LEGEND!!! American Construction Worker Reacts "Fred Dibnah - How To Erect A Chimney Scaffold"

[@birch290]

Fred Dibnah taught Chuck Norris everything he knew

[@davechapman5815]

Fred Dibnah forgot more before his cigarette burned out, than Chuck Norris EVER knew.

[@garethlipyeart6520]

CEPT FRED DIDNT WHERE A HAIRPIECE

[@shushup6557]

😄

[@garethlipyeart6520]

@@shushup6557 men with wigs nothing worse imho,fred wore a flat cap

[@Jgf802]

Who the bugger is Chuck Norris ?

[@richardwaters4795]

Fred was a legend in England. We won't see the likes of him again.

[@DUNFERMLINEBOY1]

On the day of his funeral the whole of his hometown of Bolton came to a standstill

[@Mark_Bickerton]

In 1979 we only had 3 TV channels, so pretty much EVERYONE in the country saw him and had the same reaction you guys have had. This is how he became a household name. His character and passion for the industrial era is how he became embedded in the British psyche.

[@markjones127]

I remember as kids (I was born in 1970) we'd talk about Fred in the playground like he as some kind of rock and roll star, as you say everyone watched him, a genuine legend.

[@hondacrxxx]

Was watching him today on UK tv 🤣 - channel called ‘yesterday’ if you’re interested

[@marvinc9994]

"embedded in the British psyche." And the British psyche is all the richer for it !

[@MrROTD]

Late 80s Canada I had only three channels off the air, there was very little to enjoy but the best stuff was from BBC, so sad how they have fallen.

[@knalwortel]

I have in 2023 10.000 channels, and there is nothing on TV 🤣 only sports and porn

[@bryanv1681]

Don't forget. That bosun chair (the plank) he's sitting on, was also a common piece of equipment used when carving out Mount Rushmore.

[@grantstephens2555]

He doesn't always fell the chimney. Sometimes it's just repair work. Absolute legend. No way I'd be going up there. My legs go to jelly just watching. Great video.

[@martindunstan8043]

😂😂Me too, getting giddy sat on the sofa😲👍

[@neilsun2521]

I feel the blood rush to my feet when I get a glimpse of the ground from the height he's at, especially when he's perched on a plank of wood casually swingin'.

[@tikaanipippin]

I'm 71, and over the past 3 months have managed to get onto my roof to put protection from pigeons around my solar panels that were installed 8 months ago. I'm not scared of heights, but I just don't fancy falling from ~25 feet onto the ground below. If I survived the fall, my daughter would give me hell. Fred Dibnah was an amazing character, but preceding him there were gangs of bricklayers who built these amazing structures with only trowels and spirit levels, and towering levels of skill and dedication to their craftsmanship.

[@thegroovetube3247]

He's not demolishing it - he's repairing it.

[@jackdeith5097]

Dibnah the man himself every scaffolder and steeplejack in the country knows freddie hes like a folk hero among acess stage and rigging people across the board

[@darrenreslis594]

He's a hero to all 'dirty hands' engineers mate, the two engineers names you hear all the time on site are Heath Robinson for someone that has made something that looks a bit shoddy but 100% works and Fred Dibnah for anyone that has managed to get to what appears to be an impossibly dangerous place with absolute ease without breaking a sweat, I've heard 16 year old apprentices that were born years after he died say "He was up that like Fred Dibnah".

[@Ozzpot]

I feel the icy hand of death on my shoulder when I'm 15 feet up a tree. It's mind-boggling that Fred, or anyone did this kind of thing. He truly was one of the last and greatest examples of a character now seemingly lost; one of stoicism, valour, work ethic, and humility, with a healthy dose of gallows humour on top. What a legend.

[@thomasskinner2259]

i worked in demolition 4 20 years if u tried doing that today you would get the jail lol

[@nigethesassenach3614]

Well said Tony. He’s a missed man, may he rest in peace.

[@Charliebhoy79]

I'm a Steel Erector by trade, loved my job back in the day when you could work on the open steelwork, proper erecting. Cherry pickers and safety overkill ruined the job. I've worked on 4, 5 hundred feet skyscrapers, stadiums, airports, some of the biggest jobs in the UK. There's no feeling like working up there on a nice day. We used to joke that we weren't scared of falling, it was the sudden stop at the bottom that got you lol

[@stephenbrough8132]

Did you not live in fear of a huge gust of wind pushing you off? That's what I can never wrap my head around. You have my admiration too.

[@dogdog9857]

iv been in constuction for 45 years and iv always thought the same heights dont hurt you hitting the ground does ...sometimes iv been sat on a building 4-5 hundred feet up having your break looking out at the view knowing sometimes no one will ever see that again ..building free standing lift shafts you can feel the sway of it the higher you go....stay safe mate

[@Charliebhoy79]

@@stephenbrough8132 No, we only lived in fear of bad crane drivers lol

[@theinvisibleneonrainbowzeb2567]

I always find it so strange in life, how absurd/bizarre/random it all is, like when you have people who fall from insane heights and effectively walk away, yeah maybe some minor cuts and bruises but nothing major, and then you hear about other people who fall off the bottom step, or step off a kerb at a bad angle or whatever and fall, bash their head or neck in the wrong place and they're gone.

[@simonatkinson6389]

I can testify that the sudden stop at the bottom is effective and I only fell 10 feet!!

[@PDR-wb9dq]

I am from Greater Manchester in the UK, and there were hundreds of chimneys in the skyline when I was a young boy in the early 70s, now you can count on one hand how many chimneys are left and Fred probably took down most of them, he was a great man and I had the pleasure of meeting him once, hand shake like a vice, cigarette in his mouth and dirty hands, we talked for ages about his Steam Tractor engine, engineering, and cars, and never once was in a hurry to move on and try to get rid of me, I will never forget that day it was a pleasure to meet the man I saw on the telly as I was growing up, he was a true hero of mine and a very brave man, I couldn't have done his job for all the money in the world. A great fella RIP Fred.

[@hermes667]

He took down 90.

[@stephenrice4554]

He commanded respect just for being Fred

[@chrisparti]

I'm loving the Fred Dibnah reactions guys. You've not seen him drop a chimney yet, I can't wait to see Daniel's face when he see's his technique, no explosives, and he always drops them straight where they need to go... Fred Dibnah doesn't do press ups, he pushes the Earth down... 😅😅

[@SingleTrack66]

This. Well worth a watch if I remember rightly.

[@tonycasey3183]

My Dad was a coal miner. A friend of his used to repair and maintain the cages (the lifts/elevators) and the shaft walls. He decided, after many years that he wanted a safer job and applied to work as a steeplejack - I think it was for a firm that erected cranes - and at the interview they asked: "what's the greatest height you have worked at?" He replied: "three thousand feet down a hole!" Some people are just made different. As an aside, my Dad was once knocked over the edge of an open mine shaft by a piece of broken machinery. It broke and cut a hole in his lower leg, but he managed to hold onto a metal bar and avoid falling a quarter of a mile to the bottom of the mine. He was back at work within six weeks whereas I would never have gone back there EVER again.

[@nrw34260]

Love your appreciation of a British legend.

[@garethlipyeart6520]

he was a true english legend,no fear rip fred xx

[@chelseacharger]

I was a window cleaner who often worked on tower blocks. I was always okay with heights from a young age. You trust your equipment and judgement. As Fred says, it was wind that would cause some nerves and particularly when it was gusty. But as Daniel notes, we often are in awe of Fred's work ethic and calmness in hazardous situations but this guy was quite clearly also immensely strong. He'd have to be, just to extend those lengths of timber and steel rods across those gaps without having his feet planted and dealing with wind too !! Not all heroes wear capes. They can wear caps too.

[@waynenaki7796]

What an absolute legend. RIP. Fred.

[@markpalmer7215]

Fred was a very clever man, his documentary series were also excellent. In this video he’s not felling this chimney he is repairing it.

[@sandwormgod4771]

I was at a function where there was a guest speaker. Looking at the top table nobody could see a familiar face. Come the time, up stood Fred, as soon as he opened his mouth and said his first world the room erupted with cheers and applause. Ans what a speech. Anecdotal but funny and informative. What a man he was.

[@LottyRaynerRedman]

My Great-Grandad was a steeplejack. There's a church down the road from me, and he fell off of the roof. He smashed his feet and lower legs and had to wear special reinforced boots with splints for the rest of his life. How he lived amazes me because the church is huge. Watching Fred Dibnah gives me shivers - but I still watch.

[@martinotoole4097]

The man was a prince. How proud you must be of a relative like him. And you have his blood so you must be formidable yourself! Kind regards Martin.

[@charlesmarshall8046]

He wasn’t demolishing this one, he was repairing it. There’s a whole bbc series featuring Fred and his steam engines that you can find on KZbin, you’d like them. He was one of the last of his kind.

[@nicklovell5872]

I love how you guys have taken Fred Dibnah to your hearts and to an audience that might never have heard of him! He had this effect on everyone. He was a pure, 100% legend.

[@russcheetham4046]

The man's a legend Fred Dibnah many a series on TV for 40 years going around the country showing all old buildings, engineering, coal pits,the man new everything 👏

[@alansmith1989]

There is another video where he climbs a truly Colossal Chimney. It is 300 foot plus in height and has two jutting ledges in where Fred has to navigate by ladders and it is truly nerve wrenching. I think its Titled "Fred Dibnah Climbs a Overhang" . So, if you think the chimneys he has climbed in the videos you have watched are something; the Chimney in that video will just amaze you!!

[@Heaven-dy9lj]

Yeah that Fred overhang vid is insane. Turns my stomach watching it!

[@JM-dm3qk]

It sounds like you are talking about the one he did in Darwen, Lancashire, (NW England), its India Mills and is listed now. It's on the outskirts of Blackburn which neighbours Bolton, where Fred Dibnah was from. We had a lot of cotton mills here in Lancashire so plenty of chimneys for steeplejacks like Fred to work on. Though most of the mills have gone now and there was only ever one Fred Dibnah.

[@RobG001]

That clip is the most terrifying thing I've seen, It is truly jaw dropping, make me feel queasy every time I see it, and to think he does that maybe a few times a day, for months at a time, He really was utterly fearless.

[@andyward8336]

If I remember right he was doing repairs on that chimney. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to meet him at the mill my uncle worked at , he was doing repairs on that chimney as well . This was in the early 70s before he was on TV, my uncle needed to go into work for an hour on a Saturday so he took me . He was just on his way down the chimney when we arrived so my uncle introduced me to him .

[@flashgordon1262]

Britisher here ,we all loved fred back in the day ,turned at at my village one year on carnival day on a steam engine..legend!

[@rogerdarbyshire5664]

When I was a child, my bedroom window looked out over Bolton, Leigh, and North west Manchester. It was a forest of mill chimneys, and over time, their numbers grew fewer and fewer. I was back there a month ago, and only a handful remain. Fred took down quite a few of them. I never met him, but I heard from others that his handshake and grip strength were incredible- no surprises there then. A lot of these chimneys were demolished brick by brick, because the mill buildings below them were still in use, or were repurposed. Also, a lot of housing was very close to the mills- the old workers cottages. The whole mill culture had it's own quirks. My mother remebers being astounded when she came to that area as to how many people could lip-read- the only way to converse among the deafening mill machinery.

[@primalengland]

I’m 68 and from Leigh. We used to go to watch Fred drop the local chimneys. He had an actual pit head gear and mineshaft in his back garden in Bolton. What a guy. He also used to hold all the traffic up with his steam engine.

[@justluke9166]

The lip-reading thing is where the Lancashire accent came from as the vowels are extended when you try to mouth something over loud noise.

[@sukottora]

@@justluke9166 Wow! Really? What an amazing fact.

[@Greenwood4727]

@@sukottora Plus also the "sign" language for a cup of tea , and others we still use today. the noise made it so hard so speak you had to

[@catherineparr5489]

You have to understand that much of Fred's work ,repairing/ taking down structures, took place in very built-up places . This work took great skill so that residential/ industrial area's were subjected to the least impact. Sadly a lost skill today . He is a legend ❤

[@DruncanUK]

I used to use a bosun's chair when working on the North Sea oil rigs. It's amazing how quickly you get used to it - it's either trust your equipment or give up and go home!

[@simonatkinson6389]

This Man is way beyond a Legend!! He's basically sitting on a 2 foot length of an 18 inch wide plank, suspended on a length of rope HUNDREDS of feet off the ground!!! He'll be casually swinging around with a cigarette in the corner of his mouth humming a tune to himself as he does it!!

[@harropharry]

Fred's philosophy was that if you fall more than 40 feet all you will get is a half day out with the undertaker.

[@garethbattersby]

Fred Dibnah was not only a legend around where he lived in the North West of England, you would see him in his steam engine quite regularly, you would wave like it was your uncle Fred and he always spoke to you and responded like he'd known you for years. This respect for Fred spread across all social classes and jobs. There was a full series where he goes to other historical places giving the viewers history and engineering lessons. One stand out episode was Fred in London at this new major bank company HQ, he appreciated the modern engineering overcoming problems etc but there was one room in this modern building where they moved a whole 18th century room and put it inside this modern building and there was this banking executive in his expensive suit showing friend around with Fred wearing his usual get up... but you could tell there was respect for his knowledge despite the completely different backgrounds

[@lloydcollins6337]

I think that was Lloyd's of London - the insurance market. They moved their committee room into their new buildings in the late 80s/earpy 90s.

[@Smithjones12]

His programmes are still repeated on TV now

[@Atacama87103]

Fred was a really intelligent man and that’s probably what kept him safe throughout his working life. I work construction too and some of the people I’ve worked with could have all the safety regulations in the world and still cause an accident. I’ve always said that instead of just having random drugs testing in construction they should have random IQ testing 😅.

[@mickpearson6184]

I've no doubt Fred's IQ would have been very high probably genius level

[@simonfisher836]

This is true in all walks of life. Scary

[@darrenreslis594]

@@mickpearson6184 Without a doubt. The natural mathematical, spatial awareness, mechanical and engineering skills that Fred seems to have been born with and then hugely improved on would pretty much ace him on most IQ, and certainly the Mensa IQ, tests. The man was and is a bona fide legend.

[@charlesatkinson9184]

Another brilliant reaction lads. Fred was a man born out of his time. His love of 19th century engineering and construction is legendary. Before he died he drove his steam traction engine, with period correct caravan all around Britain. Culminating at Buckingham Palace to collect an award from the Queen. You need to see fred bring down a chimney, lumberjack style.

[@MarkMagwyr]

I think Fred was installing this scaffold to enable him carrying out repairs / repointing to the brickwork. This wasn’t to demolish it. Worth checking out one of his demolition vids where he fells it by burning his temporary timber supports. It’s crazy but it worked

[@blazingsaddle166]

Fred Dibnah has legendary status here in the UK. He was a fearless steeplejack with steel balls the size of the Titanic. He had massive knowledge of steam engines and victorian engineering, hosting his own show on the BBC about the industrial revolution. Old school as they come. I doubt we will ever see his like again.

[@comedywriter8408]

First of all, I loved your commentary. It's amazing, that years after Fred's passing, new generations from all over the world have the pleasure of watching what this man did to make a living. It was a compelling watch, back then when I first saw him in the 70's, and it's still as compelling today. He is an absolute legend, and I'm sure that sentiment is shared by all of us. I am just completely humbled and overwhelmed by what he did. Fred was a humble man, and therein lies his greatness (apart from his incredible bravery and skill).

[@Korrihor]

As several other people have said, this is a repair job, not a demolition. To give you an idea of Fred's skillset, once he has that scaffolding built, he is going to start the real job where he becomes a bricklayer/Stonemason and repairs the aging brickwork, replacing and reseating loose bricks. Or maybe a blacksmith, fitting and fastening iron retention bands around the brickwork, or installing or repairing lightning rods to ground the chimney against lightning strikes. Everything you have seen him do is the pipework just to do the job. He doesn't build it and then let the other tradesmen come up and do the work while standing on his scaffolding, he'll now do all that work himself. If you've ever heard the phrase "building castles in the sky" as an idiom for doing the impossible? That was Fred's job description, literally.

[@andrewmogg591]

I was always impressed by Fred's beautiful artwork and clear narration, a testament to his time at Art College.

[@jen6879]

I got his autograph when I met him & his handwriting is beautiful too.

[@elliotwilliams7421]

When Fred passed his family opened his house and yard up. You could go stay in his house and wander round his yard. Missus old man loved him(old school farmer) so she bought him a weekend at Fred's house

[@pianoboylaker6560]

If you are lucky enough to see one of his videos when he is talking about his engines and bridges, he has a scematic drawing (that he drew) in front of him, you will see some of his handwriting at the top. It is perfect penmanship writing in copperplate style and is absolutely beautiful to see. I watched that video when I was a young man and seeing that handwriting by Fred encouraged me to learn caligraphy myself and now I pen Marriage and Christening invitations for other people. Fred gave me a craft I would never have thought I could do but it has stayed with me for over 50 years. I now teach it to my grandchildren who are in awe of it. Thanks Fred for everything. I'll buy you a pint when I get up there.

[@timaustin2000]

"A wonderful sense of security,..." Only Fred 🤣

[@Frakka475]

Traditional steeple jacks were mostly incredible characters, but Fred was amazing !! (That gives away my age!)

[@arkroyalrifemoonbasealpha6101]

A mate of mine met him once at a steam rally he said he was absolutely no different to the Fred Dibnah steeplejack i think he even had a pint with him mind given Fred`s unquenchable thirst i bet there are many thousands telling the same tale RIP Fred

[@angelawalker8615]

He was one of a kind,he was a millionaire but he acted the same ,he received an MBE in the New years honours list. Nothing fazed this man you got what you saw.

[@SlurpyDave254]

Great vid lads, I met him in the 80's at a Steam convention. Absolutely legend. His son Jack now lives where I live on the Isle of Man. Just like his dad he repairs steam engines, bridges anything that no one else can, cheers lads

[@adrianchell]

The most impressive thing about Fred Dibnah isn't his ability to repeatedly climb 200ft vertical ladders, while smoking and after several beers, it's the fact that he also had to carry up the additional weight of his gigantic pair of brass balls.

[@59jalex]

I've said it before. But Fred had a fantastic talent for drawing. His freehand drawing of straight lines is a thing to behold.

[@sapper713]

Little known fact, Chuck Norris would call Fred for advice 😁

[@trainwatcherwoowoo2391]

Many years ago when he attended a steam rally in my local area that I was helping out at I actually got the privilege of having a couple of beers with him, the rally was over a weekend and on the Saturday evening after the public had gone home he was wandering around the staff camps and socialising with us and he way he was in real life was no different to how he was on TV, with Fred what you see is what you get and no letting his celebrity status go to his head, he was a great guy who is sadly missed by all who knew him

[@michaelpatton7478]

This man had it all and was the No1 in his steeplejack field. His expertise in engineering crafts was awesome, his technical drawings and knowledge of architecture was second to none......There'll never be another

[@jacobisrael-lk8lp]

fred was the bravest man in the world. he had no fear.

[@davidclarke1705]

I studied my degree at Bolton and Fred's house was close by, and having within twenty miles of Bolton all my life, I know some of the mills chimneys that Fred worked on, including some of which my mother, aunts and uncles worked in.

[@neilfoden1411]

Take a look at films of him dropping chimneys , he cuts out most of the bottom of the chimney and props it all up with timber then sets fire to it, And down it comes

[@FrowningIke]

I'm guessing it must have been late 70's or early 80's that Fred went trundling behind our house on his traction engine. My Dad and I (I was a child) went out and had a long conversation with him. He didn't need to stop as he was doing maybe 2mph. My memory was he would have happily chatted all day and if he had we'd have probably only had to walk a mile back home.

[@tonysparks2392]

Do the climbing a overhang. Talk about vertigo 😱

[@Stevensteven1098]

Fred did two years army service, He was in the cookhouse, From Cooking, To Steeplejack!

[@davidfuters7152]

The planks would fly away in the wind not drop vertically, you would not know where it would land it could be 1/2 mile away I used to be what we call a Site Manager here in the UK ( the on site boss basically ) I was asked by me tower crane driver to go up in the cab with him , that was fun , no lift just a ladder in a round cage 200ft up and his ‘office ‘ didn’t go from left to right it rotates in the wind , it made me feel quite sea sick it was a really weird feeling He told me when he helped build the Severn Bridge ( joins England to Wales ) his cab was so high up if really high winds gusted when the bells in his cab would ring it would sway up to 5 to 10 feet each way a total travel of 10 to 20ft in all directions , sometimes he just had to brace is feet on the metal frame holding the glass to keep himself in his seat Bigger balls than me , bonkers job

[@Isleofskye]

Really interesting David. This Men are a special breed..

[@chrismajor69]

He wasn’t demolishing the chimney , he was putting it up to repair it

[@DM-dg3oi]

I never forget my first time working on rope cradles in the early 80s, and till this day you will never forget that experience of lowering yourself down from the roof with no safty harness into the narrow cradle, when you pull yourself up you basically have your life in your hands.

[@djdeemz7651]

Reading that made my hands feel funny 🤣

[@katharinapeters6710]

fred is a total legend and i am very glad to see him reach a wider audience.

[@glynjones2587]

Fred is from my home town of Bolton. We have a statue in the town centre.

[@davidbirchall832]

Men like Fred built the World 🌎

[@jaws6869]

Correct, but the world seems to think it was Musk and Gates ect.

[@darrenreslis594]

Literally. Without real men with real man balls like Fred had, nothing would be more than 3 floors tall.

[@toptechsys]

ha ha ha! always great to see your reaction to our dear Fred! ;) he's a real national treasure to us here in the u. k. I call him the last victorian! he represents the brilliance,toughness,tenacity and pure genius that enabled the u. k. to kickstart the industrial revolution itself! God bless our Fred ❤

[@XENONEOMORPH1979]

i have watched american actions on this guy and to be honest every time i watch fred doing what he does i still go giddy in the head ,the reason why i watch the man is because there is no other on this earth with his experience who could do what this man has done for most of his life and the details he easily explains that you can fathom and understand still blows my mind.

[@ianwarren3320]

I'm in Bolton. Love how much respect you have for Fred. Met him a couple of times, top man

[@russcheetham4046]

The legend Fred dibnah many series over many years engineering, steam engines, coal mining he new everything old buildings you name it

[@peterwale6821]

The part where you mentioned Fred was like the Marlboro man I couldn't look at the screen, it felt like I was up there with him for a moment.

[@helenbailey8419]

Your comments were very insightful and respectful.

[@FlissFloss2906]

They didn’t just demolish it because he was repairing it. No point erecting a load of scaffolding on the outside it he has to take it down from the top as he’s not at the top of this chimney! I love you for finding Fred Dibnah. Xx

[@mattking5936]

Thanks for reviewing this video. Please keep going with Fred, he will change your life. He's repairing this chimney, not pulling it down.

[@jerryattheolympics1428]

That was a great reaction video guys. What an absolute legend was Fred Dibnah I have never been afraid of heights but I certainly would be terrified to do what he did. the Chuck Norris analogy was priceless!

[@hixyhicks]

Being a hard man doesnt mean you can have a row,being a hardman in the dictionary just says Fred Dibnah .R i p Fred .

[@electronash]

I used to watch Fred Dibnah's series a lot with my Dad in the 80s/90s. I'd never seen anything quite like it back then. This was way before Parkour videos and KZbin. lol Another great series was "The Secret Life Of Machines", but that's a lot nerdier, obviously.

[@jameshumphreys9715]

Fred physical appearance, as well the way he speaks and dress just reminds me of my grandad

[@valeriedonaghy701]

I remember him driving through my town on his steam engine on his way to a local steam rally, he was such a friendly man, always had time to talk to you and let the kids go on his steam engine, he was a local legend, everyone knew who Fred Dibnah was, thanks for doing these reactions, love Daniel's face growing paler, you can see the fear lol. Fred was a different breed

[@ignatiuscheese6807]

I met Fred several times when I was growing up as he was a friend of my Grandfather who worked at a power station with huge chimneys which is how I'm guessing they first met. Fred was always fun and interesting and was happy to make a fuss over little ol' me whenever I saw him. I distinctly remember him giving me a tour of his steam engine too which I now understand was a huge project to get going and a labour of love for him though I didn't know that at the time. Thankfully I didn't have to climb any of those chimneys to see him though. Phew. Different breed was Fred.

[@jacquilewis8203]

I've vertigo just watching him. The clanging of his brass balls must have been heard for miles! Amazing 👏

[@aallan646]

He was one strong man , the upper body strength to guide those boards , he repaired chimneys aswell not all were demolished, at that time. More than likely a repair job.

[@Leehuss5582]

As a kid I would watch my man Fred taking down these massively high chimneys on his own. In the UK he is seen as a LEGEND...

[@stobe187]

the upper-body strength this man had is wild, guiding long steel rods one handed while constantly swinging that massive hammer etc...

[@gwalia2112]

He didn't just go up to bring them down, he went up to inspect and repair. His traction engines were amazing, well not just his, they all are.

[@TheMcdonnell123]

" I don't know what's keeping him from sliding off " A PRAYER 😅😂😂👍

[@freebornjohn2687]

If you enjoyed this take a look at Touching the Void, its about two British climbers in the Andes. The bosun's chair / boatswain's chair was developed by seamen in the days of sail to sit in while they worked on the rigging.

[@stewedfishproductions7959]

I wondered if anyone was going to mention the Bosun's Chair and / or the British Navy (or English Navy, when we were fighting the French and Spanish). Because the sailors would climb the rigging in some of the worst weather at sea, with the ships rolling, waves crashing up and over the decks, plus often at night. The guy up in the Crow's Nest would stay up there for hours on end, having to keep look out. Even now, Bosun's Chairs are used to send men/women over ship-to-ship or for painting the sides of aircraft carriers or destroyers. I remember one interview with Fred when he mentioned us being a nation of sailors and he himself had to learn 'the ropes' (for tying all types of knots etc.).

[@corringhamdepot4434]

The British Pathé KZbin channel has some interesting old black and white cinema newsreel films about steeplejacks. From back when they would have 4 or 5 men swarming all over the same chimney at the same time.

[@markrichardson3421]

I think maybe this was a repair rather than a demolition like the other videos. In the video laddering a chimney wasn't he talking about doing a quote for repair work?

[@JonathanAshworth-mm4jp]

Great to see you guys enjoying watching fred. He was a true Lancashire hero. Should have been knighted in my opinion!⭐✌🤘

[@bobbymimms]

The greatest thrill.from here in Scotland. is watching Spencer flashing the side eyes at Daniel every time our Fred does something wild. Every 23 seconds or so! 😂😂

[@roxammon5858]

Fred, I am afriad, is just another soon-to-be-forgotten hero as our history is being overwritten.

[@AllyB824]

You need to find footage of him bringing down a big chimney in one go. Incredible skill and no explosives used at all. He was some man.

[@dexter6205]

Iam from bolton myself and I have a vivid/awe-inspiring memory of seeing this many years ago first hand...

[@jeffcurtis5980]

Years ago I had carpets fitted by a guy who was an ex royal marine commando. He was very proud of the metal plate in his head which he got on a training climb up a steeple like this. Near the top he slipped through his harness and plummeted to earth where he cracked his skull. All he remembers is immediately standing up and saying "and for my next trick!" then collapsing into a coma and waking up some weeks later with his new metal attachment. Top bloke..

[@dougoneill7266]

Whenever Fred appears on screen. somewhere in the world a Health and Safety officer bursts into flames.

[@carolmillins9199]

This guys feats span the generations. My Dad was in awe of him as well as myself. My children and grand children also enjoy watching his videos.

[@WelshTiger1980]

Can you imagine the grip strength of this man, He could cruch coal into a diamond 👊💪

[@Toukoi]

When you work heights you slowly gain confidenence in your ability to cope with what others would call madness. But this stuff still blows my mind, I would never be able to do that and feel confident, Fred is a legend.

[@georgehaha6969]

I remember watching Fred when I was wee, what a hero. If I remember right, he wasn't demolishing this chimney, he was setting the scaffold to do a repair to the top. This is the guy who revived the British passion for steam power. I don't think he was fearless, he trusted himself and his tools. That is all any trades-person needs... and the skills of a master too. Fred was THE master steeplejack.

[@tago69mago671]

Guy was one in a million with balls of steel and an undying faith in his ability and equipment!

[@mhunter8211]

Fred was a legend, Working in a style that the Victorians used. Big respect to Fred.