i met fred on numerous occasions and never once was i bored , he could relate to whatever subject you could talk about obviously machines and victoriana etc , but one moment comes to mind at hollowell steam fair in the mid 1995 , it was a blistering hot day and the queue was miles long to chat and give autographs from him even in that heat he wore his famous cap and never once got ruffled in the heat and spent all day talking to peeps spending time with his public , truly an exceptional man and a complete recycled victorian , I went to his home in bolton allso but sadly by this time fred had passed away , he is buried in tong fold cemetary in bolton with a very simple grave with a pair of old boots on it and of course his famous cap, has anyone else any recollections of this interesting guy .
steve x
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fred dibnah a man of our time or a recycled victorian
David ended up going to his house and meeting him - he thinks the same as you travelman, bluddy brilliant bloke.
He must've had bluddy nice neighbours tho, cos aparently his back garden was set up with allsorts of steam stuff, both working and not working and none of it particularly small, or camoflaged as a bush, or anything
Not exactly the sedate stereotypical 'English Country Garden' by all accounts :?
We also have to watch all the reruns of his programs too
............ over and over again :roll:
He must've had bluddy nice neighbours tho, cos aparently his back garden was set up with allsorts of steam stuff, both working and not working and none of it particularly small, or camoflaged as a bush, or anything
Not exactly the sedate stereotypical 'English Country Garden' by all accounts :?We also have to watch all the reruns of his programs too
............ over and over again :roll: 
Sex God
Can't help but think that Fred would have made a better Prime Minister than any of the recent / current incumbants / wanabees.
Great guy, wish I'd been able to meet and talk to him.
John
Great guy, wish I'd been able to meet and talk to him.
John
Sex God
Simply a legend.
Used to love watching his TV programmes with my Dad, as do my siblings and all my nieces and nephews. Gone but not forgotten in our family.
Was the highlight of one holiday for my 13 year-old nephew to realise the hired cottage they were staying in had a selection of Fred dvds. Simple pleasures!
Used to love watching his TV programmes with my Dad, as do my siblings and all my nieces and nephews. Gone but not forgotten in our family.
Was the highlight of one holiday for my 13 year-old nephew to realise the hired cottage they were staying in had a selection of Fred dvds. Simple pleasures!
I thought that he was born a hundred years too late.
It was amazing that he could turn his hand to so many different skills. What impressed me was his drawings, a world away from working with huge pieces of machinery.
It is good that he kept those old skills alive and has hopefully inspired the next generation. With oil and gas possibly in short supply, we might yet need people who can operate steam engines.
It was amazing that he could turn his hand to so many different skills. What impressed me was his drawings, a world away from working with huge pieces of machinery.
It is good that he kept those old skills alive and has hopefully inspired the next generation. With oil and gas possibly in short supply, we might yet need people who can operate steam engines.
Sex God
Quote by Biguy1955
I thought that he was born a hundred years too late.
It was amazing that he could turn his hand to so many different skills. What impressed me was his drawings, a world away from working with huge pieces of machinery.
It is good that he kept those old skills alive and has hopefully inspired the next generation. With oil and gas possibly in short supply, we might yet need people who can operate steam engines.
Totally agree, especially the bit in bold. They are works of art - anyone know if they are available?
And I would stand up against anyone who claims that engineering is boring/ugly/artless.
(Ok I'm biased cos I is one - but I still reckon I'm right LOL)
Quote by foxylady2209
I thought that he was born a hundred years too late.
It was amazing that he could turn his hand to so many different skills. What impressed me was his drawings, a world away from working with huge pieces of machinery.
It is good that he kept those old skills alive and has hopefully inspired the next generation. With oil and gas possibly in short supply, we might yet need people who can operate steam engines.
Totally agree, especially the bit in bold. They are works of art - anyone know if they are available?
And I would stand up against anyone who claims that engineering is boring/ugly/artless.
(Ok I'm biased cos I is one - but I still reckon I'm right LOL)
I must admit i did find his drawings very interesting and sometimes done free hand :shock:
I have an autograph from him on a postcard written in front of me in very special writing the word escapes me
but it was written in circles and loops and oh so impresive .
The one downside of when fred died is that his third wife saw fit to sell a lot of " dibnalia " on e bay , I bid on a chaise longue owned by the great man but it went for silly money due to the connection with fred.
but why sell of momentoes of such a loved and cherished person...................................
and I wonder what ever happend to his beloved steam traction engine ??????? I know fred had a connection with a museum in the north called " wetheriggs" but where that is I do not know ? maybe its there.
did you like that /
steve x ( a new word for a fred dibnah fan a dibnalian)
been told one of the channels doing a re run again on his series......thanks sue xx
steve x
Quote by foxylady2209
Totally agree, especially the bit in bold. They are works of art - anyone know if they are available?
And I would stand up against anyone who claims that engineering is boring/ugly/artless.
(Ok I'm biased cos I is one - but I still reckon I'm right LOL)
Some of them are in "Fred Dibnah's Buildings of Britain" by David Hall, published by Bantam Press, ISBN 9-3.
Good biik, can't help hear his voice in your head when reading the quotes,lol. Hope this helps.
Quote by travlinmanukok
I thought that he was born a hundred years too late.
It was amazing that he could turn his hand to so many different skills. What impressed me was his drawings, a world away from working with huge pieces of machinery.
It is good that he kept those old skills alive and has hopefully inspired the next generation. With oil and gas possibly in short supply, we might yet need people who can operate steam engines.
Totally agree, especially the bit in bold. They are works of art - anyone know if they are available?
And I would stand up against anyone who claims that engineering is boring/ugly/artless.
(Ok I'm biased cos I is one - but I still reckon I'm right LOL)
I must admit i did find his drawings very interesting and sometimes done free hand :shock:
I have an autograph from him on a postcard written in front of me in very special writing the word escapes me
but it was written in circles and loops and oh so impresive .
The one downside of when fred died is that his third wife saw fit to sell a lot of " dibnalia " on e bay , I bid on a chaise longue owned by the great man but it went for silly money due to the connection with fred.
but why sell of momentoes of such a loved and cherished person...................................
and I wonder what ever happend to his beloved steam traction engine ??????? I know fred had a connection with a museum in the north called " wetheriggs" but where that is I do not know ? maybe its there.
did you like that /
steve x ( a new word for a fred dibnah fan a dibnalian)
been told one of the channels doing a re run again on his series......thanks sue xx
steve x
am a Dibnalian, absolutely 
. I doubt there is an episode that has escaped me, and I’ll happily watch all the re runs. I have no particular interest in steam, nor cast iron Victoriana, but whilst Fred was very much about that, he was also so much more wasn’t he? I guess for me, it was his sheer enthusiasm that was so compelling to watch, and I have a much greater appreciation of historical architecture etc as a result of his programmes.
I could never be like Fred, but I knew a old guy that was very much of Fred’s “ilk”. He was in his 70’s when I met him, and he had spent much of his life in the building trade. My brother was having an extension built, and he needed a section of garden wall restoring to its former glory. He called in “the old fella” who had quite a reputation as being a tradesman of the “old school”.
He arrived at 8am one morning with his wooden tools wrapped in a canvas bag, and wearing a suit! :shock: He did a fantastic job of the wall, but what I remember about him most was this.
Spotting my brother and I on out hands and knees, peering into a void, he walked over and enquired as to what our dilemma was? “Its this drain mate. The builder asked us to make sure it wasn’t leaking through the joint, but how the hell can you tell?” I asked. He lit his pipe, and casually flicked the match over my shoulder and into the water below 
. I thought to myself “Yeah, just use it as a bin mate. Not very bloody helpful!” . He then said “That’s not leaking bewty” I paused, wondering how the hell he could gauge that little fact from where he was standing! He then added, “If that was a leakin, then that there owd match would be slowly turning by now” :idea:
Two days later, I was given the task of breaking some bricks away from an old foundation. With beads of sweat running down my face, I was getting rather frustrated. The “old fella” ambled over and told me I was hitting it in the wrong place. I was getting a little stroppy by now, and stubbornly continued hitting it blindly, proving it wasn’t going to relent to any amount of brawn. He asked for the sledge hammer, which I handed to him with some reservations regarding his health. He then asked me to clear some earth from around a particular spot, which I gave the brickwork one sharp hit and the entire section of wall fell into the trench! :shock:
ops:
Admittedly, a big factor was my own inherent dumbness and ineptitude, but it was a pleasure and an education to be humbled by such a character
. When forum questions such as “If you was having a dinner party, who would your top ten guests be?” arise, then were Fred still alive today, he would top my list!
. I doubt there is an episode that has escaped me, and I’ll happily watch all the re runs. I have no particular interest in steam, nor cast iron Victoriana, but whilst Fred was very much about that, he was also so much more wasn’t he? I guess for me, it was his sheer enthusiasm that was so compelling to watch, and I have a much greater appreciation of historical architecture etc as a result of his programmes.I could never be like Fred, but I knew a old guy that was very much of Fred’s “ilk”. He was in his 70’s when I met him, and he had spent much of his life in the building trade. My brother was having an extension built, and he needed a section of garden wall restoring to its former glory. He called in “the old fella” who had quite a reputation as being a tradesman of the “old school”.
He arrived at 8am one morning with his wooden tools wrapped in a canvas bag, and wearing a suit! :shock: He did a fantastic job of the wall, but what I remember about him most was this.
Spotting my brother and I on out hands and knees, peering into a void, he walked over and enquired as to what our dilemma was?
“Its this drain mate. The builder asked us to make sure it wasn’t leaking through the joint, but how the hell can you tell?” I asked. He lit his pipe, and casually flicked the match over my shoulder and into the water below . I thought to myself “Yeah, just use it as a bin mate. Not very bloody helpful!” . He then said “That’s not leaking bewty” I paused, wondering how the hell he could gauge that little fact from where he was standing! He then added, “If that was a leakin, then that there owd match would be slowly turning by now” :idea: Two days later, I was given the task of breaking some bricks away from an old foundation. With beads of sweat running down my face, I was getting rather frustrated. The “old fella” ambled over and told me I was hitting it in the wrong place. I was getting a little stroppy by now, and stubbornly continued hitting it blindly, proving it wasn’t going to relent to any amount of brawn. He asked for the sledge hammer, which I handed to him with some reservations regarding his health. He then asked me to clear some earth from around a particular spot, which I gave the brickwork one sharp hit and the entire section of wall fell into the trench! :shock:
ops: Admittedly, a big factor was my own inherent dumbness and ineptitude, but it was a pleasure and an education to be humbled by such a character
. When forum questions such as “If you was having a dinner party, who would your top ten guests be?” arise, then were Fred still alive today, he would top my list! Quote by dirtydoggers
am a Dibnalian, absolutely
I could never be like Fred, but I knew a old guy that was very much of Fred’s “ilk”. He was in his 70’s when I met him, and he had spent much of his life in the building trade. My brother was having an extension built, and he needed a section of garden wall restoring to its former glory. He called in “the old fella” who had quite a reputation as being a tradesman of the “old school”.
He arrived at 8am one morning with his wooden tools wrapped in a canvas bag, and wearing a suit! :shock: He did a fantastic job of the wall, but what I remember about him most was this.
Spotting my brother and I on out hands and knees, peering into a void, he walked over and enquired as to what our dilemma was?
Two days later, I was given the task of breaking some bricks away from an old foundation. With beads of sweat running down my face, I was getting rather frustrated. The “old fella” ambled over and told me I was hitting it in the wrong place. I was getting a little stroppy by now, and stubbornly continued hitting it blindly, proving it wasn’t going to relent to any amount of brawn. He asked for the sledge hammer, which I handed to him with some reservations regarding his health. He then asked me to clear some earth from around a particular spot, which I gave the brickwork one sharp hit and the entire section of wall fell into the trench! :shock:
Admittedly, a big factor was my own inherent dumbness and ineptitude, but it was a pleasure and an education to be humbled by such a character
I really enjoyed reading you story dirty d ....thanks for that xx
flat caps still rock
:D :D :D :D :D steve x