I'm from the North of England, and met Fred a few times. He's THE working class hero. My dad & grandad are dead now, as is Fred, and we've lost the generations that could do stuff. Now we all have degrees in media studies, and couldn't put an IKEA wardrobe together....
I never had the honour of meeting him myself, but I did know a chap who was present on his big steam engine go about, and he said Fred was the textbook fucking Englishman, and they simply don't make them like that anymore.
I'm lucky to have grown up with Fred, he was very close with my dad. Trust me lots of us can still build and fix things, even in his day very few people would do what he does, especially after few pints at dinner time. I helped him with most chimneys in Oldham after school. I say help, was more in his way lol😂. What amazed me was him saying exactly were the chimneys would land after lighting fire RIP Fred
I’m from the era where we all watched Fred, followed his demolitions and his steam engines. The closest you can get now is Guy Martin, who doesn’t do demolition work, but does everything else.
Met this guy many years ago in my childhood, a very well respected steaplejack, one of the few people that could repair or demolish the chimneys of the old cotton mills
He most certainly was a legend, an absolute one-off. No Health & Safety in Fred's day never heard of it. As Fred used to say, one mistake in this job and you're spending half a day with the Undertaker.!
The more you watch Fred, the more you'll appreciate his demeanour, he comes across as such a pleasant and approachable chap. He's the type of person we should aspire to emulate instead of the plastic, polished 'celebrities' we can never live up to.
This man was a national celebrity for all the best reasons. He was a typical working class brit of his generation, stoic, dependable and hard as nails. God bless you fred.
My favourite reply from Fred is when asked if people often fall off, without missing a breathe he replies, No only the once 🤣 I watched him with from the, I think first series of programs. and loved every episode he reminded me of uncles and tradesmen of my childhood. can you imagine the reaction of Health and Safety today 🤣
He's not crazy, thats called a REAL MAN. A self taught engineer who was whip smart, Fred worked hard, loved what he did, wasn't afraid of hard graft, was cheery with a pint in't 'and and grubby cap on't 'ead, was as happy climbing and demolishing chimneys and factories as he was tinkering with his traction engines. A true British icon. He was utterly loved and we miss him, particularly now in this namby pamby world, where "men" wear more makeup and moisturiser than their mothers, they'd need major trauma surgery for a cracked nail. Fred spent his time in oil and soot, a REAL ENGLISHMAN. I loved his shows
Fred Dibnah was a legend. He did the things we all wanted to do. He died in 2004 aged 66 and died of cancer . He received an OBE from the queen in 2004 and died 4 months later. He even bought a new hat for his meeting with the queen. He did many TV shows about Britain and it's machines. He had a few himself of the old steam type..I always enjoyed watching him and his Lancashire accent is perfect for what he does. A British legend.
I’m from the Northwest and remember him going past our house in his steam roller in the 80/90s my dad and bro went to watch him knock a chimney down in our local town. Good bloke Fred! Proper working class Northern legend!!
The legend that was Fred..no health and safety back then.. flat cap, wooden ladders, rope and string.. hope you watch more of this great man. We miss you Fred.
The Health and Safety at Work Act was 1974. Factories Act was early 1960s. The ambulance chasing lawyers came along later. Most of today’s BS is to keep them at bay.
Spare a thought for the people who built this chimney in the first place 150 years ago. As for Fred, he died in 2004. There is a statue of him in Bolton. Eventually Fred became a television presenter, but see if you can find John Noakes, a TV presenter who went up Nelson's Column in a similar fashion for a childrens TV show called Blue Peter.
Fred was also into old steam powered traction engines. A guy he met through that interest was Earl Bathurst. Earl is a title, not a first name. He lives at Eastnor Castle. The Earl wanted the ivy removing from one of the castle walls so Fred said he could do that for him. He turned up, tied some rope from the top of the wall, lowered himself down the side of the wall and then at the end of the rope started to run along the wall forwards and then backwards slowly increasing the arc until he was raching the ivy and then with a blade began cutting it from off the wall while swinging left and right. It's on video. He also demolishes tall chimneys too. No explosives used. He starts by knocking out some the bricks at the bottom and replaces them with blocks of wood. When he has replaced the number of bricks that he wants, he piles up more wood and builds a big fire around the bottom of the chimney. THEN by this time there is usually a large crowd gathered and he'll pick someone to light the fire in several places then they all back up to a safe distance. Fred will be walking around the base checking on how the fire is going. When he sees the critical blocks of wood starting to crumble, he sounds his big horn and legs it out of the way as the chimney comes down. The chimney falls down in the place he designated and turns to the camera asking, "did you like that?" He rebuilt his own traction engine and has repaired other steam engines. To many, Fred is an absolute LEGEND! God rest his soul!
oh man you aint seen nothing yet. If you thought that was high wait till you see part 2 and some of fred other videos. The man was a legend in his own life time and really was taken from us too early. He cared about his work and a good pint. The britsh public loved him because he represented everything that was great about being British.
Fred Dibnah was a very popular character on British TV back in the day his main job was to dismantle large industrial chimneys and some of the things that he had to do in his job was heart stopping he became a famous personality and a must watch on TV
Fred Dibnah truly was a fearless steeplejack legend! As a child I loved watching him blow up/ collapse massive chimneys, and wondering when and how it would fall! Lovely man too! I meet him at a couple of steam fairs/ county shows. His stories were riveting!
Gotta love Fred - I grew up in the UK watching him on TV. I remember chimneys like this being demolished near to my grandparents- we had to evacuate the house while it happened. How he climbs up those chimneys with no safety!!!!!!
@@barrybarry6592 Given the generation gap. None of us are in the same pool as our grandparents - we can't be, since they and the generations after worked to ensure we didn't dip our toes in the same formative pool.. Rough hands, a love for the industrial revolution and the steam engines and machinery that came out of it, the childish joy and lack of starch amongst other things - there's maybe a percentile or two that are more akin across a 50+ year time frame but few of us know who they are.
Fred's only just getting started, the average chimney is between 200 and 300ft tall, and if he's building a platform at the top, he has to ladder the other side as well. Once you've done part two, you can watch him build the platform, then dismantle a chimney brick by brick, then see him fell a chimney by setting fire to the bottom of it. Fred was old school, the words "safety harness" weren't in his vocabulary.
Fred Dibnah was a good friend of mine for many years, he was also in the same class at school as my mum, where he often got up to all sorts of mischief such as sitting on the school roof to avoid the boring lessons or the teachers that gave him grief for being 'fred' He even got into trouble for being artistic with a piece of chalk during a tunnel tour from The Man & Scythe pub on Churchgate in Bolton, which is my usual 'drinking hole'
Fred was last of his kind what a magnificent chap from Bolton and i hear my home town of Oldham is twinned with the Bolton accent but then ago it's only about 20 miles away i was the last chimney that he bought down in Royton- Oldham in 2002 i was only 7 years old but it was magnificent most of the town was there to see it that was a moment ill never forget 😀
The process is just so simple, yet fool-proof as long as your rope is up to scratch and you seat the dogs properly. Once the bottom ladder is done, away you go.
As a Health & Safety adviser, I love watching Fred. It might look rickety and dangerous but, really it wasn't. Because Fred knew what he was doing and did it right. PS: this was not high at all, wait another 200 feet...
Fred dibnah had his own tv show back in the 70s and 80s i can remember sutting down on a sunday eening and watchingvthis with my grandfather, happy memories
Fred was from Bolton which was my home town as a young tee4enager 11/12 yrs old I would play in Freds Garden. he had a few Traction engines that we would play on. A true working class hero. worked hard and played hard.
Fred was a legend,he was of a different age ,one before health and safety ,there are other videos of Fred demolishing/bringing down a factory chimney or knocking one down brick by brick ,his videos of his beloved Steam Traction Engine are entertaining as well ❤
To think that Fred Dibnah tackled jobs alone that would now take an army of people, equipment, and endless H&S paperwork. The guy was a legend with balls of steel.
You really need to watch more of his videos on RUclips. He climbed 100's of feet up factory chimneys with no safety harnesses. In later years when the chimneys were redundant he never used explosives to demolish them he burnt them down. He would make a massive hole in the bottom of the chimney and sure it up with old telegraph poles. He would then throw wood and tyres into the hole and set it alight, as the telegraph poles burnt the chimney would give way. He would listen for the cracking of the bricks which meant it was about to tumble, this is when he'd honk on a horn in his hand for everyone to clear out of the way then he'd run like hell as the chimney fell. Once the chimney was toppled he'd come out with his legendary catchphrase "Did you like that!!"
I'm in Canada and I watched this guy @20nyears ago. He is absolutely amazing What he does is amazing how he does this is amazing. He is a steeplejack of the highest order. His name is Fired Dibnah and he brought down disused chimneys by HAND brick by brick !! You gotta see it to believe it !!
He was a legend, no harness, he never wore one. I believe he only fell off a ladder once. It was a step ladder her was using to decorate his kids bedroom.
Fred Dibnah used to go past bottom of my street in the 80s on his steam run vehicle when i was about 6-12yr old he uses to doff his cap if you shouted " Alreet Fred". I saw him do a huge chinney near chorley once too ✌️
Fred was a steeplejack. This trade works on tall buildings, smokestacks, towers, or steeples. Climbing up the outside of them to paint and make repairs.
You need to bear in mind that this video is probably about 50 - 60 years old and what you are seeing are what was the common practices of that time. Fred was a steeplejack which is a craftsman who scales tall buildings, chimneys, and church steeples to carry out repairs or maintenance. Fred was a great entertaining character who had his own tv series in the UK which introduced us all to his works at very high heights and into his love of steam tractor vehicles.
'that's pretty high up already' - lmao. wait for it.......coz he is going much higher. I am always amazed at Fred's videos for years now (I live in UK btw).
In today's age Health and Safety would tear Fred apart. No Hard Hat, safety boots or gloves. But Fred always did things his way and sod the officious jobsworths 😅
My Friend, he is not even 20% up YET ! That chimney is THREE HUNDRED FEET high and he builds the ladders with NO safety equipment on at all and climbs. You MUST see the other videos where, at the top, he builds a platform with planks of wood,all the way around the chimney, and in thin air, he connects them to each other. Then he climbs onto the platform that he has built and you see how far up he is. Then he knocks thousands of bricks down with a single hammer, ONE BY ONE and eventually, he blows up the chimney. You have, almost literally, seen NOTHING yet,,,, LOL
@@paulqueripel3493 Paul, after a reflective period,I realized I wrote it in the clamour of haste. I have given myself a severe talking-to and am seeing my comment with fresh eyes..My disappointment in myself is immeasurable and no words can adequately express my remorse regarding my inexcusable faux pas. I am mortified that I got to make such a Schoolboy error and I only try to crave your forgiveness for my brief moment of total complete and utter insanity in making this mistake. I have no excuses and I can only apologize, profusely, for my stupidity, once again. You are a good Man for pointing this out to me. I'm inconsolable at the moment..
He was what we call in the UK as a ( steeplejack ) never saw any who was as incredible in what he did for a living . He never ever fell in all his days doing this. INCREDIBLE MAN FOR HIS AGE . LEGEND .
"That's pretty high!" Now do that going upwards another dozen or more ladders, PLUS building scaffolding around the top of the chimney, and you've got a Tuesday for Fred. They don't build them like Fred any more. :)
Fred once said he enjoyed a pint or two of ale before he climbed to the top of the chimney, imagine that! He was such a character with nerves of steel.
Fred was great - a northern geezer Im from the south of england ( by london ) and fred was on TV when i was growing up . Great charater and had passion for what he loved
Fred did a series for the BBC in the 1980’s. Give it a watch, he was a true grit Brit and very funny and entertaining! It’s a great watch! When he died (About ten years ago) practically all of the residents of his home town of Bolton turned out! They certainly don’t make them like Fred anymore❤️
Mate, it was all in a day’s work for him, lol! 😮😀 and think nothing of it! Climbing up and down those ladders every day, and putting both ladders and scaffolding up, especially at the very top! 😳. He was unique to say the least! And will always be treasured in heart’s Man what a legend!!!
You ain't seen nothing yet, national treasure to this day by people of a certain age if you don't like heights and want nightmares keep looking into Fred. His tour in his traction engine is more calming lol.
His accent is from Bolton in the Northwest of England about 20 miles north of Manchester which itself is about 200 miles north of London. To the East (right) and North are the Pennine hills which create a lot of rain. In the late 1700s and up to 1950 that (damp) area was a main cotton spinning centre. The mills were driven by steam engines that required a very tall chmimney. Almost all the cotton mills and chimneys have been demolished.
@@Isleofskye The original mills used water power, the rivers from the Pennines provided that. Also cotton is best worked in a damp atmosphere; that part of England is notorious for the dampness and rain (not heavy but light drizzle) caused by winds from the Irish Sea hitting the hills - -the joke was that the people had webbed feet like ducks. There are various websites that will give an idea of the surrounding area. There is a surviving cotton mill near Manchester Airport called "Quarry Bank".
Also due to rain runoff, the area was also a centre for steel working as the waterways would power hammers, all driven by watermills. Later, many of those hammers were converted to steam and the waterways acted as a source of water for the steam engines.
Also I forgot to mention, the fact that Yorkshire and it's vast coal seems were close by also made it relatively easy to transport the coal from the mines via barges into the area and further south. Thus providing the fuel to power the engines much more cheaply than if the mills were situated further south. Not to mention said waterways could transport the goods to the ports, later tracked locomotives would transport the goods. As for the coal, up until the 50s and early 60s, there were still bargees working the coal canals.
Fred was/is a legend... Truly ❤ His statue is in a Lancashire Town called Bolton, right outside my sons apartment..... Fred was the most humble, hardworking and genuine Northerner and would often invite folk into his home and yard for tea and biscuits. They don't make men like Fred anymore........ He is climbing chimneys in heaven for sure 🙏♥️🕯️
Fred Dibnah is a legend he was a Steeplejack and chimney demolition by trade he was also a great engineer and restored steam traction engines he used old method knocking chimneys down brick by brick for re claimation or the other method which was by cutting into the side and proping up with wood setting a fire and then whoosh it would topple in a certain direction
‘I really don’t know how high he’s gonna go’ 😂 priceless, brace yourself and I hope your sitting comfortably. Dibnah is an absolute British legend! Much love from 🇬🇧
I'm from Bolton and Fred is a local legend. He used to drive around the town is a huge steam roller (for fun) and we have a huge statue of him in the town centre. He became well known as a steeplejack, someone who climbs industrial chimmneys. Usually to demolish them. He was fearless.
i have seen his old traction engine at a few steam fairs, it's a lovely machine. i would not have done his work this way, i know it's how it used to be done, but, fortunatly now we have cherry pickers
Fred's day-to-day transport was a battered, well-maintained 1950's open-back (pick-up truck, as our American friends would call it) Land Rover - another British legend, like its driver.
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I'm from the North of England, and met Fred a few times. He's THE working class hero. My dad & grandad are dead now, as is Fred, and we've lost the generations that could do stuff. Now we all have degrees in media studies, and couldn't put an IKEA wardrobe together....
I never had the honour of meeting him myself, but I did know a chap who was present on his big steam engine go about, and he said Fred was the textbook fucking Englishman, and they simply don't make them like that anymore.
I'm lucky to have grown up with Fred, he was very close with my dad. Trust me lots of us can still build and fix things, even in his day very few people would do what he does, especially after few pints at dinner time.
I helped him with most chimneys in Oldham after school. I say help, was more in his way lol😂. What amazed me was him saying exactly were the chimneys would land after lighting fire
RIP Fred
I’m from the era where we all watched Fred, followed his demolitions and his steam engines. The closest you can get now is Guy Martin, who doesn’t do demolition work, but does everything else.
Met this guy many years ago in my childhood, a very well respected steaplejack, one of the few people that could repair or demolish the chimneys of the old cotton mills
Word
He's a British legend. Very sadly missed
100% Unique Character a One OFF! We miss you, Fred.
Absolutely spot on my friend.
English legend.
He most certainly was a legend, an absolute one-off. No Health & Safety in Fred's day never heard of it. As Fred used to say, one mistake in this job and you're spending half a day with the Undertaker.!
He was a "demonsteration" of excellence!
The more you watch Fred, the more you'll appreciate his demeanour, he comes across as such a pleasant and approachable chap.
He's the type of person we should aspire to emulate instead of the plastic, polished 'celebrities' we can never live up to.
This man was a national celebrity for all the best reasons.
He was a typical working class brit of his generation, stoic, dependable and hard as nails.
God bless you fred.
Amen.
A working class Englishman, lets say it, not British, English.
Fred was a natural born & self taught engineer , as well as having balls of titanium. A great teacher too. A top bloke sorely missed.
Totally agree 💯 we people like Fred new such alot about how things were made I got friends got all videos that were made.
My favourite quote from Fred about working on high chimney's is "One mistake up here and it's half a day out with the undertaker"
My favourite reply from Fred is when asked if people often fall off, without missing a breathe he replies, No only the once 🤣 I watched him with from the, I think first series of programs. and loved every episode he reminded me of uncles and tradesmen of my childhood. can you imagine the reaction of Health and Safety today 🤣
@@AnthonyMcGowanIt's goooooin' .....It's GOOOOIN' !!!
Mine too 👍 followed by "did yer like that" Fred is a legend, I say IS because legends never die.
He's not crazy, thats called a REAL MAN. A self taught engineer who was whip smart, Fred worked hard, loved what he did, wasn't afraid of hard graft, was cheery with a pint in't 'and and grubby cap on't 'ead, was as happy climbing and demolishing chimneys and factories as he was tinkering with his traction engines. A true British icon. He was utterly loved and we miss him, particularly now in this namby pamby world, where "men" wear more makeup and moisturiser than their mothers, they'd need major trauma surgery for a cracked nail. Fred spent his time in oil and soot, a REAL ENGLISHMAN. I loved his shows
Fred Dibnah was a legend. He did the things we all wanted to do. He died in 2004 aged 66 and died of cancer . He received an OBE from the queen in 2004 and died 4 months later. He even bought a new hat for his meeting with the queen. He did many TV shows about Britain and it's machines. He had a few himself of the old steam type..I always enjoyed watching him and his Lancashire accent is perfect for what he does. A British legend.
We used to watch Fred on TV when we were kids. Fearless ❤
Fred was well loved he was a legend
And he drove a steam Engine!!
I’m from the Northwest and remember him going past our house in his steam roller in the 80/90s my dad and bro went to watch him knock a chimney down in our local town. Good bloke Fred! Proper working class Northern legend!!
The legend that was Fred..no health and safety back then.. flat cap, wooden ladders, rope and string.. hope you watch more of this great man. We miss you Fred.
The Health and Safety at Work Act was 1974. Factories Act was early 1960s. The ambulance chasing lawyers came along later. Most of today’s BS is to keep them at bay.
The whole of the UK loved watching Fred! He was so British in his ways! It was a great programme on TV that was hugely popular. Great review! 😊
Fred finally made a ladder long enough to reach heaven, God bless Fred. You have laddered your final stack
I think he went up there because he ran out of chimneys to pull down, down here..🤗
❤❤❤
Spare a thought for the people who built this chimney in the first place 150 years ago. As for Fred, he died in 2004. There is a statue of him in Bolton.
Eventually Fred became a television presenter, but see if you can find John Noakes, a TV presenter who went up Nelson's Column in a similar fashion for a childrens TV show called Blue Peter.
God! I remember that episode like it was yesterday❤️
" _Get down Shep!_ " 😆
Fred was also into old steam powered traction engines. A guy he met through that interest was Earl Bathurst. Earl is a title, not a first name. He lives at Eastnor Castle. The Earl wanted the ivy removing from one of the castle walls so Fred said he could do that for him. He turned up, tied some rope from the top of the wall, lowered himself down the side of the wall and then at the end of the rope started to run along the wall forwards and then backwards slowly increasing the arc until he was raching the ivy and then with a blade began cutting it from off the wall while swinging left and right.
It's on video.
He also demolishes tall chimneys too. No explosives used. He starts by knocking out some the bricks at the bottom and replaces them with blocks of wood. When he has replaced the number of bricks that he wants, he piles up more wood and builds a big fire around the bottom of the chimney. THEN by this time there is usually a large crowd gathered and he'll pick someone to light the fire in several places then they all back up to a safe distance. Fred will be walking around the base checking on how the fire is going. When he sees the critical blocks of wood starting to crumble, he sounds his big horn and legs it out of the way as the chimney comes down. The chimney falls down in the place he designated and turns to the camera asking, "did you like that?"
He rebuilt his own traction engine and has repaired other steam engines. To many, Fred is an absolute LEGEND!
God rest his soul!
This chap is a legend from his time!
oh man you aint seen nothing yet. If you thought that was high wait till you see part 2 and some of fred other videos. The man was a legend in his own life time and really was taken from us too early. He cared about his work and a good pint. The britsh public loved him because he represented everything that was great about being British.
Fred Dibnah was a very popular character on British TV back in the day his main job was to dismantle large industrial chimneys and some of the things that he had to do in his job was heart stopping he became a famous personality and a must watch on TV
Fred Dibnah truly was a fearless steeplejack legend! As a child I loved watching him blow up/ collapse massive chimneys, and wondering when and how it would fall! Lovely man too! I meet him at a couple of steam fairs/ county shows. His stories were riveting!
Gotta love Fred - I grew up in the UK watching him on TV. I remember chimneys like this being demolished near to my grandparents- we had to evacuate the house while it happened. How he climbs up those chimneys with no safety!!!!!!
Guy Martin and Fred Dibnah - shared souls.
Both legends in their own right.
💯👍
Totally agree
Not in the same pool in my opinion
@@barrybarry6592 Given the generation gap. None of us are in the same pool as our grandparents - we can't be, since they and the generations after worked to ensure we didn't dip our toes in the same formative pool.. Rough hands, a love for the industrial revolution and the steam engines and machinery that came out of it, the childish joy and lack of starch amongst other things - there's maybe a percentile or two that are more akin across a 50+ year time frame but few of us know who they are.
This man was one of theall time great British caharacters.
America had superman we had Fred dibnah this guy's got balls of steel
Only difference was Superman was fictional. This guy was the real deal.
@@arnolddavies6734 really I've thought that superman was real 🤪
Not only did Fred have balls of steel, he'd need a wheelbarrow to carry them. He was either fearless or certifiably mad.
Agree but don't forget all the construction workers (particularly native Americans) back in the day who built all the cities
No not balls of steel but nuclear balls
Fred's only just getting started, the average chimney is between 200 and 300ft tall, and if he's building a platform at the top, he has to ladder the other side as well. Once you've done part two, you can watch him build the platform, then dismantle a chimney brick by brick, then see him fell a chimney by setting fire to the bottom of it. Fred was old school, the words "safety harness" weren't in his vocabulary.
I watched this stuff on TV as a kid, and while we thought it was just insane, it was also somehow 'normal'. It's just what Fred did!
Great reaction. Now you need to watch him working on the top of a chimney fixing it and also see him bringing one down 😂 incredible man Fred.
Fred Dibnah was a good friend of mine for many years, he was also in the same class at school as my mum, where he often got up to all sorts of mischief such as sitting on the school roof to avoid the boring lessons or the teachers that gave him grief for being 'fred'
He even got into trouble for being artistic with a piece of chalk during a tunnel tour from The Man & Scythe pub on Churchgate in Bolton, which is my usual 'drinking hole'
Fred was last of his kind what a magnificent chap from Bolton and i hear my home town of Oldham is twinned with the Bolton accent but then ago it's only about 20 miles away i was the last chimney that he bought down in Royton- Oldham in 2002 i was only 7 years old but it was magnificent most of the town was there to see it that was a moment ill never forget 😀
A great engineer and a national treasure and England's best steeple Jack simply the best sadly missed but not forgotten ❤
The process is just so simple, yet fool-proof as long as your rope is up to scratch and you seat the dogs properly. Once the bottom ladder is done, away you go.
As a Health & Safety adviser, I love watching Fred. It might look rickety and dangerous but, really it wasn't. Because Fred knew what he was doing and did it right.
PS: this was not high at all, wait another 200 feet...
“Did you like that?” That was his catch phrase when he demolished a chimney, great man .
I thought it was: "Dee' tha loike thet?"
Fred dibnah had his own tv show back in the 70s and 80s i can remember sutting down on a sunday eening and watchingvthis with my grandfather, happy memories
Fred I met h in Nottingham a few years ago a legend sadly he as passed into History
You got to look at part 2 now
He was a legend, sadly missed great guy and knew his job R.I.P
I thought I'd seen all the Fred Dibnah videos and seen people react to them many times, but this video I have never seen. Love it.
... " Fred Dibnah" the Man with the Least Arrogance Ever... A GOOD EGG TOBOOT 0:56
And balls like boulders
A British Icon 👏👏👏👏👏👍 just saying from Glasgow 🇬🇧💙😎
Fred was a British treasure, and he was a fascinating guy ✌️🇬🇧
Watched fred all the time in the 80s!! BRITISH ROYALTY 🇬🇧
Watched Fred many times. Incredible man ,totally fearless . His hobby was steam traction engines . A legend in Britain . God bless you Fred .
Fred was from Bolton which was my home town as a young tee4enager 11/12 yrs old I would play in Freds Garden. he had a few Traction engines that we would play on. A true working class hero. worked hard and played hard.
Fred was a legend, and totally fearless!
Loved Fred and I’m from The South but he was an amazing man and still I’ve watching his programmes
You should watch the 2nd part because it's shocking how high, with no safety belt... the man's a legend.
Fred was a legend,he was of a different age ,one before health and safety ,there are other videos of Fred demolishing/bringing down a factory chimney or knocking one down brick by brick ,his videos of his beloved Steam Traction Engine are entertaining as well ❤
To think that Fred Dibnah tackled jobs alone that would now take an army of people, equipment, and endless H&S paperwork.
The guy was a legend with balls of steel.
Balls of steel and a few sheets to the wind.
He was off his nut
You really need to watch more of his videos on RUclips. He climbed 100's of feet up factory chimneys with no safety harnesses. In later years when the chimneys were redundant he never used explosives to demolish them he burnt them down. He would make a massive hole in the bottom of the chimney and sure it up with old telegraph poles. He would then throw wood and tyres into the hole and set it alight, as the telegraph poles burnt the chimney would give way. He would listen for the cracking of the bricks which meant it was about to tumble, this is when he'd honk on a horn in his hand for everyone to clear out of the way then he'd run like hell as the chimney fell.
Once the chimney was toppled he'd come out with his legendary catchphrase "Did you like that!!"
He used to climb up 330ft chimneys and bring it down from the top brick by brick. Amazing Man. Need to see more...
Fred was a " Real " man....100% legend...God rest his soul..👍👍👍
I'm in Canada and I watched this guy @20nyears ago. He is absolutely amazing What he does is amazing how he does this is amazing. He is a steeplejack of the highest order. His name is Fired Dibnah and he brought down disused chimneys by HAND brick by brick !! You gotta see it to believe it !!
He was a legend, no harness, he never wore one. I believe he only fell off a ladder once. It was a step ladder her was using to decorate his kids bedroom.
Love this reaction, 😅 Fred was absolutely fearless
Fred Dibnah used to go past bottom of my street in the 80s on his steam run vehicle when i was about 6-12yr old he uses to doff his cap if you shouted " Alreet Fred".
I saw him do a huge chinney near chorley once too ✌️
So brave yet so humble
Fred was a steeplejack. This trade works on tall buildings, smokestacks, towers, or steeples. Climbing up the outside of them to paint and make repairs.
You need to bear in mind that this video is probably about 50 - 60 years old and what you are seeing are what was the common practices of that time.
Fred was a steeplejack which is a craftsman who scales tall buildings, chimneys, and church steeples to carry out repairs or maintenance.
Fred was a great entertaining character who had his own tv series in the UK which introduced us all to his works at very high heights and into his love of steam tractor vehicles.
I love this but it also makes me sad that we've lost that generation. I was born inthe 70s and I miss the many great things and people we had.
'that's pretty high up already' - lmao. wait for it.......coz he is going much higher. I am always amazed at Fred's videos for years now (I live in UK btw).
Fred was one of those ppl that made England great and he had no fear
I AM FROMTHE SAME AREA AND I USED TO BE AN IRON WORKER ON HIGH BUILDINGS BUT NOTHING LIKE FRED,HE WAS/IS MY HERO.,WAIT FOR THE NEXT PART ??? WOWEEEE
I worked with Fred in the 1970s. Great guy and loads of laughs.
Intelligent gentleman. Brave as a lion. An absolute legend. Very interesting to watch and listen to. RIP Fred.
Fred was a Gem, check out vids of his travels in huge steam engines, lol
Definitely Old Skool 😅
In today's age Health and Safety would tear Fred apart. No Hard Hat, safety boots or gloves. But Fred always did things his way and sod the officious jobsworths 😅
My Friend, he is not even 20% up YET ! That chimney is THREE HUNDRED FEET high and he builds the ladders with NO safety equipment on at all and climbs. You MUST see the other videos where, at the top, he builds a platform with planks of wood,all the way around the chimney, and in thin air, he connects them to each other. Then he climbs onto the platform that he has built and you see how far up he is. Then he knocks thousands of bricks down with a single hammer, ONE BY ONE and eventually, he blows up the chimney. You have, almost literally, seen NOTHING yet,,,, LOL
I thought he used fire to bring the chimney down rather than an explosion.
@@paulqueripel3493 Paul, after a reflective period,I realized I wrote it in the clamour of haste. I have given myself a severe talking-to and am seeing my comment with fresh eyes..My disappointment in myself is immeasurable and no words can adequately express my remorse regarding my inexcusable faux pas. I am mortified that I got to make such a Schoolboy error and I only try to crave your forgiveness for my brief moment of total complete and utter insanity in making this mistake. I have no excuses and I can only apologize, profusely, for my stupidity, once again. You are a good Man for pointing this out to me. I'm inconsolable at the moment..
Agree that is the video he should be reacting to
@@paulqueripel3493he's not bringing it down.
Whatever drug you were on my guess is it was kicking in right about the time you typed this reply comment.
He was what we call in the UK as a ( steeplejack ) never saw any who was as incredible in what he did for a living . He never ever fell in all his days doing this. INCREDIBLE MAN FOR HIS AGE . LEGEND .
"That's pretty high!" Now do that going upwards another dozen or more ladders, PLUS building scaffolding around the top of the chimney, and you've got a Tuesday for Fred. They don't build them like Fred any more. :)
Fred once said he enjoyed a pint or two of ale before he climbed to the top of the chimney, imagine that! He was such a character with nerves of steel.
Fred was great - a northern geezer
Im from the south of england ( by london ) and fred was on TV when i was growing up .
Great charater and had passion for what he loved
Fred did a series for the BBC in the 1980’s. Give it a watch, he was a true grit Brit and very funny and entertaining! It’s a great watch! When he died (About ten years ago) practically all of the residents of his home town of Bolton turned out! They certainly don’t make them like Fred anymore❤️
Mate, it was all in a day’s work for him, lol! 😮😀 and think nothing of it! Climbing up and down those ladders every day, and putting both ladders and scaffolding up, especially at the very top! 😳. He was unique to say the least! And will always be treasured in heart’s Man what a legend!!!
And in all weathers.
Fred was just brilliant, i have sent this video to help someone very close to me.
It's so motivating, we could all learn from this. Rip fred
Fred was amazing total Legend ❤🇬🇧🇬🇧
Your face of amazing is just great 😂😂😂😂😂❤
Our fred absolute Legend!
Real man. Very few left.
Just loved Fred Dibnah, what an amazing guy standing on a stool scares me 😂
You ain't seen nothing yet, national treasure to this day by people of a certain age if you don't like heights and want nightmares keep looking into Fred. His tour in his traction engine is more calming lol.
The late Fred Dibner was a real English hero. We loved him. R.I.P.
You need the look at more Fred videos; 100ft up on a vertical ladder 🪜 with zero safety gear 😱
"that's pretty high up already"
Fred: hold my pipe
Hold my pint
His accent is from Bolton in the Northwest of England about 20 miles north of Manchester which itself is about 200 miles north of London. To the East (right) and North are the Pennine hills which create a lot of rain. In the late 1700s and up to 1950 that (damp) area was a main cotton spinning centre. The mills were driven by steam engines that required a very tall chmimney. Almost all the cotton mills and chimneys have been demolished.
Were the cotton mills situated there due to the rainfall,my friend?
@@Isleofskye The original mills used water power, the rivers from the Pennines provided that. Also cotton is best worked in a damp atmosphere; that part of England is notorious for the dampness and rain (not heavy but light drizzle) caused by winds from the Irish Sea hitting the hills - -the joke was that the people had webbed feet like ducks. There are various websites that will give an idea of the surrounding area.
There is a surviving cotton mill near Manchester Airport called "Quarry Bank".
@@alanmon2690 Thanks for that information,my friend.
Also due to rain runoff, the area was also a centre for steel working as the waterways would power hammers, all driven by watermills. Later, many of those hammers were converted to steam and the waterways acted as a source of water for the steam engines.
Also I forgot to mention, the fact that Yorkshire and it's vast coal seems were close by also made it relatively easy to transport the coal from the mines via barges into the area and further south. Thus providing the fuel to power the engines much more cheaply than if the mills were situated further south. Not to mention said waterways could transport the goods to the ports, later tracked locomotives would transport the goods.
As for the coal, up until the 50s and early 60s, there were still bargees working the coal canals.
A real English Gent and proper bloke and legend.
That's what you call a professional 👏
You want to see him climbing the overhang ..::
A real English hero - unassuming, sense of humour and quietly competent.
A time when Britain was Great ,, Great British to the core was our Fred, A man and time sadly missed.
I wonder what he would make of things now.
Fred is my husband’s hero. I come from that part of England.
Fred was/is a legend... Truly ❤ His statue is in a Lancashire Town called Bolton, right outside my sons apartment..... Fred was the most humble, hardworking and genuine Northerner and would often invite folk into his home and yard for tea and biscuits.
They don't make men like Fred anymore........ He is climbing chimneys in heaven for sure 🙏♥️🕯️
Fred Dibnah is a legend he was a Steeplejack and chimney demolition by trade he was also a great engineer and restored steam traction engines he used old method knocking chimneys down brick by brick for re claimation or the other method which was by cutting into the side and proping up with wood setting a fire and then whoosh it would topple in a certain direction
‘I really don’t know how high he’s gonna go’ 😂 priceless, brace yourself and I hope your sitting comfortably. Dibnah is an absolute British legend! Much love from 🇬🇧
They dont make them like Fred anymore a real working class hero.. RIP Fred.
I'm from Bolton and Fred is a local legend. He used to drive around the town is a huge steam roller (for fun) and we have a huge statue of him in the town centre. He became well known as a steeplejack, someone who climbs industrial chimmneys. Usually to demolish them. He was fearless.
i have seen his old traction engine at a few steam fairs, it's a lovely machine.
i would not have done his work this way, i know it's how it used to be done, but, fortunatly now we have cherry pickers
The most down to Earth bloke who worked up near the clouds. RIP
He used to drive around in a steam roller, I remember him stopping in town to have a quick pint in't pub.
Fred's day-to-day transport was a battered, well-maintained 1950's open-back (pick-up truck, as our American friends would call it) Land Rover
- another British legend, like its driver.
There's a part 2 to this video. Another good video of Fred's is 'Climbing a Chimney at 50'.
Part 2 is in the afternoon after he'd been to the pub at lunchtime.
You should watch a video of Fred demolishing a chimney. He finishes off with his trademark 'did you like that' to the onlookers.
Fred was a great Character. I enjoyed seeing him bring big chimneys down by lighting a fire in one side. Keep Reacting.