Fred Dibnah 'Laddering a chimney' revisited Ena Mill, Atherton

Mr H takes a look at the iconic chimney of Ena Mill a former cotton spinning mill in Atherton near Wigan, which today is a retail and business centre and featured in one of the legendary Bolton Steeplejack the late great Fred Dibnah's documentaries in the early 1990's in which he demonstrated how to ladder a tall chimney to see how the area has changed since Fred was there and if the chimney still bears his marks 30 years later.
To view the full clip of Fred used in this video please follow the link below:
• Fred Dibnah laddering ...
#freddibnah
#freddibnahsteeplejack
#freddibnahbolton

[@skeena59]

What's often overlooked is the skill of the brickies that built those monsters!

[@barrykochverts4149]

It's a comfort to see the old mill and smokestack looking so well. I got into Fred's life during Covid, sitting in front of my computer for hours at home. What a character he was, and fearless. I am sitting in my chair, still getting the heebie-jeebies, watching him work at the very top of the ladder. What's even more amazing, is how, not many years before he passed, the crew filmed a decidedly chunky looking Fred go up and over the wide crown of a square chimney that any mortal would have fallen from. I would not have wagered he would meet his maker in a bed. Amazing gent. Thank you, Mr. H. for keeping his memory fresh, and doing so as a native of the shire. Your accent is as colorful as Fred's was (and quite easy for a Yank to understand, too). Cheers!

[@carlleedham6256]

And he never fell off, nerves of steel that man

[@johnmills1816]

Fred once said " I aint gonna fall off, I'm gonna die in bed with me boots on".

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Barry, I think that the chimney you are referring to is 'India Mill' chimney in Darwen, Lancashire which is one I am hoping to do a similar video on to this in the future and yes he literally defies gravity as he scrambles over the overhangs up to the top. You also have to remember that he would have had to slowly ladder the chimney first before any work could be carried out all of which he did without any safety harness or rope to save him if he slipped. Glad that you enjoyed the video and found my accent easy enough to understand, I just wish that the folks in Florida also could when I go and vacation there! Lol. Anyway many thanks for commenting and all the best. 👍

[@SimonSpenny]

Thanks for the video Mr H. I was born in Atherton but moved to Devon in 1992. Brings back memories

[@robbflynn4325]

Fred has always been a hero of mine. They dont make them like Fred anymore. Having said that, he was one of a kind.

[@lancpudn]

R'reet Mr H, Ena mill is two minutes from my house & I remember Fred doing that work there, I also remember him doing the work on the Laburnham mill in Atherton in 1982.

[@martyhopkirk6826]

Yep, but he never got to fell the chimney at the Laburnum, did he? Some cheeky chappies got there first ….

[@cad68m_m]

Thanks Mr H I always enjoy your videos about where Fred Dibnah lived and worked.

[@procta2343]

i have watched the video of him doing the ladder on this, I always thought this would have been flattened, Most factories of this era are practically gone. Great to see it still there and been used. Fred had balls of steel, i wonder what he would have made of the modern way.

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Procta, this is one of the few former spinning mill chimneys that Fred was shown working on in the documentaries from the 80's and early 90's that is still in good condition today. Unfortunately many of the chimneys that Fred had worked on during this era that are still standing have had little to no maintenance done on them since and it shows. I very much doubt that Fred would be a fan of the modern way or the current restrictive culture of 'Elf & Safety' which can be seen in his demeanor during the footage of his last chimney drop when he appeared in a hi viz jacket and telling people to stand back whilst looking thoroughly miserable compared to the footage of him running away from a collapsing chimney only to emerge from a cloud of dust with a childlike "Did yer like that?" at the beginning of each episode from the early documentaries.

[@richardgoulding4250]

Good one Mr H, only learnt about Fred dibnah on KZbin and I started watching the series from the start a couple of years ago and it was strange watching him as a young man and then watching his funeral in a matter of a few weeks, I've seen your previous videos off Fred thanks keep up the good work Mr H Pom from Aus

[@dunc1958]

Nice one mr H, a bit of industrial heritage history in my adopted home town. My mother in law still lives up the road from where the Barrs factory was, that said she frequently referred to it as "Stotherts" who were the original occupants. Also nice to see that Fred is remembered at the Ena mill site. A very enjoyable video mr H.

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Duncan, and glad that you enjoyed the video. 👍 AFAIK due to the Cottonfields development nothing now remains of the old Stotherts/Barrs factory site although locals may know of some small areas that have managed to escape being redeveloped and are now hidden behind modern fences etc. Both Ena Mill and it's iconic chimney are in excellent condition thanks to the massive investment of it's current owners and I was really impressed by their commitment to preserving the heritage of the site, as I was by them acknowledging Fred's work on the chimney with the plaque as no other site where Fred has done work on that I have visited has done this.

[@johnosullivan3924]

great to see you .......and a super video bringing back Fred's old videos to the present day.....thank you

[@trucker5722]

Crackin little video Fred was one of his own a proper character,sadly missed. Really nice to see the mill being looked after. I would think the mills with chimneys these days would be listed. The chimney at Coppul ring mill where I’m from is long gone but the mill still stands and had a fortune spent on it by the owners.

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Trucker 57, and glad that you enjoyed the video. 👍 Although I didn't mention it in the video both the mill and chimney are Grade II listed so fair play to the owners for taking the responsibility on and digging deep into their pockets to keep it as original as possible. BTW is Coppull Ring Mill the one where when they was dropping the chimney it fell the wrong way and ended up filling in a nearby lodge or is that just an urban myth?

[@fabiandegussion5134]

Been bricklaying 33? Years an can say with facts a lot of todays brickies wouldn’t have a clue with all the ornate work. I’d of loved working on this building , wish we could go back and see them on it 😮

[@chaddamp2894]

thanks so very much.we watched fred from his first broadcast and followed him through his life with real enjoyment of a great man xx

[@Gr8thxAlot]

This is amazing to see! And, what a gorgeous building.

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Gr8thxAlot, glad that you enjoyed the video. 👍 Yeah the current owners have gone above and beyond to both respect and preserve the heritage of Ena Mill and it is good to see that it hasn't suffered the same fate of neglect that many former Lancashire cotton mills suffered after closing and becoming multi use industrial estates..

[@gordon12082006]

Just want to say thank you for making this video. I loved watching it.

[@carlleedham6256]

Great work Mr H, fascinating to look at the then and now, you've put some effort into this, very much appreciated

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Carl. and glad to hear that you enjoyed the video. 👍 Thanks to the owners of Ena Mill trying their best to keep the mill as original as possible it was fairly easy to match up the then and now shots of Fred working on the chimney although it is sad that his cement date 'tags' bearing his ornate initials and the years he had worked on the chimney have weathered away to almost nothing. That said an enjoyable visit and brought back some memories of being taken there on a school trip when it was still an active spinning mill.

[@lookupparagliding]

Hi, I've watched those clips many a time. The last of Britain's great legends.

[@TheBerzerker666]

To see Fred using his hammer and chisel shows us how after years of use it is possible to get over the fear of hitting your hand with the hammer

[@michaelalker5804]

Ey up bud Great hot pot but again watchin Fred stuck up side of a chimney wi no wires makes mi spin Lol even now thinkin bout it gives me the shakes Love history

[@TAD425]

Love the videos on Fred. Are you doing anymore ?

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Richard and glad that you enjoyed watching this video revisiting one of Fred's old jobs. 👍 Yes I am hoping to do some more Fred related videos in the future and hope to have another one coming up soon fingers crossed. Also I try to identify the locations of Fred's jobs that haven't already been done to death on KZbin but this obviously takes time to research and then go out and video, especially the locations where Fred had to travel far away from his native Bolton. Anyway glad that you enjoyed the video once again and all the best.

[@TAD425]

@MrHsHotPot you do a excellent job at what you do and I'm sure everyone including myself will be looking forward too the next one. Fred was a legend and is sadly missed by many.

[@Lorenzo622]

Great video 👍

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Lorenzo, and glad that you enjoyed the video. 👍

[@theroch2805]

Really enjoyed this one Mr H I love watching the old documentaries about Fred

[@MrStargazer66]

Great - enjoy your Tunnocks teacakes then and thanks for looking at this old chimney again. I could really distinctively remember Fred Dibnah going on about how the coloured bricks had become "addled", as he described them at the time in his own original televised footage. Next step for yourself of course is to climb up to the same height on the chimney using ladders as Fred himself did back in the day... Cheers!

[@stephenshipley2631]

Fantastic Mr H, R.i.p Fred.

[@petegreenwood2793]

Lovely video - many thanks for it!

[@shanehall98]

Such a beautiful building and chimney, a gem of Fred’s History. It is the 20th anniversary this November of the Death of Fred I was wondering if you could do a video on that?

[@garethparr9482]

Nice to revisit another one of Fred’s old jobs pal and nice to see you back doing videos for us again. Hope you are well and you will be back on track with the videos. Cheers 👍

[@markbavin857]

Excellent video, Mr H. Both heartwarming and informative. Thank you for sharing your passions and interests with us! All the best to you.

[@albertcross4275]

Everyone loved Fred. ❤️🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

[@stulincoln4874]

Thank you Mr H. What a great little video, full of interesting content. Keep em coming.

[@cherylbostock9265]

Viyellla was a cotton based material and was created at Pleasley Vale Mills around 1 and half miles from where I live on the Nottinghamshire/ Derbyshire border it was originally owned by William Hollins

[@garymitchell8394]

What a wonderful video Mr H! Fabulous 👌

[@Cola64]

Well done,, Thank you

[@charliebuttocks2400]

Balls of steel

[@noseyparker6368]

Good one Mr H

[@welcometothestrange7960]

Brilliant 👏

[@steaminglion4067]

What a great video. Keeping Fred Dibnah s memory Alive what a legend he was . Brilliant to see the mill as it was 👍

[@MrJimtimslim]

Forever in our hearts Rip fred. My actual hero. The bricks at the top there are 'addle' so be careful

[@mikebon8352]

Climb it like Fred did...!!!

[@chrispritchard3775]

Mr H the barrs pop works that was originally Richard Richard stotherts Atherton (Albion works) who still have a big following in the bottle collecting world ive got one of their chest and lung mixture tin signs. about 1908 stotherts moved pop making to warrington (they'd got that big) Atherton then became stotherts manufacturing chemist making pills medicine's in the 60s stotherts sold out to barrs . also lets not forget max stothert he had his own jazz band in the 20s the family live in Cumbria now along with max's saxophone hope this all helps you and regards 👍

[@michaeltrimmer8899]

I wonder what happened to all those ladders and stuff Fred had.

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Michael, Fred left most of them on his final job at the Church of St Walburge in Preston, still laddered to the steeple which he had been commissioned to repair but had taken a break from to do some filming work. Sadly it was during this filming work that Fred's health began to deteriorate and he was unable to return to complete the work at St Walburge's so he decided to donate his ladders to the Steeplejack who then took over the job from him as he probably knew deep down that he would never use them again. The others remained in the sheds at his former home in Haulgh, Bolton which later became the 'Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre' until it closed in 2017 and all of Fred's remaining tools including what remained of his ladders along with other items such as Fred's clothes etc. were controversially auctioned off by the owner in an attempt to recoup some of the money that he had sunk into the Heritage Centre since it had opened in 2010.

[@loafersheffield]

Thanks, Mr. H. It's difficult getting triphospahte, mercury filled, lamps and bulbs now. All LED. Problem being, although they cost less in lecky to run, when they expire, it's as cheap just to but another light fitting. Day rates fer sparkies aren't cheap. I'm sceptical as to the cost benefit analysis of LED's.

[@JonNelson90WBN]

You should come look at our chimney at higher Walton mill. Pr54dj.

[@mickwalker8813]

Started work there in 1976, it was still a textile mill then. Chimney is very tall but is in a dip so appears smaller.

[@loafersheffield]

Proper Norf. He weren't one fer health and safety. And I worshipped him as a child. Cos he'd climb a 200 foot chimney. After drinking five pints of mild. Lancashire Hot Pots - Dibnah

[@chrispritchard3775]

Donald was working with fred at ena mill and fred did the job at a knock down price mainly because it was the last one in the area that still had its fancy top and now apart from leigh spinners it's virtually the last one shame you couldn't have got into the engine house it's got beautiful ornate plaster work this ended up as the fitters shop it's all painted green the carpark at the left hand side of engine house that's where the lodge was

[@mattwuk]

Did you do a cheeky diversion to Whittakers for a pie Mr H? 🥮🥮🥮🥮😉😄

[@MrHsHotPot]

Hi Matt, and apologies for the late reply. No, sadly I didn't take a diversion to Whittakers for one of their excellent pies and just made do with the Tunnocks Tea Cake and can of Barr;s Cola at the end of the video. Probably should have done though given how close I was! 😉

[@Droningonuk]

Did the plaque fall off or was it stolen?

[@samdemic3373]

Fred must have had bollox of steel

[@manuelhung7571]

So many dyslexix enamel workers turned up at this factory looking for work 😂.

[@user-sz8km9dy5v]

Fred would of made a good robber 🤔