Fred Dibnah MBE (28 April 1938 – 6 November 2004), born in Bolton, Lancashire, was an English steeplejack, engineer and eccentric who became a television personality, a cult figure^[2] and, latterly, a national institution.^[3] Crop from original source (http://www. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Bolton is a large town in the north-west of England. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The profession of steeplejack is reserved for a general craftsman who is prepared to scale tall buildings and in particular church steeples with the object of carrying out general repairs. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A television presenter is a British term for a celebrity who is best known for introducing or appearing in television programmes. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bolton is a large town in the north-west of England. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... The profession of steeplejack is reserved for a general craftsman who is prepared to scale tall buildings and in particular church steeples with the object of carrying out general repairs. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. ... A cult figure or cult icon is a person who attracts the attention of a small band of aficionados. ...

Biography and career

Fred was the son of Frank and Betsy Dibnah (née Travis).^[1] He first became famous as a result of his profession as a steeplejack; although being a traditional repairer of tall buildings he also earned a reputation for chimney felling—mainly through a TV documentary where he was nearly crushed by a falling mill chimney. Bolton has become famous for the soot and grime produced by the town's multitude of mill chimneys, but the decline of the cotton industry meant that many of the obsolete landmarks had to be demolished as the cost of maintaining them became prohibitive. The profession of steeplejack is reserved for a general craftsman who is prepared to scale tall buildings and in particular church steeples with the object of carrying out general repairs. ... Chimney felling in the old sense is a dying art. ... A chimney is a system for venting hot gases and smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. ... Bolton is a large town in the north-west of England. ... Soot, also called lampblack, Pigment Black 7, carbon black or black carbon, is a dark powdery deposit of unburned fuel residues, usually composed mainly of amorphous carbon, that accumulates in chimneys, automobile mufflers and other surfaces exposed to smoke—especially from the combustion of carbon-rich organic fuels in the... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Having mastered his trade repairing chimneys, Fred became aware of the demand for a cost-effective demolition method and offered to remove them without the need for explosives. His technique was to cut an ingress at the bottom of the chimney, support the brickwork with wooden props and then burn the props so that the chimney fell, hopefully in the intended direction. Alongside his demolition work he also continued to work as a steeplejack. He has always maintained that, although most famous for demolishing chimneys, he much preferred to repair and preserve them. Preparing C-4 explosive This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ...

At the age of 40 he came into the public eye when the BBC broadcast a short news item about his work on Bolton Town Hall. His warm, earthy manner combined with his endless enthusiasm and broad Bolton accent endeared him to viewers,^[4] and the BBC made a one hour documentary, Fred Dibnah—Steeplejack, the following year. This featured Fred at work, both repairing and demolishing chimneys. Much of it was taken up by his monologue while climbing chimneys and spires, but the highlight was his demolition of a tall brick chimney, his running from the collapse, and his boyish glee at the spectacle. The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ...

Fred died on 6 November 2004, following a three-year battle with cancer. Thousands of people lined the streets of Bolton on the day of his funeral as his coffin was taken through the town on the back of his favourite traction engine, driven by his son, with his steamroller, Betsy, following. November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... It has been suggested that Steam tractor be merged into this article or section. ...

TV presenter

Fred Dibnah visits the Great Central Railway works at Loughborough, as part of his final televised tour of Britain's industrial heritage.

Fred Dibnah's rough-hewn Lancastrian manner (and his ever-present flat cap) belied his gentle, self-taught philosophical outlook.^[1] He went on to write and present a number of series, largely concerned with the Industrial Revolution and its mechanical and architectural legacy. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... It has been suggested that Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre be merged into this article or section. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Rear view of a flat cap A flat cap (see alternate names below) is a rounded soft mens cap with a small brim in front and a somewhat stiff peak in the back. ... A Watt steam engine. ...

Steam enthusiast

Fred was also an enthusiastic steam fan and had his own Aveling & Porter traction engine built in 1912 and an Aveling & Porter Steam Roller "Betsy", (Reg No: DM3079), built in 1910. This engine was initially named "Allison" after his first wife, but after the breakdown of his marriage, he renamed the engine "Betsy" after his mother. Aveling & Porter engine Margaret Thomas Aveling and Richard Thomas Porter entered into partnership in 1862, developed a steam engine 1865 three years later, and produced more of the machines than all the other British manufacturers combined. ... It has been suggested that Steam tractor be merged into this article or section. ... Aveling & Porter engine Margaret Thomas Aveling and Richard Thomas Porter entered into partnership in 1862, developed a steam engine 1865 three years later, and produced more of the machines than all the other British manufacturers combined. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Traction engine. ...

He also maintained a fully steam-powered workshop in his back yard utilising old machines and tools otherwise destined for the scrapheap. On one occasion he remarked he always had steam up in his garden.

His love of steam also gave foundation to his fond nickname of Swampy^{[citation needed]} (not to be confused with the eco-warrior). Swampy (real name Daniel Hooper) is a British environmental protester, or eco-warrior. ...

Mining

In 2002, Fred began to dig a replica coal mine in the back garden of his Grade II listed house in Bolton. He had already assembled the wooden pithead gear, and was planning to sink a 70-100 ft shaft below this into the hillside. At the bottom of the shaft, a horizontal tunnel would lead out to the steep side of the valley above which his garden sits. The aim was to have a narrow gauge railway running along the tunnel, back up the hillside on a rope-hauled inclined plane, returning to the pithead. The ultimate aim was to be able to demonstrate the basic working of an early colliery. Surface coal mining in Wyoming. ... Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ... The Metropolitan borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. ... The inclined plane is one of the classical simple machines; as the name suggests, it is a flat surface whose endpoints are at different heights. ...

Using traditional shaft-sinking techniques and the labour of mining friends, Alf Molyneux and Jimmy Crooks, the pit was constructed in the style of an 1870s colliery and its shaft was sunk to a depth of 20 feet. However, in 2004 the local council turned down Fred's planning application, and work on the project had to cease.

The adventure was filmed for a BBC documentary Dig with Dibnah,^[5] first shown on 8 January 2004. The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Awards and honours

Fred was awarded an MBE in the 2004 New Year's honours list. In Summer 2000 he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Technology for his achievement in engineering by Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.^[6] He was awarded an honorary Doctor of the University by the University of Birmingham on 19 July 2004.^[7] The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... An honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum, not to be confused with an honors degree) is an academic degree awarded to an individual as a decoration, rather than as the result of matriculating and studying for several years. ... The Doctor of Technology (D.Tech. ... The Robert Gordon University (often known as RGU) is a modern University located in Aberdeen, Scotland, with an emphasis on providing high quality higher education and research from undergraduate to doctorate level. ... Aberdeen (IPA: ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is Scotlands third largest city with a population of 202,370. ... Website http://www. ... July 19 is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Filmography

See Fred Dibnah at the Internet Movie Database The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

• Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (2006)
• Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (2005)
• Dig with Dibnah (2004)
• Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam (2003)
• Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (2002)
• Fred Dibnah's Magnificent Monuments (2000)
• Fred Dibnah's Industrial Age (1999)
• The Fred Dibnah Story (1986)
• Fred Dibnah: Steeplejack (1979)

Quotes

• "Did yer like that!?"
• " Mmmm. Aye. Oh aye. Y'know?"
• "A man who says he feels no fear is either a fool or a liar."
• "I realise that steam engines aren't everyone's cup of tea. But they're what made England great."
• "The modern world stinks."
• "We've become a nation of con men, living by selling double glazing to each other."
• "Steam engines don't answer back. You can belt them with a hammer and they say nowt."
• "I set out as a steeplejack in my youth to preserve chimneys. I've finished by knocking most of them down."
• "Height gives you a wonderful feeling of grandeur. You're the king of the castle up here."
• "I have a wash more now than I used to y'know... I have a shower everynight."
• "I'm just a bum who climbs chimneys."
• "Anybody who destroys anything made of stone should be prosecuted. It is not all beautiful, but it took a man all day to make one stone."
• "Steeplejacking's a bit of a spasmodic job, so you can play with your steam engine instead. It's a bit like being very rich."
• "If you make one mistake, it's half a day out with the undertaker."
• "It's a funny thing this celebrity. If you don't wave back you're a miserable bugger, if you do wave back you're a big-headed bugger. I don't know."
• "The thing is nowadays, you'll have 20 men working, yet 60 men telling them 'You can't do that, you ain't got a tin hat on'".
• "Teaching boys to bake cakes? That's no way to maintain an industrial empire."
• "By 'eck it were grand."
• "Them fancy London types don't know the pleasure of eating chips with fingers"
• "That's Bolton's biggest chimney that... and I climbed it for a ten bob wager. Never did get the ten bob though."
• Fred also previously received two honorary doctorates ..... They were both given by the relevant engineering faculties, but Fred always told people that they were for "back street mechanicing".
• "I've never fell off a big chimney. You'd only fall off one of them once."

References

External links

• Sheila Dibnah talks about Fred
• The Fred Dibnah Memorial Site
• Fred Dibnah's website
• Fred Dibnah on CultIdols.com
• The Fred Dibnah Fanclub - Lots of biographical detail, audio clips of Fred talking about his life, and photos
• A brief biography of Fred Dibnah
• Meet the original reality TV star (The Westmorland Gazette)
• Fred Dibnah - Some Personal photographic memories.
• Fred Dibnah Tribute site with many pictures
• Bolton Evening News tribute
• Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (BBC History TV Series)
• TV's Fred Dibnah loses cancer battle (BBC News)
• Fred Dibnah Obituary (BBC News)
• Fred Dibnah's Obituary in The Times - probably his most biographically informative obituary on the web
• Fred Dibnah Obituary: Steeplejack who became a television celebrity (The Guardian)
• Obituary: Steeplejack Fred Dibnah dies, aged 66 (The Telegraph)