Long considered lost reel tape of TV appearance by Dusty Springfield to go up for auction in Halifax

Dusty Springfield was a 1960's pop icon and had top five hits with You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, I Only Want To Be With You and I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.

Her appearance on the BBC’s Talk of the Town, from September 1968, features a six-song performance, including a rendition of Shirley Temple's 'Good Ship Lollypop'.

Although audio recordings of variable quality have been available online of the broadcast, this will be the first time that visual footage of the transmission will have been offered for purchase at auction, in the form of a 16mm celluloid reel.

Long considered lost, the reel itself is more than likely the only remaining copy visually documenting the performance, in private or public hands, so represents a rarity for Dusty Springfield's many fans and collectors worldwide.

James Watson, Halifax Mill Auctioneers' owner and auctioneer, said: “What a rarity for us to be able to feature and promote, both locally around Halifax, nationwide and internationally.

"As a young chap I loved 'Son of a Preacher Man' when I first heard it in my teens, so she was, and is, certainly a name and an icon for a lot of people, plus from looking online across various Facebook and social media groups, we've heard the phrase 'holy grail for Dusty Springfield fans' being cited somewhat about the opportunity to even see footage of this show, nevermind owning the only copy!"

Halifax Mill Auctioneers' sale is on Sunday, September 29, starting at 12pm at their HX1 2SY address, with online bidding available in advance and on the day, via Easylive Auction plus The-Saleroom.com.

The catalogue will be online from Tuesday, September 24. Any queries or questions can be addressed to the Halifax Mill team on 01422 649669 or 07712 566791, or via email to [email protected].