Fred Dibnah was an absolute legend. A real character, humble and hugely likeable. Nearly 20 on from his demise, he is still very much missed by many people. I first saw him on the BBC series which ran in 1979, I was eight year old and was fascinated by his steeplejack work. Free climbing 200 feet up ladders- the man had balls of steel!
My Dad was a professional painter and decorator and had a shop on Hindley Green where I was brought up. My Dad used to travel up to that pup and ended up fully decorating it for the landlord in the 90's. Frequently he talked to Fred of whom he once said "could talk the back legs off a donkey." That's no doubt St Stephen's Primary School, I used to meet a few of their staff through N.U.T. meetings when I taught at Hayward School in Bolton. Happy memories and by the way I've got a Fred Dibnah Greenall Whitley beermat from c.1980 which I intend to present to Antiques Roadshow one day. Keep up the good work.
What a guy! I'm glad someone took the time to capture a bit of Fred's life in film. Thanks for sharing. History is being erased all over and it's been that way for decades, just check the historic aerials. However, there's great benefit in doing so these days. And there seems to be a push for us to embrace history and cultures that aren't our own.
Cheers Carl, you're welcome and glad you enjoyed the video. 👍 I've been meaning to do this video for a while now and glad I've managed to document Fred's old pub as it currently stands before the building work gets underway proper and it disappears forever.
@Mr H's Hot Pot I'm up your neck of the woods today at Buckshaw village, passed Bolton on the way. Its a good run from Chesterfield in a jet /vac tanker
Thank you Mr H for yet another helping of Fred. We are just back from a two day tour of Bolton and surrounding areas. The videos you posted helped us put a great itinerary together. We first arrived at the Burnden Pie Shop to sample their delights before walking round to Fred’s mums house to gawp at the chimney.We looked for the dead rat at the rear of the property but it was long gone ! We then parked next to the Town Hall before heading down to the statue. Then we headed past 121 on the way to the Lever Bridge pub. We headed back to 121 for a good look. I touched the nuts that were attached to the metal rods that Fred shoved through the house to keep it standing. Next off,we headed to the cemetery. I posed for photos on the old stone that Fred leaned against in the documentary. We then took the short walk to his grave where I poured a pint of Guinness over the grass on top of Fred. Then walked back up to the river behind Fred’s sheds. Could just picture him firing that arrow towards me! We then headed to Barrow Bridge chimney,that was incredible. We then headed for our dog friendly accommodation quite near to Turton ready for the church visit the next morning. A few pints of Guinness went down well that night in honour of the great man. Next morning,we indeed visited St Annes in Turton. Was unreal to see Fred’s work still blowing in the breeze! Then we headed up to Kirkby Malham to the medieval church and the site of another great works of art created by Fred. We then headed back down to Lincolnshire with smiles on our faces. Thanks again Mr H
Wow! That sounds like a fantasitc two day tour iffhenf, and I'm glad that my videos have helped you to plan out an itineray and easily identify locations related to Fred in and around Bolton. 🙂 I hope to visit and document for my channel the weathercock and lightning conductor fitted by Fred at Kirkby Malham church myself this year. Did you have a pint in 'The Victoria pub' not far from Kirkby Malham church that Fred was filmed in with the vicar and no doubt the Dibnah's all retired to afterwards to wet the baby's head after christening young Jack?
@@MrHsHotPot I wasn't aware of the pub, but I had my photo took next to the font inside the church. Just a little tip for you sir, the heavy wooden church door comes across as being locked when tackled. You just have to pull and push it as you work the latch. Really really old church, definitely worth a look inside, lots of history. Still can't believe I've been to many of the spots where Fred happened to be. I've got to work on an album now as I stood in the exact places as Fred did. I want to do a then and now, much like you did in Tonge Cemetery!
I bought Fred's Autobiography in a charity shop and it was a great read. Watched his programs on RUclips during Lockdown. Sad to think he would have only been 84 today. He looked older than his years facial wise but had the strength of a much younger man.
@thetruth1862 it's a great rabbit hole to go down. A few RUclipsrs do little pilgrimages to his famous sites and his house. If I get the chance I may do one on my own channel.
@@markh8778 as much as I would love to it's a good bit away from me home in the Southern United States, but I have Scottish Irish English heritage so there where many men growing up in the late 70's and 80's that reminds me of dear old Fred
In the 60s we had a rope swing on the bridge in the background. It was extremely high as you can see and only the brave would jump ! When I got into my teens we would frequent the pub and walk back home through Lever Hulme park to Breightmet. I met Fred many times and always enjoyed his company. His old Land Rover was a common sight around Bolton and everyone waved to him as he passed by.
This makes me very sad. So much history and memories destroyed by greedy "developers" Love your work though bud. Really important how you've documented it all, thank you.
Greedy politicians, greedy breweries, greedy power companies its now too expensive to keep going to the pub when prices of everything is so high, I think i heard that there are at least 2 pubs closing down every day, wont be long before they all go. Pubs used to be for social gathering etc now not necessary.
Take it up with Wetherspoons & supermarkets, and country needs houses & flats more than pubs. Try voting differently next time for parties not obsessed with investment, availability, competition and profits over people.
God bless Fred. Pubs are synonymous with work. Hand in hand. Some made by those who would drink in them, some made by those who employed the drinkers. Travel also, with coach houses, hotels, then near railways etc.
I had many trips with Fred on the roller when I was a youngster when he was married to Allison. This is before all those houses were built going up hill next to the pub. Fred had a smashing list of little road runs that we often took around that side of town. One was around I think it is called Rakes Road very near the destructor plant. Via many single track dirt tracks we came out by the side of the pub, exactly where you superimposed Fred. On such trips & visiting the pub, the roller was always parked on the spot where a residents garage now stands, clearly shown in your film next to the pub. The area where all those house now stand was like a bomb site. Rubble, junk & piles of wood. It was part of my job to collect wood for the fire. If the living van was in tow, all was parked in front of the pub. Not the best place for motorists coming round that corner on a dark night !
I've watched everything about Fred what a legend and he was obviously very fond of you in many of his stories started with myseland young webber ..... you must have so many happy memories with him .He maybe dead coming on 20 years but he left a he'll of an impression on so many rip fred
Very true Tom. 👍 It's an old cliché but they don't make them like Fred anymore, a true hard working northerner that called a spade a spade. Sadly missed. ☹
I absolutely loved Fred Dibnah. He was a genius and had some head for heights. He was blessed with a very strong pair of hands and he put them to good use. Many thanks for sharing this video. I enjoyed watching it very much. I loved all aspects of Fred's life. Brilliant video and God bless Fred, he was some man.
Hi Catherine, and glad that you enjoyed the video. I've managed to identify a number of locations from the documentaries Fred made for TV which I plan to visit over the next couple of months. I also hope to visit a number of other locations related to Fred mainly around his hometown of Bolton this year such as jobs he worked on before he became famous etc.
Met Fred in Derbyshire in 70s when we were playing in the old mill. He was a the top of a chimney and had to come down to tell us to clear off because of falling masonry. Kind old guy. Us being kids we verbally abused him before running off. Rest in peace Fred ❤
Enjoyed that Mr H sad when you think back to those good old days. Another pub bites the dust and turning into flats so many round me going that same way.
Hi John, glad that you enjoyed this and the other Fred Dibnah related videos that I have done. Regarding him arriving at this particular pub in Betsy I think that a bit of romanticism has crept into the story down the years as it's only a ten minute walk from Fred's house and not worth all the trouble it would take for for Fred to bring her up to steam for such a short journey. It's more likely that he called at this pub with Betsy after returning from somewhere like a steam rally but it's still a nice story. 🙂
Thankfully someone is documenting these places associated with Fred . Well done ! It’s a shame his workshop wasn’t converted into a small museum/memorial.
I used to enjoy going to the Lever Bridge Pub to watch the Bolton Wanderers games, I remember seeing Fred all round town in his Land Rover or occasionally his steam engine
Apparently Fred once got banned for driving for 12 months, this was in 1988 when he was driving along Manchester road from Liverpool after felling a chimney where he was stopped for going over the 30mph limit. Hardly anyone talks about this, it's never mentioned once (as far as I can remember) in any of the Life with Fred and A Year with Fred series. Pity the new owner won't allow visitors, the place should be part of the National Trust and not owned by some security conscious home owner. Won't be long until the owner will sell up and sell the place to developers where they will build yet more "apartments" which will be housed mainly of low income chavvy families on Universal Income where the smell of weed will be drifting out of the windows.
Was only thinking hadn’t seen any videos for a while Roy. Glad to see your ok was wondering if everything was ok but it is and back with a great video about one of our local heroes Fred👍
Fred was a very unique person part of a generation now going or even gone pubs are a very important part of our national history Great 👍 video subscribed cheers
Great video thanks mate! I liked the beer advert story! And freds answer, tastes like nats piss!😂 what a great legend he was ❤I've subbed to your channel !
Fred often used to drive the roller down to the Lever Bridge on a Sunday lunchtime... yes, he would fire Betsy up on a Sunday morning just for the trip to the pub. I used to live on Radcliffe Road, opposite where the college used to be (the former Hollins site, which I remember!) and we would hear (feel!) the rumble as he went past!
When you said it was a ten minute walk I instantly realised that this was probably *not* his nearest pub and so there must have been a reason he picked this one, and the railway bridge is probably a good shout for that. In his day, it seems that there were many more pubs in residential areas so a ten minute walk would be a long time. Hell, a road I used to live on in Lancaster used to have three pubs. When I lived there, there were two, and now there's only one. I went to the one nearest to me (the only one that's still open) a handful of times, but it was not that welcoming to students. Not that we were the type to cause issues, and the staff were friendly enough, but the locals didn't seem to like us just because we were students, I guess. Maybe now that I'm older and a bit more conversational I'd be more welcome there. I don't live in Lancaster any more, although it's a city very close to my heart. I am up there this weekend, though. Maybe I'll pay it a visit and see what happens. Anyway, not seen your channel before but I enjoyed the video so you've earned a subscriber :)
Fred was a great man and a great character ... loved his shows , a down to earth , salt of the earth bloke ,...but despite always looking abit dirty and rough at the edges , he was a very intelligent and clever man,...with nerves of steel,....he was the best of British , and sadly characters like Fred, are few and far between these days...Great man.
Even Fred's former house had a brick chimney steeple lol. Is the trade of steeplejacks still in existence today? I live in Chicago and personally I never heard of the steeplejack job or term steeplejack before until I accidentally stumbled across Fred's old videos on the BBC Archive RUclips channel. Now I've been binge watching and looking up everything I can about Fred Dibnah lol. The only thing I can think of that resembles a steeplejack is a chimneysweeper which that job still exists over here in the states.. but never heard of the term or the job steeplejack. All the brick smoke stacks from the old industrial plants have all been torn down here in Chicago. Fred seemed like such a fascinating guy. A guy I can totally relate too being a hardworking blue-collar fella myself and coming from a hardworking family.
Many thanks for the comment and glad that you enjoyed the video. Regarding the photoshopped image of Fred walking in the alleyway as Fred himself would have said "Did yer like that?" 😉
Hi Justin, glad that you enjoyed the video and good to hear from you again. 👍 Yes myself and Mrs H along with little Toby are well thank you he's growing up fast, four going on fifteen now. Lol. Hope you are keeping well also and all the best.
I've been there a few times, and it's great to see the grand old viaduct has been preserved instead of just being left to rot and then having to be demolished for safety, like what oldham council did with the fine old curved red brick Lancashire & Yorkshire railway freight building. Honestly our town and city councils have destroyed far more of our precious working class heritage then any bombers ever did, shame on them! Look what happened to Piccadilly gardens in Manchester, absolutely ruined! They've ripped the heart out of that city.
10:07 great vid as usual, but i'm 99.9% sure you're wrong about the Greenalls slogan "Right Said Fred" relating to the band. i remember having the beermat with this slogan on , and it was one of my faves, as a kid in the mid 80's. may even have it somewhere ( you can see others if you google it ) . ditched a lot of my old collection. not once did i ever relate it to the band , and i was well aware of the band when they were about. always associated it with the Bernard Cribbins song..."RIGHT SAID FRED ".
I haven’t seen that advert you mentioned with Fred in but I do remember the one for Jewsons where he bounced in and said “Tough and good looking “ in his own native tongue 😁
my dad used hang off that bridge with one arm as a dare with his 3 brothers. mi sister rented a room up in there aswell. n i used walk past it off mi trolley many a time n walked up thos steps to gorsess mount many a time after finishing work at varsity bar (now hogarths)
Ps forgot to mention,after the statue ,we walked up to Trinity Church where Fred came down the front inspecting the clock face as I did so. We have some incredible photos and I tried to stand in the same spots as Fred and Donald where it was possible!
Great vid Mr H thank you. How sad to see another proper boozer go. From the car park of that pub i believe there used to be annual local tradition / competition to throw a potato over the bridge - which i think is about 120 feet high. Useless fact but some might remember it with better info.
I think the closing of the pubs (note it's never the big pub chains like Whetherspoons that get closed) is part of breaking the community apart where people would once discuss things with others in a public place, and by having cheap booze in the shops keeps everyone at home.
Sadly I think by the end of the decade we'll struggle to find a traditional pub as we know it. Although the current cost of living crisis is a factor in pubs closing unrealistic profit targets by breweries and charging high rents is also killing the pub trade.
Hi Barry, it probably did have once but an ariel view of the pub on Google Earth shows that it dosen't have much land surrounding it suggesting that it may have been extended at some point, probably in the late sixties judging from the style and any outside toilets would have given way to either the extension or car parking space.
Fred often spoke of the world that he once knew disappearing and now I'm saying exactly the same thing about my world. I guess every generation experiences it.
Fred or no Fred, i get really sad to see all these old pubs shutting, but people just dont go in them these days. The home drinking trend really took off about 20 years ago and the momentum kept going. Add to that the astronomical price that boozers have to charge now and it just accelerates it. I think we'll end up in a situation where only the food pubs survive, and theyll have to be either very good and pricey or very mass-market food service type ones.
Fred would be gutted his local is being transformed to flats. My pet hate, closed boozers. Yes Fred was right Greenhalls Bitter was awful. Excellent video, cheers Pal👍🍺
@HydroSnips pubs brought people together, create care and community spirit for the working class. A pub can be bought by a uncaring businessman who can make millions converted these places into mediocre units...save the pubs and take care of the ordinary folk not the rich🍺👍8
@6.43 full of young lads who have watched scarface too many times, and wear 700 quid puffer jackets because they want to look loaded when they dont actually have 2 bob to scratch their arse.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
I love these Fred Dibnah videos. Fred was a very humble man in my view.
Hi Shane :)
Well........;I'm sorry but I think your view is wrong!!!!
@@grahamjames1614 I don't care
What do you know.
@@shanehall98, Nice one! 😂
Fred Dibnah was an absolute legend. A real character, humble and hugely likeable. Nearly 20 on from his demise, he is still very much missed by many people. I first saw him on the BBC series which ran in 1979, I was eight year old and was fascinated by his steeplejack work. Free climbing 200 feet up ladders- the man had balls of steel!
My Dad was a professional painter and decorator and had a shop on Hindley Green where I was brought up. My Dad used to travel up to that pup and ended up fully decorating it for the landlord in the 90's. Frequently he talked to Fred of whom he once said "could talk the back legs off a donkey." That's no doubt St Stephen's Primary School, I used to meet a few of their staff through N.U.T. meetings when I taught at Hayward School in Bolton. Happy memories and by the way I've got a Fred Dibnah Greenall Whitley beermat from c.1980 which I intend to present to Antiques Roadshow one day. Keep up the good work.
What a guy! I'm glad someone took the time to capture a bit of Fred's life in film. Thanks for sharing.
History is being erased all over and it's been that way for decades, just check the historic aerials. However, there's great benefit in doing so these days. And there seems to be a push for us to embrace history and cultures that aren't our own.
You can't beat a bit of Mr H talking about Fred. Thank you made my night that
Cheers Carl, you're welcome and glad you enjoyed the video. 👍
I've been meaning to do this video for a while now and glad I've managed to document Fred's old pub as it currently stands before the building work gets underway proper and it disappears forever.
@Mr H's Hot Pot I'm up your neck of the woods today at Buckshaw village, passed Bolton on the way. Its a good run from Chesterfield in a jet /vac tanker
I cried watching this. Our poor Fred and our history 😢
Yea very sad.
Thank you Mr H for yet another helping of Fred.
We are just back from a two day tour of Bolton and surrounding areas. The videos you posted helped us put a great itinerary together. We first arrived at the Burnden Pie Shop to sample their delights before walking round to Fred’s mums house to gawp at the chimney.We looked for the dead rat at the rear of the property but it was long gone !
We then parked next to the Town Hall before heading down to the statue.
Then we headed past 121 on the way to the Lever Bridge pub. We headed back to 121 for a good look. I touched the nuts that were attached to the metal rods that Fred shoved through the house to keep it standing. Next off,we headed to the cemetery. I posed for photos on the old stone that Fred leaned against in the documentary. We then took the short walk to his grave where I poured a pint of Guinness over the grass on top of Fred.
Then walked back up to the river behind Fred’s sheds. Could just picture him firing that arrow towards me!
We then headed to Barrow Bridge chimney,that was incredible. We then headed for our dog friendly accommodation quite near to Turton ready for the church visit the next morning. A few pints of Guinness went down well that night in honour of the great man. Next morning,we indeed visited St Annes in Turton. Was unreal to see Fred’s work still blowing in the breeze! Then we headed up to Kirkby Malham to the medieval church and the site of another great works of art created by Fred.
We then headed back down to Lincolnshire with smiles on our faces. Thanks again Mr H
Wow! That sounds like a fantasitc two day tour iffhenf, and I'm glad that my videos have helped you to plan out an itineray and easily identify locations related to Fred in and around Bolton. 🙂
I hope to visit and document for my channel the weathercock and lightning conductor fitted by Fred at Kirkby Malham church myself this year.
Did you have a pint in 'The Victoria pub' not far from Kirkby Malham church that Fred was filmed in with the vicar and no doubt the Dibnah's all retired to afterwards to wet the baby's head after christening young Jack?
@@MrHsHotPot
I wasn't aware of the pub, but I had my photo took next to the font inside the church.
Just a little tip for you sir, the heavy wooden church door comes across as being locked when tackled. You just have to pull and push it as you work the latch. Really really old church, definitely worth a look inside, lots of history.
Still can't believe I've been to many of the spots where Fred happened to be.
I've got to work on an album now as I stood in the exact places as Fred did.
I want to do a then and now, much like you did in Tonge Cemetery!
It was a feat of directional drilling to bolt that foundation together , was't shown in episodes how it was done . . but just got done
I bought Fred's Autobiography in a charity shop and it was a great read. Watched his programs on RUclips during Lockdown. Sad to think he would have only been 84 today. He looked older than his years facial wise but had the strength of a much younger man.
I've since gone down the Fred chimney and watched all I can about him
@thetruth1862 it's a great rabbit hole to go down. A few RUclipsrs do little pilgrimages to his famous sites and his house. If I get the chance I may do one on my own channel.
@@markh8778 as much as I would love to it's a good bit away from me home in the Southern United States, but I have Scottish Irish English heritage so there where many men growing up in the late 70's and 80's that reminds me of dear old Fred
In the 60s we had a rope swing on the bridge in the background.
It was extremely high as you can see and only the brave would jump !
When I got into my teens we would frequent the pub and walk back home through Lever Hulme park to Breightmet. I met Fred many times and always enjoyed his company. His old Land Rover was a common sight around Bolton and everyone waved to him as he passed by.
This makes me very sad. So much history and memories destroyed by greedy "developers"
Love your work though bud. Really important how you've documented it all, thank you.
Greedy politicians, greedy breweries, greedy power companies its now too expensive to keep going to the pub when prices of everything is so high, I think i heard that there are at least 2 pubs closing down every day, wont be long before they all go. Pubs used to be for social gathering etc now not necessary.
Take it up with Wetherspoons & supermarkets, and country needs houses & flats more than pubs. Try voting differently next time for parties not obsessed with investment, availability, competition and profits over people.
@@HydroSnips ssshhhhh now
God bless Fred. Pubs are synonymous with work. Hand in hand. Some made by those who would drink in them, some made by those who employed the drinkers. Travel also, with coach houses, hotels, then near railways etc.
That was a nice touch putting Fred alongside the pub 😎
I had many trips with Fred on the roller when I was a youngster when he was married to Allison. This is before all those houses were built going up hill next to the pub. Fred had a smashing list of little road runs that we often took around that side of town. One was around I think it is called Rakes Road very near the destructor plant. Via many single track dirt tracks we came out by the side of the pub, exactly where you superimposed Fred. On such trips & visiting the pub, the roller was always parked on the spot where a residents garage now stands, clearly shown in your film next to the pub. The area where all those house now stand was like a bomb site. Rubble, junk & piles of wood. It was part of my job to collect wood for the fire. If the living van was in tow, all was parked in front of the pub. Not the best place for motorists coming round that corner on a dark night !
Raikes Lane.
I've watched everything about Fred what a legend and he was obviously very fond of you in many of his stories started with myseland young webber ..... you must have so many happy memories with him .He maybe dead coming on 20 years but he left a he'll of an impression on so many rip fred
RIP Fred the last victorian ✝️🇬🇧
Very true Tom. 👍
It's an old cliché but they don't make them like Fred anymore, a true hard working northerner that called a spade a spade. Sadly missed. ☹
Unfortunately our pubs are linked to our history and culture, their destruction is planned.
Very true.
Bang on mate
lol. Keep wearing your tinfoil hat.
@@markm49 keep taking your boosters 😂😂
Go home@@markm49
I absolutely loved Fred Dibnah. He was a genius and had some head for heights. He was blessed with a very strong pair of hands and he put them to good use. Many thanks for sharing this video. I enjoyed watching it very much. I loved all aspects of Fred's life. Brilliant video and God bless Fred, he was some man.
That little superimposed Fred in the alleyway was wonderful. Cheers mr h as always
That was great Mr H, good to look back at Fred's past I still find him fasanating after all these years, nice one Mr H.
Thanks for your time and efforts to produce your volgs about Fred.
So look forward to videos about fred, loved him
Hi Catherine, and glad that you enjoyed the video.
I've managed to identify a number of locations from the documentaries Fred made for TV which I plan to visit over the next couple of months.
I also hope to visit a number of other locations related to Fred mainly around his hometown of Bolton this year such as jobs he worked on before he became famous etc.
@@MrHsHotPot aww thankyou for replying, thats wonderful, I love all your videos, but I especially love freds, I will look forward to them, thankyou
Great video once again Mr H look forward to the next one
I’m from SE London and people down here absolutely loved Fred and had great respect for him.
E woz a propa geezer.
great stuff mr h never get tired of fred or your vids
Hi Allan, glad that you enjoyed the video and thanks for taking the time to comment. 👍
Met Fred in Derbyshire in 70s when we were playing in the old mill. He was a the top of a chimney and had to come down to tell us to clear off because of falling masonry. Kind old guy. Us being kids we verbally abused him before running off. Rest in peace Fred ❤
Not you “being kids”
You being twats
Enjoyed that Mr H sad when you think back to those good old days. Another pub bites the dust and turning into flats so many round me going that same way.
What a time to be alive eh?
I love these videos of our friend Fred Dibnah you could picture Fred arriving in Betsy the steamroller thanks for sharing again
Hi John, glad that you enjoyed this and the other Fred Dibnah related videos that I have done.
Regarding him arriving at this particular pub in Betsy I think that a bit of romanticism has crept into the story down the years as it's only a ten minute walk from Fred's house and not worth all the trouble it would take for for Fred to bring her up to steam for such a short journey.
It's more likely that he called at this pub with Betsy after returning from somewhere like a steam rally but it's still a nice story. 🙂
Thankfully someone is documenting these places associated with Fred . Well done ! It’s a shame his workshop wasn’t converted into a small museum/memorial.
Great film thanks, I love the way all the PPE was put on pronto.
I used to enjoy going to the Lever Bridge Pub to watch the Bolton Wanderers games, I remember seeing Fred all round town in his Land Rover or occasionally his steam engine
Apparently Fred once got banned for driving for 12 months, this was in 1988 when he was driving along Manchester road from Liverpool after felling a chimney where he was stopped for going over the 30mph limit. Hardly anyone talks about this, it's never mentioned once (as far as I can remember) in any of the Life with Fred and A Year with Fred series.
Pity the new owner won't allow visitors, the place should be part of the National Trust and not owned by some security conscious home owner. Won't be long until the owner will sell up and sell the place to developers where they will build yet more "apartments" which will be housed mainly of low income chavvy families on Universal Income where the smell of weed will be drifting out of the windows.
Nice one Mr H really enjoy your extra behind the scenes of Fred's old haunts.
Fred was an incredible man…
Being an steeplejack was like deserving an VC every working day , not saying a bit of tin reward for inbreds fight an award in itself
Great video. Keep up the good work.
Was only thinking hadn’t seen any videos for a while Roy. Glad to see your ok was wondering if everything was ok but it is and back with a great video about one of our local heroes Fred👍
Fred was a very unique person part of a generation now going or even gone pubs are a very important part of our national history Great 👍 video subscribed cheers
Great video thanks mate! I liked the beer advert story! And freds answer, tastes like nats piss!😂 what a great legend he was ❤I've subbed to your channel !
Excellent to watch this Mr H, thank you.
RIP Fred sad to see the Boozer knocked down. It's history lost forever.
A beautiful history. Thank you.
So sad to see legends come and go like Fred. His house and workshops not filled with his creativity anymore.
Very atmospheric looking inn , with a railroad running atop , a good nights sleep for innkeeper
Fred Dibnah is a mad legend. He should be Knighted.
Love the way (at 6m30s) the gaffer gets the lad to put on his hard hat and hi viz thinking Mr. H is from Health and Safety.
Fred often used to drive the roller down to the Lever Bridge on a Sunday lunchtime... yes, he would fire Betsy up on a Sunday morning just for the trip to the pub. I used to live on Radcliffe Road, opposite where the college used to be (the former Hollins site, which I remember!) and we would hear (feel!) the rumble as he went past!
When you said it was a ten minute walk I instantly realised that this was probably *not* his nearest pub and so there must have been a reason he picked this one, and the railway bridge is probably a good shout for that. In his day, it seems that there were many more pubs in residential areas so a ten minute walk would be a long time.
Hell, a road I used to live on in Lancaster used to have three pubs. When I lived there, there were two, and now there's only one. I went to the one nearest to me (the only one that's still open) a handful of times, but it was not that welcoming to students. Not that we were the type to cause issues, and the staff were friendly enough, but the locals didn't seem to like us just because we were students, I guess. Maybe now that I'm older and a bit more conversational I'd be more welcome there. I don't live in Lancaster any more, although it's a city very close to my heart. I am up there this weekend, though. Maybe I'll pay it a visit and see what happens.
Anyway, not seen your channel before but I enjoyed the video so you've earned a subscriber :)
Fred was a great man and a great character ... loved his shows , a down to earth , salt of the earth bloke ,...but despite always looking abit dirty and rough at the edges , he was a very intelligent and clever man,...with nerves of steel,....he was the best of British , and sadly characters like Fred, are few and far between these days...Great man.
Even Fred's former house had a brick chimney steeple lol. Is the trade of steeplejacks still in existence today? I live in Chicago and personally I never heard of the steeplejack job or term steeplejack before until I accidentally stumbled across Fred's old videos on the BBC Archive RUclips channel. Now I've been binge watching and looking up everything I can about Fred Dibnah lol. The only thing I can think of that resembles a steeplejack is a chimneysweeper which that job still exists over here in the states.. but never heard of the term or the job steeplejack. All the brick smoke stacks from the old industrial plants have all been torn down here in Chicago. Fred seemed like such a fascinating guy. A guy I can totally relate too being a hardworking blue-collar fella myself and coming from a hardworking family.
Brilliant video this. Love the added touch of the photoshopped Fred walking up side of pub 👍
Many thanks for the comment and glad that you enjoyed the video.
Regarding the photoshopped image of Fred walking in the alleyway as Fred himself would have said "Did yer like that?" 😉
@@MrHsHotPot haha 😂 indeed 👍
Thanks for video mr H love your content as always similar interests as myself hope you and family ok and the little one Toby if I'm correct
Hi Justin, glad that you enjoyed the video and good to hear from you again. 👍
Yes myself and Mrs H along with little Toby are well thank you he's growing up fast, four going on fifteen now. Lol.
Hope you are keeping well also and all the best.
Make sure you nick the sign from the pub if it’s closed down
I've been there a few times, and it's great to see the grand old viaduct has been preserved instead of just being left to rot and then having to be demolished for safety, like what oldham council did with the fine old curved red brick Lancashire & Yorkshire railway freight building. Honestly our town and city councils have destroyed far more of our precious working class heritage then any bombers ever did, shame on them! Look what happened to Piccadilly gardens in Manchester, absolutely ruined! They've ripped the heart out of that city.
RIP FRED DIBNAH LEGEND ❤❤
Such a pity another piece of history gone.RIP Fred.💐
Thanks for sharing 😊
All the good old boozers in Bolton are sadly going one by one, a bit like Fred's chimneys...."very sad"
Brilliantly Done simple Fred would of been proud
10:07 great vid as usual, but i'm 99.9% sure you're wrong about the Greenalls slogan "Right Said Fred" relating to the band. i remember having the beermat with this slogan on , and it was one of my faves, as a kid in the mid 80's. may even have it somewhere ( you can see others if you google it ) . ditched a lot of my old collection. not once did i ever relate it to the band , and i was well aware of the band when they were about. always associated it with the Bernard Cribbins song..."RIGHT SAID FRED ".
Well done. Did ya like that. Cheers
I haven’t seen that advert you mentioned with Fred in but I do remember the one for Jewsons where he bounced in and said “Tough and good looking “ in his own native tongue 😁
Great video,the Right said Fred came from the Bernard Cribbins song that was played in the advert, nothing to do with the pop group
The late great Fred was cremated in a last gasp attempt to keep the chimney skyline going. Bravo Sir👏
Thank you sir. :)
my dad used hang off that bridge with one arm as a dare with his 3 brothers. mi sister rented a room up in there aswell. n i used walk past it off mi trolley many a time n walked up thos steps to gorsess mount many a time after finishing work at varsity bar (now hogarths)
Great Video 😊
Good video as usual pal☺
Nice one mr H👍We miss Fred, some say he still walks to that pub on some nights, not every night, just some?
Wonder who might take residency in the old pub?. I'll be amazed if any sort of attempt to bring this country back to what it used to be happens.
Ps forgot to mention,after the statue ,we walked up to Trinity Church where Fred came down the front inspecting the clock face as I did so. We have some incredible photos and I tried to stand in the same spots as Fred and Donald where it was possible!
Cheers bud good video
I loved Fred, a true Englishman.
Great vid Mr H thank you. How sad to see another proper boozer go. From the car park of that pub i believe there used to be annual local tradition / competition to throw a potato over the bridge - which i think is about 120 feet high. Useless fact but some might remember it with better info.
Sounds like the Irish Olympics
I think the closing of the pubs (note it's never the big pub chains like Whetherspoons that get closed) is part of breaking the community apart where people would once discuss things with others in a public place, and by having cheap booze in the shops keeps everyone at home.
Another one gone, along with all its history. Very sad
Sadly I think by the end of the decade we'll struggle to find a traditional pub as we know it.
Although the current cost of living crisis is a factor in pubs closing unrealistic profit targets by breweries and charging high rents is also killing the pub trade.
@@MrHsHotPot very true Mr H
Unfortunately a lot of pubs shutting dwn now my local town in Brampton cumbria been reduced to two pubs 10 yr ago they was 10,good video tho
Wot a great man Fred was I love that fella and I’m a Londoner 💪💪
Good little piece that 👍❤️
I used to love watching Fred on the telly with me grandad. I think he knew him back inth day.
A great English man, fred, 👍
6:30 old matey slaps on the PPE when he see's the camera pointing in his direction.
God bless Fred!
wonder if it had the old style stall toilets out back in the yard
nah.. it were too posh for that.. that's why us from up the hill used to go in the Bradford instead.
Hi Barry, it probably did have once but an ariel view of the pub on Google Earth shows that it dosen't have much land surrounding it suggesting that it may have been extended at some point, probably in the late sixties judging from the style and any outside toilets would have given way to either the extension or car parking space.
Remember him as a young lad he going to Marthas with jug in hand with tea towel for his pint
Hi Mr H with Fred he called a spade a Spade
Fred often spoke of the world that he once knew disappearing and now I'm saying exactly the same thing about my world. I guess every generation experiences it.
do you think Fred's old house sits solid as a rock after the work he did on it to stabilise it? I bet it does,
Yes rest easy to the one and only Mad Lad Fred Dibnah
enjoyed that video..fred was some guy..
Fred or no Fred, i get really sad to see all these old pubs shutting, but people just dont go in them these days. The home drinking trend really took off about 20 years ago and the momentum kept going. Add to that the astronomical price that boozers have to charge now and it just accelerates it. I think we'll end up in a situation where only the food pubs survive, and theyll have to be either very good and pricey or very mass-market food service type ones.
Dang im in america and thats extremely sad to hear.
6:25 once they spot man filming they get told to put their Hi Viz on .... 🤣🤣🤣
Fred would be gutted his local is being transformed to flats. My pet hate, closed boozers. Yes Fred was right Greenhalls Bitter was awful. Excellent video, cheers Pal👍🍺
Bet Fred understood that in a housing crisis, flats are more important than a few blokes propping up a bar. Get out of your bubble and look around.
@HydroSnips pubs brought people together, create care and community spirit for the working class. A pub can be bought by a uncaring businessman who can make millions converted these places into mediocre units...save the pubs and take care of the ordinary folk not the rich🍺👍8
Bradford arms before a fire in 2004 nearly destroyed it and closed for ever was the nearest pub for Fred 2 minutes away [ Tetley pub]
Me birthday today 48 stI'll feel like 28 in mind lol not as mobile as I was ex forces miss it
I used to drive along there on my way to work.
Thanks for sharing and documenting this. Funny how that lad put his hi vis and helmet on as soon as he saw you filming 😅
They closed the Lever Bridge as well I believe....
U good on this tuxx❤️❤️
Nice one MR H I remember them adds 🙂🇬🇧✌️
Fred esk. 100% spot on
I remember Greenalls bitter. Awful is a nice way of putting it but Festival was a decent pint.
Looks like a lovely boozer so it does. Shame you never got inside to see the bar, pumps, pisser etc real shame that
@6.43 full of young lads who have watched scarface too many times, and wear 700 quid puffer jackets because they want to look loaded when they dont actually have 2 bob to scratch their arse.