# Godfrey Winn > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Godfrey_Winn > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Godfrey_Winn.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_Winn > Source revision: 1353793830 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|English journalist (1906–1971)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Use British English|date=August 2016}} thumb '''Godfrey Herbert Winn''' (15 October 1906 – 19 June 1971) was an English [journalist](/source/journalist) known as a columnist, and also a [writer](/source/writer) and [actor](/source/actor). Born in [Kings Norton](/source/Kings_Norton), [Worcestershire](/source/Worcestershire), he attended [King Edward's School](/source/King_Edward's_School%2C_Birmingham), [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham).[http://www.robertdarlaston.co.uk/KingEdwardsSchool.htm Robert Darlaston] King Edward's School{{Cite web |url=http://www.circa-club.com/gallery/icon_g_villiers.php |title=gay Icons - Godfrey Winn |access-date=31 January 2010 |archive-date=30 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130053158/http://www.circa-club.com/gallery/icon_g_villiers.php |url-status=dead }} His career as a theatre actor began as a boy at the [Haymarket Theatre](/source/Haymarket_Theatre) and he appeared in many plays and films. He went on to write a number of novels and biographical works, and became a star columnist for the ''[Daily Mirror](/source/Daily_Mirror)'' and the ''[Sunday Express](/source/Sunday_Express)'' newspapers, where he wrote "Dear Abby" articles for lovelorn women. Journalists nicknamed him 'Winifred God' because of his popularity with women readers. Winn was gay and never married.{{Cite book|title = A History of Homosexuality in Europe|last = Tamagne|first = Florence|publisher = Algora Publishing|year = 2004|pages = 167}} In 1939, Winn was the first British [war correspondent](/source/war_correspondent) to cross the [Maginot Line](/source/Maginot_Line). He served as a [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) able seaman, during the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War), training at HMS Ganges and becoming a CW (Commission Candidate Wartime) before injury led to his medical discharge. His book 'Home From Sea' published in 1943 recounts his life in the Royal Navy. Another book, PQ17, was an account of his experiences, as a journalist, on [Convoy PQ 17](/source/Convoy_PQ_17) during the Second World War. After the war, he wrote numerous books and magazine articles, and appeared on radio and television as well as in films. He frequently compered the BBC Radio show ''[Housewives' Choice](/source/Housewives'_Choice)'', with [David Jacobs](/source/David_Jacobs_(broadcaster)), from the early 1950s to the mid 1960s. He was a friend of [W. Somerset Maugham](/source/W._Somerset_Maugham) and it is said that the character George Potter in Maugham's 1941 book ''Strictly Personal'' was based on him. He was the subject of ''[This Is Your Life](/source/This_Is_Your_Life_(British_TV_series))'' in 1961 when he was surprised by [Eamonn Andrews](/source/Eamonn_Andrews){{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7613970/|title = Godfrey WINN|website = [IMDb](/source/IMDb)|date = May 1961}} Winn died from a [heart attack](/source/myocardial_infarction) at the age of 64, while playing tennis at home in [Brighton](/source/Brighton). ==Bibliography== * ''Dreams Fade'' (1928) * ''Squirrel's Cage'' (1929) * ''The Unequal Conflict'' * ''Fly Away, Youth'' * ''Communion on Earth'' * ''I May Be Wrong'' * ''Personality Parade'' * ''A Month of Sundays'' * ''For My Friends'' * ''On Going to the Wars'' * ''The Hour Before the Dawn'' * ''The Kind of People We Are'' * ''Scrapbook of the War'' * ''Home from the Sea'' (1944) * ''Scrapbook of Victory'' * ''P.Q.17'' * ''This Fair Country''The above bibliographic list taken from a copy of the first edition of ''This Fair Country'' published in 1951 by Hutchinsn (United Kingdom) * ''Going My Way'' * ''The Bend of the River'' * ''The Younger Sister'' ([Biography](/source/Biography)) * ''The Younger Queen'' ([Biography](/source/Biography)) * ''The Queen's Countrywoman'' ([Biography](/source/Biography)) * ''One Man's Dog'' ([Biography](/source/Biography)) * ''The Quest For Healing'' ([Biography](/source/Biography)) * ''Personal Pages'' ([Biography](/source/Biography)) * ''Infirm Glory'' (Volume 1 of his [Autobiography](/source/Autobiography)). * ''The Positive Hour'' (Volume 2 of his [Autobiography](/source/Autobiography)) * ''Here Is My Space'' (Volume 3 of his [Autobiography](/source/Autobiography)) Additional Biographic and Autobiographic titles taken from a copy of ''The Positive Hour'' which was first published by Michael Joseph (UK) in 1970 before 3rd volume of autobiography was published. ==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1927 | ''[Blighty](/source/Blighty_(film))'' | Robin Villiers | |- | 1961 | ''[Very Important Person](/source/Very_Important_Person_(film))'' | Himself | |- | 1963 | ''[Billy Liar](/source/Billy_Liar_(film))'' | Disc Jockey | |- | 1964 | ''[The Bargee](/source/The_Bargee)'' | Announcer | Voice |- | 1966 | ''[The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery](/source/The_Great_St_Trinian's_Train_Robbery)'' | Truelove | |- | 1971 | ''[Up the Chastity Belt](/source/Up_the_Chastity_Belt)'' | Archbishop of all England | (final film role) |} == Record Release== ' I Pass' b/w ' Love Shades ' (Decca F12167) 1967 ==Footnotes== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== * {{IMDb name|0935333}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Winn, Godfrey}} Category:1906 births Category:1971 deaths Category:Journalists from Birmingham, West Midlands Category:People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham Category:English male child actors Category:English male stage actors Category:English male film actors Category:20th-century English male actors Category:20th-century English novelists Category:English male novelists Category:English gay writers Category:Royal Navy personnel of World War II Category:Royal Navy sailors Category:English LGBTQ journalists Category:20th-century English LGBTQ people Category:20th-century English male journalists Category:20th-century English journalists --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Godfrey Winn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_Winn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_Winn?action=history)). 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