to swing onto the audience, pretending to get set-up. This was how he could see my Mother’s pearl necklace. He wouldn’t have seen them from where he was standing on the studio stage!!! One final thing. The recording on the last night when she opens the box went wrong!!!! She had to return again the next night and go through the whole thing again and open the box to be told again that she had won the Ford, which she already knew. I was fortunate enough to go be allowed to sit with my Father in the audience and watch my mother winning!!!!!!! After this second recording, on the Saturday the car was delivered. We often thought, those people in the audience who went and saw her “win” the first time, when seeing the new recording, must have thought “I don’t remember that happening or those other contestants” At least my mother wore the same dress as she did on the first take. Well for a few days, weeks we were quite “famous” in Ruislip!! As my father already had a car, we sold it for £400 and the following year went on holiday to Switzerland!!

Alan Esdaile… Wonderful story, Peter.

Robert Searle… Open the box

Joe Knight… Take the Money

John Hales… I remember our teacher at junior school won a Renault Daupine and a trip to Paris

Pete Prescott… Yep !

Sue Skilling… Yes, I must have been very young!

5 thoughts on “Who remember Michael Miles and Take Your Pick?”

  1. I’m not saying times were hard, but at the time, I’d have been happy with the (I think) five bob consolation prize. That was several weeks pocket money to me!

    Reply
  2. Yes ! Oops ! Am I right in saying that box number 13 had something special in or was it a booby prize ? This was such a long time ago .

    Reply
  3. Was a treat when staying at Nan & Grandad’s overnight on a Friday on a rare occasion Mum & Dad were going out as we only had BBC at the time. Watched through the fug of Grandad’s Players Navy cut smoke!!

    Reply
  4. My mother, Lilian Finch of Ruislip, Middlesex was the first person to win the star prize, namely a Ford Poular in October 1955. The show TAKE YOUR PICK with Michael Miles, had only been going a month when my parents obtained tickets to see the show’s recording at Associated Television Studios, Wembley. They sat in the audience about half way down. Before recording, Michael came onto the stage and asked who would like to be on the show. Most people put up their hands including my mother. A few were picked and then he said “That lady half way down wearing pearls!” She touched her necklace and Michael said “Yes, you madam in the blue dress and pearls”. She went up on stage and went through the “Yes No Interlude” which she failed! Later she answered three the general knowledge questions correctly and chose the key to Box No. 5. Michael offered her money eventually, about £2 for the key which she refused. Michael then said “Open the box and take out what’s inside” Inside was a cardboard box covered in brown paper, string and sealing wax with in black large letters “BOX 13”. Michael then said “Inside the box is a card which says you have won a tie-pin or this” At that moment the curtains behind her parted and revealed a brand new Grey Ford Poplar motor car. The audience then went, “Ooooooooh” Michael then offered more money up to £10 for her to hand back the box. (£10 was a lot of money in those days for doing nothing!) Mother “ No thank you.” He then said “Ok I now want you to go home and take the box with you, come back next week and we’ll carry on. Before you go I have here ex-Detective Superintendent Charles Vanstone, formerly of the Fraud Squad who will examine the box now and then when you come back next week he will examine it again making sure it hasn’t been tampered with” So that was that for the evening. Both eventually came home late and I came out of bed and downstairs to listen what had happened. Wow what a night. Over the next few days we had the press come round. Photos taken of my Mother and Father plus myself and my older brother. Photos appeared in the TV TIMES, most newspapers of the day. Our phone hardly stopped ringing. Anyway, she did go back to the studios the following week plus two more appearances where she was offered a £100 to return to box. She said “No”. Michael then said, open the and read what is on the card. This she did and the card said “You have won the star prize, the Ford Poplar” She, plus the audience went “mad”! Anyway the keys were handed over and the car was hers. Michael then said “the car will be delivered to your home address on Saturday” Well, what an experience, the first person on British Commercial Television to win such a big prize. The car was delivered on the Saturday by a chauffeur!! More press photos and more coverage in the papers. Later, in the shows there was no “cardboard Box 13” but a separate Box 13 above all the other 1 to 10 boxes. We learnt later that Michael uses his cameras before recording to swing onto the audience, pretending to get set-up. This was how he could see my Mother’s pearl necklace. He wouldn’t have seen them from where he was standing on the studio stage!!! One final thing. The recording on the last night when she opens the box went wrong!!!! She had to return again the next night and go through the whole thing again and open the box to be told again that she had won the Ford, which she already knew. I was fortunate enough to go be allowed to sit with my Father in the audience and watch my mother winning!!!!!!! After this second recording, on the Saturday the car was delivered. We often thought, those people in the audience who went and saw her “win” the first time, when seeing the new recording, must have thought “I don’t remember that happening or those other contestants” At least my mother wore the same dress as she did on the first take. Well for a few days, weeks we were quite “famous” in Ruislip!! As my father already had a car, we sold it for £400 and the following year went on holiday to Switzerland!!

    Reply

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