FRED DIBNAH- LIFE, DEATH & LEGACY OF A BRITISH NATIONAL TREASURE, GRAVE, HOUSE , MILL VISIT

Frederick Travis Dibnah, MBE (28 April 1938 - 6 November 2004), was an English steeplejack and television personality. Having a keen interest in mechanical engineering, he described himself as a "backstreet mechanic".[1]
When Dibnah was born, Britain relied heavily upon coal to fuel its industry. As a child, he was fascinated by the steam engines which powered the many textile mills in Bolton, but he paid particular attention to chimneys and the men who worked on them. He began his working life as a joiner, before becoming a steeplejack. From age 22, he served for two years in the Army Catering Corps of the British Army, undertaking his National Service. Once demobbed, he returned to steeplejacking but met with limited success until he was asked to repair Bolton's parish church tower. The resulting publicity provided a boost to his business, ensuring he was almost never out of work.
In 1978, while making repairs to Bolton Town Hall, Dibnah was filmed by a regional BBC news crew. The BBC then commissioned a documentary, which followed the rough-hewn steeplejack as he worked on chimneys, interacted with his family and talked about his favourite hobby - steam. His Lanky manner and gentle, self-taught philosophical outlook proved popular with viewers and he featured in a number of television programmes. Towards the end of his life, the decline of Britain's industry was mirrored by a decline in his steeplejacking business and Dibnah increasingly came to rely on public appearances and after-dinner speaking to support his income. In 1998, he presented a programme on Britain's industrial history and went on to present a number of series, largely concerned with the Industrial Revolution and its mechanical and architectural legacy.
Dibnah died from bladder cancer in November 2004, aged 66.[2]

[@jimmorrison3756]

Loved Fred Dibnah such a brave and hardworking man. Legend of Tonge Bolton RIP Sir Fred Dibnah 🙏🚂

[@AttolloSolutionsLtd]

Fantastic video, loved Fred on TV. Legend sorely missed!

[@gravedigr12]

Fred was a wonderful story teller and a wonderful human being when I was a child I loved when he came on the television I'd jump for joy.

[@JME-TV]

@@gravedigr12 a warm northern hard working man! A product of a dying breed

[@gravedigr12]

@@JME-TV That's for sure I love old technology thanks to Fred he showed me how cool steam engines are I have a small mammod steam tractor model and it always makes me think of Fred when I fire it up.

[@eliotreader8220]

@@gravedigr12 I think I understand that Fred had a model steam engine when he was a lad that was given to him by his mum and Dad. Sadly the little engine didn’t last long because She blew up.

[@AB-kx4nc]

Absolutely loved watching Fred and his strong Lancashire accent amazed me as a young londoner

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

There's no demonsteration like a Fred Dibnah demonsteration!

[@jayheywood9635]

loved it

[@petergrinnell2500]

He was a true working class British gentleman and was very knowledgeable loved everything to do with steam engines and wat a lovely old house

[@dillonfoy6617]

Fred Dinah was a legend his house is only a few miles from where I live. yet again another brilliant video please keep them coming.

[@JME-TV]

Thanks Dillon!

[@simonlunt353]

I must admit that his house and garden weren’t kept as a living museum but as you said time moves on 😢all of his engines and workshop it would be nice to see were there all gone and if they still working 😊thank you for your video 👏👏👍

[@JME-TV]

Thanks for your comment and support 🥰

[@davidpenman7807]

I knew nothing about steeplejacks or the heritage of steam engines but I could have watched Fred all day a fantastic gentlemen to this country.

[@JME-TV]

True Gent, Sir!

[@pooroldfred]

Great video. Thank you. Hope u get more views ....Fred is a true legend.

[@JME-TV]

@@pooroldfred thanks for your support!

[@Nik-8it5p]

He had balls of steel going up there.

[@edwrdsg]

Very interesting. I remember Fred on tv.

[@JME-TV]

A northern legend he was ! They don’t make them like they used to

[@michaelfirth1075]

Superb video young man, thank you.

[@JME-TV]

@@michaelfirth1075 thanks for your support Michael 🙏🏼

[@tonytcb4504]

We will never see his like again!

[@AB-kx4nc]

Unfortunately 😢

[@JME-TV]

We won’t. :(

[@sicks6six]

he saw it coming he was constantly saying how stupid we had all become, he knew that there was a time not too long back when every man was like him, he knew he was the last of the real men, men who made things, fixed things, and he had the skills to pass that knowledge on and that's why he did the television stuff as he knew it was his way of helping people in the future, who knew anything about steam engines or steeple jacks before seeing Fred on TV, not many !

[@markwestmoreland912]

Fred was and still is a legend. I was brought up watching Fred with my late father . Proper old skool big respect to Fred

[@JME-TV]

@@markwestmoreland912 thanks for comment mate

[@garymeacham7353]

brings a tear to my eyes

[@maestromanification]

What a fantastic tribute to an absolutely outstanding man

[@JME-TV]

Thanks so much for your support

[@gillam91]

there will never be another fred a very clever man and a top back street mechanic as he called himself 😁i had the pleasure of visiting his house a few years ago...whilst they were deciding on what to do with it so all his mechanical bits nd bobs was still in place took loads of pictures and felt like he was out there fetling something

[@eliotreader8220]

I believe that the people who owned the house after Fred who ran it as a heritage centre restored Fred's Chimney intending to return Fred's belt driven workshop to steam which sadly never happened because they couldn't rise enough money for a new boiler to replace the life expired boiler that Fred had used to power his stationary steam engine which powered the workshop

[@eliotreader8220]

I met his wife Shelia many years ago at the Great Dorset steam fair

[@Ukboss1]

I remember this guy

[@shamus804]

I met Fred at the St.Helens show In 1983 he parked he’s steam engine on the bull and dog car park and had a couple of beers with my uncle jimmy why I was stoking the fire what a guy very clever and brave

[@JME-TV]

@@shamus804 great memory!

[@Hasdac]

He'd be livid with the way the country has gone

[@JME-TV]

@@Hasdac he would certainly be shocked

[@tropicalpalmtree]

Legend

[@special.k904]

Such a small grave for a man so big. Quite a shame really. Someone should build Fred a nice chimney where his gravestone lies .

[@JME-TV]

@@special.k904 if you look closely at the writing on his grave they have made a chimney in the style of writing

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

I know that it will probably sound trite but there's a popular saying and it goes like this; It's what he would have wanted. Only "knowing" him from his television appearances, he was admirably self-effacing and I reckon that the least fuss and bother involved, the happier he'd be.

[@christopherbutler7588]

A great engineer

[@JME-TV]

@@christopherbutler7588 he sure was

[@GlenB-qo7wd]

The tv series of Fred riding round uk in his engine in one episode he broke down and need a new part making so he came to Doncaster's Precision Forgings in Sheffield and the made the part for him an he even went for a drink with em afterwards 😂. I worked there for meany yrs One of dads favourite TV shows it was compulsive viewing in our house

[@JME-TV]

brilliant! I wish I got to meet him!

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Great Video. Loved this man. Also visited his grave in Bolton on my Channel

[@JME-TV]

I’ll check it out thanks for your support

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

@@JME-TV your videos 📹 are very good and interesting. Your Channel will fly

[@JME-TV]

@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 just subbed to yours mate ! :)

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

@JME-TV thanks bud 👍 🙏

[@Embracing01]

A few months ago I was flogging a really old drilling machine that was my late fathers that I had no use for. As I was giving it away it didn't take long for someone to take it off me. The chap who came for it seemed like an engineering enthusiast type of person. As we were chatting about my dads interest in engineering I just happened to mention Fred Dibnah, but his reply was "yeah and he was abusive with his drinking". I got the feeling he didn't like him.

[@theculturedthug6609]

Mate Fred was just a normal bloke everything what happens in people's lives the same happened with Fred.

[@Embracing01]

@@theculturedthug6609 Well to be fair at the end of the day noone of us knew Fred or knew his personal life beside what we saw on TV. Maybe the chap I was chatting to was just being bitchy or was just jealous.

[@theculturedthug6609]

@@Embracing01 it's no secret Fred liked a drink and messing around with his engines etc. that kind of lifestyle has led to many divorces etc

[@originalforgery]

His house should have been a heritage centre - however, the labour council of Bolton saw that it wasn't....

[@JME-TV]

@@originalforgery it was for a period of time , however I believe it suffered financially

[@wodens-hitman1552]

I was a furnace man in an iron foundry and loved it until the unions priced us out the market. It's now a housing estate

[@JME-TV]

@@wodens-hitman1552 how times change

[@bazza945]

Fred was spry in jumping aside...

[@sicks6six]

the ironic thing is Fred helped destroy the Britain he and we all loved,

[@JME-TV]

In the most traditional way possible though !

[@user-zr5yj1od5q]

He’d turn in his grave if he could see that state of the country today

[@JME-TV]

@@user-zr5yj1od5q he really would!

[@samuelgarrod8327]

I met him a couple of times, I was disappointed unfortunately. He was very rude and awkward both times.