About R. D. Wingfield
R. D. Wingfield, 79, British writer and radio dramatist.
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Full Biography
|Rodney David Wingfield (6 June 1928 – 31 July 2007) was an English author and radio dramatist. He is best remembered for creating the character of Detective Inspector Jack Frost, who was later played by David Jason in A Touch of Frost.
Early life
Rodney David Wingfield was born in Hackney, east London in 1928. He was educated at the Coopers' Company School and during the Second World War was evacuated to Frome, Somerset. Wingfield was exempted from National Service due to poor eyesight and had various office jobs in the East End before joining the Petrofina oil company. His first radio play, Our West Ladyton Branch was accepted by the BBC in 1968 and two more were then commissioned, at which point Wingfield resigned from his job.
Inspector Frost
In 1972, Macmillan Publishers invited him to write a book, and he wrote Frost at Christmas. This was rejected and not published until the early 1980s in Canada. Wingfield had originally planned to kill Frost in the first book, but he was persuaded instead to leave the ending open. Following this, two more Frost books were written: A Touch of Frost and Night Frost. In 1977 Frost appeared in a radio play called Three Days of Frost, in which Frost was played by Leslie Sands, a friend of Wingfield's. The books were first published in the United Kingdom in early 1989, and in 1992 Frost first appeared on television in A Touch of Frost, played by David Jason. Wingfield was never enthusiastic about the TV adaptation of his detective, once saying he had nothing against David Jason but "he just isn't my Frost".
Hard Frost was published in 1995, followed by Winter Frost in 1999. Wingfield did not enjoy writing books, and much preferred writing radio scripts. In 20 years he wrote over 40 radio mystery plays, but stopped in 1988, with Hate Mail, due to the decline of radio and the success of his Frost books. As well as the many mystery plays, Wingfield also penned a comedy radio series, The Secret Life of Kenneth Williams, starring Kenneth Williams as a secret agent. Wingfield was a very private man, always avoiding book launches and publishing parties, and being rarely photographed.
Other
In 1982, Leslie Sands played Sergeant Fowler in Wingfield's BBC radio thriller Outbreak of Fear, a murder mystery set in the West Country.
In 1987, Bob Peck starred in the Wingfield BBC radio drama Deadfall, about a demolition man whose past catches up with him.
The 'winkle' postcard (sent by Inspector Frost) is most probably based on a Donald McGill seaside postcard.
After a dispute with the BBC in 1984 he submitted a number of radio plays under the pseudonym "Arthur Jefferson", (the real name of Stan Laurel) one such play being The Killing Season broadcast in six parts that same year and starring Sean Barrett, Michael Jenner, John Hollis, and Allan Cuthbertson; the serial was essentially a palimpsest of his earlier serial Outbreak of Fear. The final of his non-Inspector Frost radio plays was Hate Mail broadcast in 1988.
Later years
In 2002, R. D. Wingfield was diagnosed with prostate cancer. At about the same time he started writing the sixth, and final, Frost book, A Killing Frost. His wife, Phyllis Patten, whom he married in 1952, died in 2004. They had a son, Phillip. Wingfield died from cancer in 2007, and A Killing Frost was published posthumously on 7 April 2008.
In 2011, the first of four new Frost books was published with the approval of the Wingfield family. The books – First Frost, Fatal Frost, Morning Frost, and Frost at Midnight – are published under the name James Henry. In the case of First Frost, this pseudonym refers to James Gurbutt and Henry Sutton, but for the others it refers to Gurbutt only. All the books are now available in ebook format.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._D._Wingfield
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from R. D. Wingfield's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which city was Rodney David Wingfield born?
- A.Birmingham
- B.Somerset
- C.Londoncorrect
- D.Manchester
Rodney David Wingfield was born in Hackney, east London in 1928.
Source: Early life
2.What was Rodney David Wingfield's profession before he became a full-time writer?
- A.A school teacher
- B.A radio announcer
- C.A police officer
- D.An employee at an oil companycorrect
Rodney David Wingfield had various office jobs before joining the Petrofina oil company.
Source: Early life
3.Why was Rodney David Wingfield exempted from National Service?
- A.Poor eyesightcorrect
- B.Health issues
- C.Underage status
- D.Family responsibilities
Wingfield was exempted from National Service due to poor eyesight.
Source: Early life
4.What was the title of Rodney David Wingfield's first radio play accepted by the BBC?
- A.Outbreak of Fear
- B.The Killing Season
- C.Our West Ladyton Branchcorrect
- D.Hate Mail
Rodney David Wingfield's first radio play, Our West Ladyton Branch, was accepted by the BBC in 1968.
Source: Early life
5.When was Rodney David Wingfield's first Frost book, Frost at Christmas, eventually published?
- A.1972
- B.1968
- C.1977
- D.1980scorrect
Frost at Christmas was rejected initially and not published until the early 1980s in Canada.
Source: Inspector Frost
6.Who played Inspector Frost in the 1977 radio play titled Three Days of Frost?
- A.Leslie Sandscorrect
- B.Kenneth Williams
- C.Sean Barrett
- D.David Jason
In 1977, Frost appeared in a radio play called Three Days of Frost, in which Frost was played by Leslie Sands.
Source: Inspector Frost
7.How did Rodney David Wingfield feel about the television adaptation of his Inspector Frost character?
- A.He preferred it to his original books
- B.He was heavily involved in the casting
- C.He felt it was a perfect portrayal
- D.He was never enthusiastic about itcorrect
Rodney David Wingfield was never enthusiastic about the TV adaptation, noting that David Jason was not his vision of Frost.
Source: Inspector Frost
8.Under what pseudonym did Rodney David Wingfield submit radio plays to the BBC after a dispute?
- A.Kenneth Williams
- B.Arthur Jeffersoncorrect
- C.James Henry
- D.Donald McGill
After a dispute with the BBC, Rodney David Wingfield submitted radio plays under the pseudonym Arthur Jefferson.
Source: Other
9.What was the name of the comedy radio series Rodney David Wingfield wrote that starred Kenneth Williams?
- A.The Killing Season
- B.The Secret Life of Kenneth Williamscorrect
- C.Outbreak of Fear
- D.Deadfall
Rodney David Wingfield penned a comedy radio series titled The Secret Life of Kenneth Williams.
Source: Inspector Frost
10.What year was Rodney David Wingfield born?
- A.1948
- B.1928correct
- C.1918
- D.1938
Rodney David Wingfield was born on 6 June 1928.
Source: Introduction
11.What caused the end of Rodney David Wingfield's radio play writing career?
- A.The success of his books and radio declinecorrect
- B.Retirement to Somerset
- C.Loss of interest in comedy
- D.A legal lawsuit
Rodney David Wingfield stopped writing radio plays in 1988 due to the decline of radio and the success of his Frost books.
Source: Inspector Frost
12.Who was Rodney David Wingfield's wife?
- A.Jane Austen
- B.Elizabeth Taylor
- C.Mary Smith
- D.Phyllis Pattencorrect
Rodney David Wingfield was married to Phyllis Patten in 1952.
Source: Later years
13.In what year did Rodney David Wingfield pass away?
- A.2008
- B.2007correct
- C.2004
- D.2002
Rodney David Wingfield died from cancer in 2007.
Source: Later years
14.Which of these novels was published posthumously?
- A.Winter Frost
- B.A Killing Frostcorrect
- C.Night Frost
- D.Hard Frost
A Killing Frost was published posthumously on 7 April 2008.
Source: Later years
15.Which school did Rodney David Wingfield attend during his youth?
- A.West Country College
- B.Frome Academy
- C.Coopers' Company Schoolcorrect
- D.London Grammar
Rodney David Wingfield was educated at the Coopers' Company School.
Source: Early life
16.What is the name of the pseudonym used for the new Frost books published starting in 2011?
- A.Arthur Jefferson
- B.Donald McGill
- C.Kenneth Williams
- D.James Henrycorrect
Four new Frost books were published starting in 2011 under the name James Henry.
Source: Later years
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