1979: Steeplejack FRED DIBNAH takes down a MASSIVE chimney BRICK by BRICK | BBC Archive

[@davidprice1908]

Fred Dibnah Only man ever to be able to leave all his tools on site with zero fear of them being knicked

[@SunnyvaleTrailerParkSupervisor]

Lol thats very true indeed

[@SuperMookles]

*nicked.

[@chrisburn7178]

If I did it I'd get to the top and realise I'd left something at the bottom. Not that I'd get further then 10' off the ground before flaking out though.

[@paddyfurze9275]

Matey only has 2 tools, 3 of he counts the labourer 😂

[@lxp]

That word doesn't have a 'k'.

[@denvercarlstrom3195]

This guy has legitimate access to the phrase 'back in my day'

[@mrnulliustestikleezeeastee7365]

Hahahaha. True

[@armoris66]

This comment deserves more likes as it's soooooooo true!

[@SlyerFox666]

If he was alive

[@Praise___YaH]

HERE is The Savior YaH The Heavenly FATHER HIMSELF was Who they Crucified for our sins, NOT jesus, and “HERE IS THE PROOF” From the Ancient Semitic Scroll: "Yad He Vav He" is what Moses wrote, when Moses asked YaH His Name (Exodus 3) Ancient Semitic Direct Translation Yad - "Behold The Hand" He - "Behold the Breath" Vav - "Behold The NAIL"

[@smith5796]

They don't make em' like Fred anymore lol.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

"I've never fallen off a big chimney, you only fall off of them once." - Fred Dibnah

[@K1lostream]

Another favourite was "If yer fall off one of them buggers, it's an afternoon off at the undertakers"! He was right, though, he died in bed (unsure if he had his boots on, but he could have done!).

[@grummy93]

Old gaffer of mine, always would say don't be afraid of the fall, its the sudden stop that hurts.

[@K1lostream]

@@grummy93 Love the knowledge of the old boys! Unrelated trade but I remember some guys coming to stress-test a standby generator- they’d hooked up the load bank and started the test and although no-one else heard, saw or smelled anything amiss, the old feller says “we’ll be down that pub by lunchtime” - about fifteen minutes later, the generator let go! To this day I don’t know how he knew!

[@mannycalavera121]

Rip

[@eamonnquigley2125]

its a afternoon with the undertaker was his famous saying i think they didnt get there hands on fred till he was ready ........................... what a man a one off ......

[@L3M4st3r]

Mad respect for the cameraman to go up there and film him doing his job!

[@adelaideautowashes]

I'm impressed that the BBC managed to get one of their TV cameras up there with him.

[@2511dhall]

Balls of Steel

[@breadtoasted2269]

He probably carried the crew on his back 😂

[@kdmichalek782]

You know the camera man never dies.

[@Willburys]

Yes with Parachute

[@myaphextwin807]

The bit where he gets to the top and he has to struggle climbing on to the boards shocks me every time I see it. Absolute madness but I loved him.

[@1414141x]

Yes, I am thinking why did he not go through the gap of the scaffold planks and chimney? Rather than go aound it as he did.

[@JTA1961]

No guts no glory. There's a lot to be said for sit ups & right there you're reminded of that the most.

[@geoff3610]

Think about the fact that a cameraman followed him

[@Kr4j]

That’s gay

[@Jvccampbell]

Completely outrageous. When he said he’d go for tea time I thought “this man does this more than one time a day!!!!!”

[@DarkForcesStudio]

My palms are sweating just watching him transcend that final platform. Fred Dibnah marks a clear dividing line between the industrial and modern era. I can't think of a more symbolic image than this little guy in the wind and rain quietly chipping away at monuments of our industrial past.

[@mettacitta2000]

Wonderfully put, bravo

[@johnparris2353]

One of a kind brilliant

[@lukemitchell1975]

Its spinning me out

[@entity8019]

I had puddles in my hands whilst he was climbing the ladder!

[@TheKonsy]

Knees weak arms are heavy.

[@michaeldowd8422]

Fred was probably the most fearless man I've ever come across. Harder than a week old baguette.

[@borntoclimb7116]

Same like Alain Robert or Alex Honnold

[@tomcanham8724]

I think 99 percent of people wouldn't even make it up the ladder he was a different breed!

[@jamesllewellyn4536]

Don't you mean different bread

[@weps8983]

@Quasimofo 😅😅😅

[@shedlife1298]

Your clearly a soft white roll

[@roycraggs3822]

Aren't we fortunate that the original programme makers thought Fred worthy of filming. Such good judgement on their part, and a stroke of good luck for Fred and us. A great craftsman and engineer, as well as a demolisher of chimneys, as well as a really good presenter of programmes about the UK's industrial heritage. A true one off. Ta Fred. I bet God is rolling around on a steam engine by now.

[@bobv8219]

Sweet observation intelligent soul

[@ry8539]

I agree. This is what comment sections are for.

[@ToreDL87]

Well, they also caused the Dibnah family's break-up by putting thoughts into his wifes head, marginalizing his unusual steam-machine hobby as simply being no-good, for no reason at all.

[@rozzer8290]

Very true, a unique character

[@jimmythe-gent]

Isn’t this considered radical nationalism by today’s standards? Maybe even a bit racist?

[@commoner5042]

The way he just marches up a vertical ladder is classy in itself.

[@JTA1961]

Athefumen ✅

[@kryptichands968]

I did that once.... Once..but it was a hell of a climb.

[@Quert_Zuiopue]

Ladders are usually vertical. I only know one horizontal one, and that one is used as an improvised bridge...

[@knucklevision]

@@Quert_Zuiopue People who actually climb ladders understand what Commoner means, you- not so much. But don't let that stop you ;-)

[@civlyzed]

@@Quert_Zuiopue In ladder parlance, vertical indicates that it is perpendicular to the plane of the primary axis, so he's climbing "straight up", not at an angle as one might use on a home ladder to clean out the gutters.

[@bustedcherokee]

As a “Chicago” commercial roofer and I have never been on anything over a few floors I have to say this is some of the most impressive footage and human being I have ever seen. This kick started an addictive interest in Fred Dibnah and to comment on his ability to climb ladders and assemble it is really completely mind blowing. I am speechless after every video I watch of him.

[@RealmsOfThePossible]

In the UK he used to be real famous but a lot of young people would probably of never heard of him.

[@bustedcherokee]

@@RealmsOfThePossible I’m 24 myself so a “young person”. The problem is kids today don’t have any respect or knowledge of mechanic ability, no respect for the old millwright who has been tinkering for 40 years

[@Saturnia2014]

Why did you put Chicago in quotation marks?

[@Make_Boxing_Great_Again]

No one knows him now, the west is soft as shite these days. Obsessed with social media and material goods.

[@mark-3466]

@@Saturnia2014 why not, why does it bother you so much?

[@DazzaBo]

I think what is seriously being underappreciated here is the camerman up there with him, holding those big bloody cameras they had back in the day

[@tommyjordan1988]

Sure I've seen footage, they were on a huge crane boom/cherry picker filming him.

[@intothebluemr]

@@tommyjordan1988 Crane booms only went so far up, normally just under halfway.. That's an actual cameraman at the top with him.

[@mooseteets]

This film had a cameraman up there, for another film they had a cherrypicker that went up most of the way, the cameraman was called Martin Lightening.

[@thedave7760]

Nah, 16mm film cameras were quite compact back then, smaller than a lot of cinema cameras we have now. But still I wouldn't have liked to shoot that.

[@pyeltd.5457]

Probably shot on iPhone

[@Arsenic71]

I'm German. Before I moved to the UK in 2007 I had never heard of Fred Dibnah and even during my stay in the UK (until 2018) I had never heard his name. I only came across him after my return to Germany. And I have to say, this man is the perfect example of what Britain used to stand for. Hard-working people that get things done. Period. I'm pretty sure that today nothing of what Fred used to do (or how he used to do it) would be allowed anymore, but in my books, he's the epitome of the British attitute of "let's get it done". Pragmatism is a foreign word in Germany, I envy Britain very much for that. By the way he did not have a "scant regard for health and safety", he was very well aware of the risks and, hence, made sure whatever he did was safe. Because he knew his own life depended on it.

[@PopUpPirate1975]

Very well put!

[@TomGreenMan]

As an Englishman, from Fred's home town of Bolton, living in NZ since 92, I thank you for summing that up so well. We live in changing times, and if there was an award for 'Great Briton of the last 50 years' I'd guarantee you a shortlist of maybe 20 would have NONE from the last 20 years. Britain is on a sad declining trajectory since the late 80s

[@casskop]

@@TomGreenManI’m from Blackburn and seeing as I’ve been rewatching Fred’s documentaries I thought I’d call by his old house, it’s such a shame that his workshop has pretty much disappeared.

[@jonatanwestholm]

Of course pragmatism is a foreign word in Germany, you call it Pragmatismus

[@Chappomusic]

@@TomGreenManI am so sorry to say that you are completely right. A decline that started mid 60’s imho …in the 80’s we thought we could not get any worse … Time learned different ..

[@andrewmcneil]

I met Fred in 97 and he gave me a tour of his steam workshop. If he was around today, I am sure he would have a very successful KZbin channel.

[@Joe-td9zw]

Very very successful

[@valvenus5715]

OSHA would’ve been up his crack.

[@LonnieLawless]

@@valvenus5715 oh man, they sure would be.

[@jeremyc9593]

So he was making mods on Steam as well? A jack of all trades apparently.

[@The35speedster]

No gloves?

[@geoffm9944]

Watching Fred surmount the scaffolding platform when he reached the top of the chimney was a sight to behold! That act itself took real courage and agility! Health & safety didn’t seem to exist as far as Fred was concerned. No safely harness, but just a flat cap and a woodbine! Fred was a unique steeplejack. We will never see the like of him again!

[@swagon4545]

Amazing fellow.. Just think how they build them...

[@tobleramone]

He was working for himself. If he dies there's nobody to complain to. If you do it for an employer your relatives (and their lawyers) are going to want to know what steps they took to ensure your safety.

[@Toonfan2212]

Made me feel anxious

[@benscoles5085]

@@Toonfan2212 me too, I was feeling real dizzy like just sitting here watching, this Man is unbelieveable.

[@LN997-i8x]

I always thought it was strange he didn't just have a board with a cutout on the inside, to avoid having to go over the outside.

[@geoffjoffy]

Fred was the definition of a hard working man. I don't know how he did it. Up those chimneys even on the worst weather days. He'll never be forgotten.

[@johnkidd797]

I wish you were right but I fear not, Fred will never be forgotten by us men of a certain age who worked at height every day. Health and safety wouldn't allow what we did back in the day.👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@GB-vn1tf]

Luckily the BBC cared about our history when they were making this. I'm not sure they do now.

[@Ozhull]

@@GB-vn1tf oh sod off, drama queen

[@LR_84]

Some scotch to take the edge off and it seems half as intimidating

[@grahamrowson449]

@@johnkidd797 b

[@geniexmay562]

Seeing the scaffold wobble when he reaches the top!! The man was amazing. Glad that all this was recorded!! Glad that his lancashire accent will live on for ever more!!

[@rigel5]

Love his accent. A true Lancashire working-class hero. Would loved to have had a few pints of Guinness with him .... from an Irishman. RIP Fred.

[@MaxRankFirestorm]

"I wouldn't say that I've ever done it drunk but if you were banging away with a big hammer all day a few pints you know don't do you any harm you know it sort of kills the pain." -Fred Dibnah Absolutely legendary quote

[@MaxRankFirestorm]

@8:47

[@mortalclown3812]

😂

[@Loosesapphire5135]

I came to this comment while he was saying it 😄

[@cnam1258]

@@Loosesapphire5135 I read your comment after he said it.

[@Rick_Cleland]

Having went through alcohol withdrawal several times with the shakes and everything else that goes with it, that sounds horrific. I feel sick just watching this stone cold sober.

[@STEVO-hn5su]

You can't even say "last of a dying breed" with this brave man. He was THE very last man to do do this kind of work manually...By decades!

[@chrisreynolds2410]

That’s all well and good but I have another question…..if you had a patch on your eye what are You doing with the other eye winking or blinking? I need answers.

[@SiriusCygnus]

@@chrisreynolds2410 even if it's covered if your closing the eye with the other it's blinking.

[@chrisreynolds2410]

I’d expect that line of thinking from a You.

[@SiriusCygnus]

@@chrisreynolds2410 correct. What do you think tho? How would you define a blink vs. a wink?

[@chrisreynolds2410]

Wink is 1 eye Blink is 2 eye But what if you were winking at 2 folks at the same time? Is that a blink or double wink? I guess it’s all open for debate but I know this much Big Dick Dibnah would have thrown us off the chimney already.

[@S7EVE_P]

Legend with heart of a lion. Quality broadcasting from the BBC, from an era long gone, but TV like this works and would still work because you let the star tell the story with no narration or music.

[@TheGalwayFarmer]

before the BBC turned into fake news government propaganda brainwashing machine!

[@S7EVE_P]

@@TheGalwayFarmer You're not wrong, but every broadcaster has an agenda. You have to a bit of everything to get a semblance of the truth

[@borntoclimb7116]

@@TheGalwayFarmer same like the alternative medias but is funny "brainwashed" are the new death argument

[@judeclancy1952]

imagine this nowadays. Celebrity Steeplejack with Bradley Walsh.

[@S7EVE_P]

@@judeclancy1952 With Evan Davis narrating telling us what’s coming up and then what we’ve just seen.

[@fishman501]

Fred climbing onto the scaffold at 3:10 is one of the most nerve-wrecking things I've ever seen

[@LeeMcDaidDonegal]

Bloody mental!

[@chrisS19019]

Right.. come on man that is insanity

[@chrisS19019]

I’m also wondering what his first damn day on the job was like. Gets 30 feet up and like.. now how should I get from ladder to scaffold

[@Teeveepicksures]

my toes and ass puckered

[@Pichustrikesback]

Absolutely right! I'm here comfortably tucked in my bed and I was feeling nervous as if it was me up there.

[@Adrianbacon-c9q]

This man had balls made of tempered steel, absolutely fearless guy, I had a knot in my stomach just watching. Truly amazing man.

[@bellerophonchallen8861]

and the camera man who's up there with him....oh, and the blokes who built it to start with.

[@ktwine7994]

How he ever found underwear to house those massive balls I’ll never know.

[@andrewdavy9921]

@@ktwine7994 it's called working for a living

[@ktwine7994]

@@andrewdavy9921 I’m aware of that, I know I wouldn’t catch you up there office boy

[@MrCarnutbill67]

@@andrewdavy9921 What a dick thing to say. I’d bet my working mans paycheck you don’t do anything like this.

[@simonpalling3215]

Ironically enough, Fred was one of the most down to earth men ever on telly.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

:)

[@pracazzp3955]

Such a great comment 👏

[@tripwire3992]

He was a genuine working class blocke, thats why

[@TheMaulam12345]

he was miserable man

[@danw1374]

​@@TheMaulam12345Far from it.

[@adammyatt4880]

No matter how many times I watch this man at work, every time I feel the same sickness in my stomach from sheer terror. What a boy Fred was 💪🏻 RIP Sir

[@simonmetcalfe5926]

Fred was a legend, and a friend of my Grandad. They knew each other through their love of steam engines.

[@awtistiaeth4699]

Just the sheer amount of effort required to come down for a sandwich and a cuppa is impressive, never mind the actual work. RIP Mr Dibnah

[@whettz1992]

You would just take them up with ya in a bag on ya back

[@benmalone6139]

Hahaha yeah loved that bit

[@HO-bndk]

I wonder why he didn't abseil down.

[@jrjr4426]

Why didn’t he take it up lol

[@mothball5425]

@@jrjr4426 as he said it's a lonely job

[@norituk9824]

If I live to be a hundred I'll never understand how Fred could do what he did. A class of his own.

[@ScuderiaSDH]

Only injury he ever sustained was "falling off a set of steps in me little girls bedroom and hitting me head on a drilling machine". That means in Fred's daughters bedroom there was a pillar drill....

[@pauldavidhaynes8243]

Lol, thats what I thought wtf in my head, but believable with Fred....

[@beaupresley]

Gave me huge anxiety watching him climb higher and higher when not even tied on … but when he climbed onto the scaffold at the top at an awkward angle my legs went weak and I came over hot and sweaty .. unbelievable…. Wouldn’t happen today.. absolute legend in his field

[@joshk.6246]

It would have been fun to see how he got that scaffolding up there.

[@russellfreestone8580]

You are right, nerve racking, and we were only watching.

[@Roddy556]

​@joshk.6246 as a scaffolder I can tell you it was probably pulled up with a rope. It's a very crude job.

[@danw1374]

Fred just had total confidence in what he was doing.

[@simmiesim321]

@@joshk.6246look at his other videos he shows you how’s it’s done

[@dag221]

The cameraman is every bit as much of a legend as the man tearing down the chimney. I bet a camera from 1979 wasn't light.

[@mr.shin.5138]

Cameraman are immortal and in every time period throughout history. They are the true protected species.

[@matthewwiddows6319]

would be good to know who did it, i cant image many would be happy to climb that even those used to working at height. maybe people where tougher back then!!

[@johnstrozzi1126]

He probably had another worker bring the camera up. I can't imagine any sane cameraman climb up that ladder.

[@brett567]

@@johnstrozzi1126 I can't imagine many sane cameramen full stop..

[@henriks5008]

@@swedsteve93 ehhh!? That question answers it selves. But I guess sarcasm is hard to understand...

[@derekstocker6661]

People don't only miss Fred's work, they miss his sense of humour as well. Absolute legend still, people still recall the TV series when others mention working at a height and Fred's name always crops up. His TV series of machines and other amazing things still worth watching! RIP Fred, still missed by so many.

[@andyhun444]

Having worked on roofs and climbed scaffolds and ladders all my life , this petrifies me . To scale these heights and deal with the wind and rain is just unbelievably brave . I once froze at the top of a ladder at only 30ft so I can’t even begin to understand How mr dibnah managed to do this

[@MrJimbaloid]

And all for 7 grand.

[@andym9571]

@The Fierce Urgency Of Martin good on you if you think you could down two of those in a year on your own with his scaffold. Better off becoming a train driver and earning double that !

[@pauldavidhaynes8243]

@Dawson Davis How many 200ft chimneys have you knocked down with a lump hammer and a flat cap in a Yorkshire winter?? Put hairs on your chest that.

[@Jooeffoh]

@@MrJimbaloid To put that £7,000 into perspective, I remember beer at that time was 50 pence a pint in my local pub and a mate of mine who had just signed on the dole was getting £11 per week. 7 grand was a $hit ton of money!

[@MrJimbaloid]

@@Jooeffoh I was only 7yo at that time.

[@pheener]

I'm actually emotional, because I could watch a 3 hour documentary of just this, and still feel shorted. What an absolutely incredible legend.

[@marieascot]

There is an entire series.

[@adiem1653]

You just can't comprehend the enormous task of doing this - all respect to Fred RIP a legend

[@Thelykane69]

Hats off to the person holding the camera. Makes it look so like a menacing climb for Fred but nonchalantly appears up the top of the steeple ready to film

[@brianartillery]

Fred was one of my all time heroes, and I don't mean that lightly. 2004 was a terrible year for me: I lost three heroes: my dad; John Peel, and Fred. His last TV series was so sad in places - one episode, someone gets coal for his traction engine, and Fred tells the guy that he's not strong enough to pick up the sack because of his cancer, which he knew was killing him. The bloke who got the coal was saddened and horrified to hear Fred's words. I was too, and I can't watch that episode again, as it made me cry like a child. Fred Dibnah. We shall not see his like again.

[@wetleyrocks3092]

Agree, for someone who only bumped into him once, I think about him and his life an awful lot

[@avhuf]

should probably not have been smoking constantly.

[@brianartillery]

@@avhuf - He didn't die from lung cancer, but cancer of the bladder.

[@avhuf]

@@brianartillery bladder cancer is often caused by smoking.

[@Pwnopolis]

@@avhuf Work on smoke stacks and think smoking or not will matter. Regardless it was a thoughtless stupid and heartless comment to make shame on you.

[@gsesquire3441]

The fact he climbs down halfway through his day and climbs back up is incredible. How he has the physical stamina to climb that ladder twice a day is beyond my comprehension. Then he goes right to chiseling. A wonder.

[@xcalibertrekker6693]

He was a heavy drinker and smoker on top of that. Different breed of men back then, REAL men.

[@gsesquire3441]

@@xcalibertrekker6693 I guess so. I have a job that requires me to work 12 day stretches and its pretty physical, but i dont think I would have the energy to climb that giant ladder twice and bust bricks all day, every day. That is an incredible show of endurance.

[@n00bJesus]

@@gsesquire3441and then go home and work on a steam roller until 1am. He was obsessed with his steam roller and steam roller collecting. It’s on part 1 of his documentary

[@CiCiLeathercraft]

@@gsesquire3441”pretty physical” means it’s not physical… I hope you know there’s still jobs just as sketchy as this and men risking their lives daily to keep this country going. Im only 21 and I can relate to fred a lot. I’ve been a full time plumber since 16 and there’s been several cases I could’ve lost my life. Just because there’s things like osha doesn’t mean everyone still abides by those rules. I’ve worked at huge companies that could care less if u were risking ur life. There was one time we were hand digging a 12 ft trench for a repair and ur supposed to use shoring after 5 feet that prevents the walls from collapsing. there was no shoring and after we hit 6 feet I got out of the hole and called the supervisor saying I’m not going any further until shoring is on site. I’ve heard several brutal death stories from blue collar workers.

[@_Ekaros]

Lot of construction crane workers do same thing. But then they are sitting there for rest of the day.

[@avgastas1515]

This is the old man we all pass by every day, whole lives lived and lost before we ever came around

[@bw3839]

Nah- this dude is one in a million- most old dudes I pass by had it easy and you can tell.

[@mcw8900]

@@bw3839 No they didn't and you can't tell, You just assume. If you think they have done well, then they likely had to work very hard for anything they have and most of their lives were probably nowhere near as comfortable as yours. I'm gonna guess you are a Millennial

[@H0n3yMonstah]

@@mcw8900 careful, now you're just assuming

[@pisstakecentral]

@@bw3839 spoken like a true privileged gen z asbo wearer.

[@mikeford4690]

incelll

[@TheHarrip]

Every quote Fred Dibnah has is a classic "The fact they honored me with the job shows the other fellas charged a lot more, it takes a stout heart to knock this down brick for brick on your own."

[@bretttempleman5373]

I dont think it can be underestimated how difficult it would be to get off the ladder at the top and on to the staging at the top like he does. And then the same to get back on the ladder at the end of the shift, my word that is impressive

[@Autumnblueskies1]

I totally agree! It was hard to watch him getting on to the staging at the top of the ladder! Crazy bravery!

[@prophetezekiel]

It's getting back down after hours of manual labour! Climbing over that scaffold would terrify me at full strength, let alone after being knackered

[@nickjohns1192]

I'd need to call rescue helicopter. Be frozen with fear

[@colinjava8447]

It's probably easy if it was 5 foot off the ground, it's not though, so the mental aspect of it makes it hard, at least for regular people, not for fred.

[@arno7804]

And all this without a rope or safety matters. 😨😰

[@overseastom]

Just for reference, assuming he did this back in 1978, which is probably too far back given that it was broadcast in 1979, that £7000 for the job is worth £51,381.33 today in Sept 2023. That's not a terrible paycheck considering how far your money actually went back then, but considering the risk and effort required, it's really a pittance. What a bloody legend he is.

[@jeffclark5268]

Just for reference…7000 back then went pretty much exactly as far as 51000 in 2023. That’s what inflation IS. It’s how you got to your 51k figure to begin with.

[@UnderbellyNZ]

@@jeffclark5268thank you. That comment did my head in.

[@Andrew-dp5kf]

I’m amazed that he not only did it on his own, with zero safety harness, but also he’s doing it brick by sodding brick.

[@croikeyaustralianbetamales3432]

he didnt do it on his own, donald watched him from the ground!

[@techtitanuk5609]

All 20 thousand bricks

[@alexmcphee8199]

And my generation (born 95’) think they can work lol My generation couldn’t do a single shift back then We couldn’t do the farm labour either and that’s what I miss the hard labour But I just wish more folk could see how special the 60s To the 80s was. I can only imagine

[@alexmcphee8199]

God imagine going back in time to learn from him. Broke my own heart thinking about it

[@dazzamcg2369]

@@techtitanuk5609there’s no bloody way that’s 20k bricks. Way more than that

[@jamalwashium5387]

This man is what the embodiement of hard days work is

[@andybaldman]

Let’s all watch videos of him working hard while we sit at home comfortably.

[@Cafferssss]

Fred understood the value of hard work to its fullest. He's a role model and a hero of working men.

[@theirishrheingold6817]

What a lovely, genuine, authentic man - a real link to Britain's industrial past and a man who made his living with honest toil and sweat. Much missed and a decent good hearted soul - what a contrast to our disingenuous and phoney era

[@granvillelewis7679]

THIS is reality TV, what a remarkable man - R. I. P. Fred.

[@rsmith6366]

Documentary.

[@Latexhandske]

I was a bricklayer in the early 80s. I have maximum respect for all the workers that did a proper job!

[@1414141x]

Yes, some guys layed bricks at the top of that chimney. I don't know how old that chimney was but I imagine those bricklayers where not around to see Fred dismantle their bravery and craftmanship. Hats off to them !

[@stephenowens3687]

I never get bored of watching Fred, no matter what he was doing. Amazing man.

[@biblybims9868]

What’s more impressive is he came all the way down for a sarnie and cup of tea,and all the way back up,when he could just take his lunch up with him

[@smooothest]

why have a lunch break alone?

[@biblybims9868]

@@smooothest well he does that climb and works alone,so why not aye 😴😔😎

[@ratedRblazin420]

You don't get paid for your break or lunch. That time is yours don't ever eat where you work.

[@shinywarm6906]

Fred's courage is mindblowing. But not everyone got away with these practices. My uncle was a roofer working in the 60s like Fred did. Took a fall and spent the rest of his life paralysed from the waist down. Since the H&S Act came in, deaths in construction industry have been cut by 75%. H&S is a good thing!

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Yeah but happiness and fun have also been cut by 75%.

[@shinywarm6906]

@@Jonathan_Doe_ I'm sure you'd have a great laugh toileting guys who've been paralysed by roofing falls, or helping blokes who've been blinded after copping a face full of metal fragments from an unguarded lathe. What larks, eh?

[@AnalogueGround]

Couldn’t agree more. It’s strange how bravery is considered better than good safety. Fred knew and accepted the risks but he did carry out a risk assessment for each job even if it was just in his head. The best advice I ever got was ‘treat every job as if it was your first so you don’t get complacent”! All of that being said, current health and safety regulations have been effective not just just in reducing deaths but have reduced serious life changing injuries by a staggering amount. Mind you, nothing takes away my respect for Fred.

[@VodkaSelekta]

I think a certain amount is a good thing, but we're now on the other side of the coin where there is too much health and safety, which is ever encroaching upon our freedom.

[@borntoclimb7116]

@@AnalogueGround good safety is essential, the most deaths are people who have no respect to the danger.

[@cultureofcritique9735]

What an absolute legend.

[@gabrielvinicius2409]

Takes balls of steel to do that job light-heartedly. Kudos to him and the cameraman that came up there.

[@weebinniec]

I think I start watching these videos over again every year. And I’m always impressed. I’ve done some work at heights but climbing that ladder seems rough. The toughest part is getting over those top boards. Imagine the pump in your forearms and the cold making your hands numb and having to deal with that. He not even a adrenaline junkie (so mountain climbers can’t comment) he’s a flat cap blue collar working class man that’s doing this for a job. That’s the exact same gravel in the gut that built the world we know. Amazing ❤

[@tramlad2]

Loved Fred, great voice for telling stories, and what a craftsman he was a superb engineer and just a brilliant man, sadly missed

[@allthekingshorses7178]

I'm getting vertigo just watching this. Balls of steel that man.

[@markstott6689]

I'm terrified of heights a.k.a. rightly afeared of falling from a great height (also small heights). Yet I watched every Fred Dibnah series from the age of 11 (1979). The man was undoubtedly a legend. I hope that he's never forgotten as men like Fred deserve to be remembered for decades at least.

[@rafezetter8003]

I'm not that bothered about the falling, it's the "hitting the ground at great speed" I'm not that keen to experience - doesn't help that I suffer from "L'appel duvide" - "call of the void" wanting to jump off high places.

[@markstott6689]

@@rafezetter8003 That sounds terrifying. Best keep your feet on the ground.

[@Graeme726]

Just going up that ladder without a harness takes some balls but then to standing on that for months in all weathers taking it down takes some beating, what a legend

[@Wonderkid44]

Bad ways of working, lots of men died from this type of working over the years. It takes balls alright, but thanks to them its now much safer for us in construction

[@borntoclimb7116]

@@Wonderkid44 today is the same, china, india, bangladesh, quatar.

[@kransurfing]

@@borntoclimb7116 Yes and it's sad that these incredible and passionate, hard workers aren't recognized or even known about nowadays by people because they either don't think it exists anymore or just aren't aware.

[@borntoclimb7116]

@@kransurfing in the west, people dont have interested to quatar, china, bangladesh workers, so many thousand of guys died every year

[@Ymma58]

Back when jobs use to get done now it's all health and safety bullshit

[@tomwagner6334]

In ‘79 I was 18 and carried brick and mortar in hods up and down ladders working on a fireplace and chimney crew in northern Va. I did that for 5 years before I joined the bricklayers union in ‘84. I’m now retired and brick and mortar hods are long gone.

[@Geraint3000]

When you see the quality (or lack of quality) of brickwork on some new builds and then look at the quality of the work on that chimney that's about to be demolished, it's quite tragic.

[@mrnulliustestikleezeeastee7365]

Same thought here.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

industrial chimneys like that rot from the inside out, the flu gas just eats the brick and mortar

[@ximono]

And it's not just chimneys. Anything old gets thrown out and replaced with something new and fancy. But what you threw out has lasted maybe decades while the new thing will break within a year or two. That goes for pretty much everything these days.

[@LucasJRice]

@@ximono you’re full of crap.

[@Wayoutthere]

@@ximono Planned Obsolescence..

[@HawkEye3366]

As someone who works in construction safety, this is incredible to see.

[@captainhindsight6994]

What would you do to someone nowadays if you caught them doing this exactly as he used to it lol

[@jhkk1269]

@@captainhindsight6994 HSE would shag em up the arse

[@ribik64]

Somewhere,an OSHA book just combusted

[@HawkEye3366]

@@ribik64 haha, this is so true.

[@Moosemoose1]

OSHA CONCERN INTENSIFIES

[@bigchris80]

You can see the rain half an hour before it comes, you can see miles and miles, glad he lived through them days. Legend.

[@michelle60134]

Fred is a legend he is the epitome of the working man I have total respect RIP

[@scsidrum]

Cameraman did pretty well up there too! Fred - a leading example of honest, hard work. A real man! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👌🏼

[@Shortberg]

Indeed. And I imagine the camera that was dragged up there probably weighed a bit more than a go-pro we have these days..

[@Derry_Aire]

I was wondering who the cameraman was, but the BBC didn't think showing the closing credits was worth it.

[@SISU889]

The cameraman was his labourer ! Lol

[@thekitkatshuffler]

A leading example of an honest man being taken advantage of by big business.

[@SISU889]

@@thekitkatshuffler Lol , more the other way round . NOBODY , took advantage of Fred ! He was nobody's fool .

[@harrier5154]

I loved watching anything to do with this man , he always struck me as someone from a bygone age, we need more people like this on the TV .

[@HANKTHEDANKEST]

I'm glad that we don't do it this way anymore--far too many men never made it home to their wives and families. That said, we are damned lucky to have been able to see Fred in action--the last of his kind, for sure.

[@dbzfanexwarbrady]

i mean Heath and saftey aside , there are no chimneys left

[@civlyzed]

@@dbzfanexwarbrady I enjoy seeing old chimneys, too bad they couldn't have left a couple for dudes like myself. There are quite a few around here in the states. Cheers!

[@marklammas2465]

@@dbzfanexwarbrady The last chimney fell on Heath. Saftey died pining.

[@kiradotee]

Plus with proper explosions it's a days work to demolish that chimney instead of the 5 months

[@maxpowerii7368]

@@kiradotee they had explosive demolition back then, the chairman of the company didnt want to risk the surrounding buildings if it went wrong.

[@carlowingfield7743]

FRED DIBNAH is amazing and so is his camera man .

[@simmiesim321]

His camera man is on a huge platform on a huge lift !!! Nothing like Fred did

[@MrStonebeliever]

What an absolute legend. I've always been in awe at this guy. Fearless. The best of British.

[@JTA1961]

Yup

[@leefairhurst9058]

Remember watching this when we where kids totally in awe . Fred had balls of titanium and became a hero of mine but he also had a real affinity for the guys who built these chimneys . RIP fred

[@bluethunder6801]

Balls of steel and an incredible hardworking grafter! They don't make them like this anymore! RIP FRED

[@MADMAN-k9x]

I'm a plasterer and I work on stilts inside and work on scissor lifts outside and on mast climbers. But I do not have the balls to do what Fred does . True gentleman ,master tradesman and absolute balls of steel . Rip Fred

[@blxtothis]

Ah, from the days when the BBC and ITV actually made worthwhile ‘Reality’ TV. These Fred Dibnah programmes were and still are wonderful. He was probably a ‘difficult and irascible bloke’ and a nightmare to his missus but to us, the viewer, he was a giant.

[@stuzo666]

Totally awsome guy regardless

[@stewartmcneill2262]

Yeah he was a great Briton in his own right balls of steel the likes we’ll never see again rip to fred

[@canadianbacon1088]

He was a bloody good guy .......PERIOD

[@wotdoesthisbuttondo]

His missus sounded a right negligent cow making him same old plain cheese butties again, not even a bit of ham yet he's the breadwinner and clearly needs his strength. Bet she got pissed off at Fred pointing it out on TV.

[@TheAllyMor]

Think you're right. He ended up divorcing and remarrying.

[@MattyT_86]

My late grandfather was a builder. He enjoyed watching Fred Dibnah and often shared that with my father who is a dab hand at building things himself, even though he's a now retired car mechanic. There's something warm and cosy listening to Fred, a link to my grandfather.

[@FiveLiver]

This is the Briar and Lilac mills in Shaw near Oldham, now part of warehouse and distribution for catalogue company JD Williams. Where the chimney was is now a bridge that joins the two buildings. The 'Lilac' on the tower is now gone as it has been reduced in height. Briar Mill is adjacent to the Manchester Metrolink stop for Shaw and Crompton, between Oldham and Rochdale, and is behind the camera and to the left of the opening shot, and to the right of Fred as he eats his cheese butty 8:26 (in the background can be seen (above Fred’s Land Rover) the tower of Holy Trinity Parish Church Shaw. In the centre is Duke Mill, which still stands, minus its chimney. To the extreme left is Cape Mill, demolished in 1993. Fred took down the chimney).

[@StoutProper]

Shaw is a lovely place. I used to know the king of shaw

[@bartez111]

Thanks for that I have been spending an absolute age trying to locate the exact spot of the chimney !

[@FiveLiver]

@@bartez111 Thanks for the appreciation. I'd forgotten I made this comment until I watched the two americans watch Fred Dibnah video a couple of days ago.

[@bartez111]

@@FiveLiver it's good watching Americans react to him isn't it! 😁

[@FiveLiver]

@@bartez111 👍

[@Dashslapp]

Even as an ex roofer and then tree surgeon, watching fred go up that ladder makes me sweat. I just about remember in late 80s hairy jobs with no scaff or nets but this is next level.

[@jonwayne70]

Anyone whose interested, it took him 5 months to knock down that chimney. The chimney itself had 20,000 bricks. It mentioned he got paid £7000 for the job, which works out to 35 pence per brick.

[@Xune2000]

That 1979 £7000 is the equivalent of £45,300 in 2023.

[@uncontrollable343]

£9000 a month

[@daveyzane1192]

5 Months? Jesus thought it'd be closer to 5 years...

[@billbonnington7916]

35 quid a foot - sounds cheap even back then, that's what, three courses of brick.

[@pmacc3557]

Surely more than 20000 bricks in that monstrosity?

[@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS]

I've never seen footage of Fred at this age. I came to know him as a kid through the many programs he did on engineering and architecture in the 90s/early 00s and grew to have a great deal of respect for the man's quiet temperament and deep knowledge and interest in the subjects close to his heart, and whilst I knew his former career I've never seen footage of him in action without all the insurance company bothering he had to deal with as an older man. A legendary man, and a embodiment of the concept of hard graft.

[@andybaldman]

There are many others on KZbin. Just search.

[@stevenkelby2169]

@@andybaldman Why don't you do it for me and post links here?

[@andybaldman]

@@stevenkelby2169 Because you're a big boy and don't need me to spoon feed you. The google term I gave you will return more links and information than I can post here. Type those words in, press enter, do some reading, and convince yourself. Just like I did.

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

Graft must have a different meaning over there. In the U.S. graft is the corruption of using an unfair advantage due to one's position. I think I can figure the meaning via context.

[@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS]

@@sinisterthoughts2896 as you probably already figured out it means hard work, generally manual labour, but anything you have been pouring a lot of effort into. And there's also the more medical/botanical definition of the word as well. I am not sure if I completely follow what you meant by your definition of the word in the states, could you possibly give me an example of both the type of situation you were referring to and its use in a sentence? Sorry if I am being a pain by asking, language and colloquialisms are a hobby of mine and I have never heard of it being used in this manner. Thank you in advance.

[@alexpegler465]

The most Northern 11 minutes of your life. Love it.

[@terbear6323]

Fred will remembered because of all the videos. As a Canadian I salute Fred.

[@1981MJD]

As soon as I see Fred Dibnah climbing ladders my hands start sweating :-)

[@zyme4569]

Watching this with a storm going on outside the wind howling. I feel so anxious my hands are sweating especially when he climbs off the ladder at the top

[@legendkhanproductions5263]

My legs started aching

[@cyclingseagull]

@@zyme4569 It was when he was standing on the chimney, hammering away which got me.

[@borntoclimb7116]

I love this, i can't watch enough

[@borntoclimb7116]

@@zyme4569 that was my experience in Donebach (germany)

[@emiche711]

Nothing like a wobbly ladder to complete the appeal of climbing up a chimney! What a guy!

[@davidpaylor5666]

Loved Fred, a unique and wonderful man. After he died his family auctioned off little sections of the train track he installed in his garden, my piece is on my desk in front of me and it makes a brilliant little riveting anvil.

[@g-rimm2315]

Fred dibnah ...was a good friend of my great grandfather ....I had the lucky chance of meeting him when I was ten 2000 I believe. Lovely man . Saw the train he built....balls of steel ....heart of gold ...the last Victorian ...miss you mate ...I'm 33 now ..and still get anxious watching this stuff

[@abhisheksoni2980]

I can't believe how meditative this video was! My four year old literally fell asleep. She never feels so calm watching tv or you tube that she falls asleep.

[@82ndAbnVet]

Can we just appreciate the fact that Fred climbed a WOODEN ladder hundreds of feet in the air, without any safety equipment, multiple times a day? Balls of STEEL!

[@geniegb]

Wooden? Ladder is steel, scaffolding is partly wooden

[@ximono]

Must be wood. Or his balls of steel would go "clank" on each step.

[@mcw8900]

@@ximono Lol I did wonder how he got those massive bollocks up there without them getting entangled in the rungs

[@MJ.71]

@@geniegb definitely wooden back in 1978

[@scepticalchymist]

I got a nervous breakdown just from watching him taking a break with just one leg holding him, but when he finally started to climb the wooden platform I got totally terrified. How can anyone have the courage to do this?

[@chrisfleming5109]

The UK needs more people like this but there is not much chance of that. I have maximum respect for Fred.

[@stevenmcalister826]

People who are dumb enough to work without any safety gear and be massively underpaid for doing large amounts of work?

[@tropicalpalmtree]

Won't be people like him again. Sign of the times, this digital generation (that i am part of) has no hope or drive anymore. Want everything easy.

[@Bartimayus]

@@tropicalpalmtree you volunteering to climb up like Fred did and spend months knocking it down? Automation is the future.

[@kleemusic546]

Agree with this sentiment. People voted for Brexit hoping for a new Fred Dinah!

[@bad_dog4648]

@@kleemusic546 yeah and you are more likely these days to find blokes like this in Poland!

[@2KXMKR]

Whenever I start grumbling about my job, delivering shopping in a van all day, I watch one of these. Humbles you real quick!

[@stephenbramley9405]

My heart is in my mouth watching this guy work , I know a little about working at heights but would never ever work or climb without safety lines , unbelievable guy . Old school.

[@georgedesouza8937]

Hats off to the cameraman too! Balls of steel

[@operator91210]

And it had sound! I bet the sound recordist went up as well. After a day like that I imagine they'd run the pub dry.

[@simmiesim321]

They were on a huge platform on a mechanical lift not on the ladders 🤣🤣🤣

[@TheGermanHammer]

I’m honestly amazed that the chimney was able to support the weight of his massive balls.

[@KLOSTER777]

Hi hi hi

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Oh, we're seeing things a bit differently, now that sociopathy is better understood. Courage and lack of fear are two very different things.

[@c0mpu73rguy]

We don’t make them like we used to, that’s for sure… People like Fred Dibnah and chimneys I mean.

[@adammcneice362]

😂👍

[@darahdoyle3176]

Haahahhahahahhahaaaaaaaaaaa brilliant comment, probably the best comment on a video ever.

[@jadethom7908]

Salt of the Earth. This world would be a better place with more people like Fred.

[@kryptichands968]

This is a man among men, I've swung a sledge running a crew 12 hours a day 6 days a week in 120° buildings late summer, peeling tongue and groove flooring ect. This is a whole level of tough. Respect. And astonished.

[@trulythedude]

who asked

[@mikethespike7579]

I've never fallen off a chimney. If I had it'd have been my last time. LOL! Pure gold!

[@stevenslack-pc6ij]

This man reminds me of my dad who was also from England, just tough as nails, they just don't make them like that anymore, miss you everyday POP, until we see each other again, RIP

[@helenamcginty4920]

Our neighbour was a steeplejack ans often worked on Blackpool tower He said if he got to work and didnt fancy it he went home. He had come to believe that the days when men went up when they didnt feel like it were often the days when they fell.

[@TheLucreziia]

The casual manner of Fred as he stands at the very top with the enormous drop off or into the chimney would for most of us mere mortals be unthinkable! They don't make them like Fred anymore.

[@14sgdpg82]

if videos like this get forgotten we will never know where we come from

[@Peanuthead1890]

When I feel down I always come back watch Fred's videos better times back then

[@chrisduckz]

That’s amazing. I went to school up the road from that mill then ended up working for the company that owned it as a fulfilment warehouse but never knew about this. I recognised the name of the mill when I saw it. The views up there must have been amazing. He’d have seen Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, bury maybe further. What a man.

[@MrPhatties]

The smoke toss at 5:50 was pretty iconic

[@magesalmanac6424]

I loved that moment! Casual as you could be, into the rubbish it goes.

[@happyfeet4506]

The man the myth the legend that is Fred. They don't make em like this anymore. A real legend. RIP Fred ❤️🙏

[@martyswaney1098]

A man must have a certain amount of inner calmness to get past the situation and get on with the job. Ultimate respect.

[@BongoBaggins]

So sad to see someone who knew the city as it was, seeing the landscape completely change from industrial to residential, lamenting the loss of hundreds of chimneys from Great Britain's unsurpassed industrial heritage. YOU KNOCKED ALL THE BUGGERS DOWN, FRED