John Creasey (born September 17, 1908 in Surrey – died June 9, 1973 in Wiltshire) was a prolific English crime writer, who published in excess of 600 novels under 28 different pseudonyms, creating along the way many characters who are now internationally famous.
STAND BY FOR WEST was the generic title for a series of BBC serials featuring Inspector Roger West of Scotland Yard. Inspector West was the creation of John Creasey (1908-1973). Mr. Creasy was a rather prolific writer who wrote almost six hundred novels under twenty-eight names.
Roger West's flair for detection, his persistance and thoroughness and his courage explain his being the youngest man at Scotland Yard to have reached the ranks of chief inspector and superintendent. West is a likable man with a brisk, no-noncense attitude who can be tough when needed but who sometimes takes people's troubles too personally.
Six of Mr. Creasy's over 40 novels featuring Inspector West were adapted for BBC radio between 1967 and 1971. Each was adapted as a multi-part serial, with 30-minute episodes. All episodes starred Patrick Allen and Sarah Lawson. All episodes were adapted from the novels by Maurice Travers. The first two serials were produced by John Fawcett Wilson. The remaining four were produced by John
Browell.
The 'Stand By For West' were my favourite radio series of all time. I was only about eight years old when the first Inspector West series was aired, but I still remember them now. I have recently listened to streamed versions of 'Babble For Inspector West', Inspector West AT Bay' and Inspector West At Home' and enjoyed them all over again, feeling the same thrills and excitement I did when I was a young boy, just starting to appreciate crime and mystery thrillers. They just don't make them like this any more.
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