I discovered this magnificent man less than 24 hrs ago and 19 years after his passing. I have searched and savored every interview, video and televised rebroadcast I have been able to locate and find myself curiously sad and missing an individual who I never once met or even knew existed. Just witnessing his passion has inspired me wonderfully. Even at my current age this beast of a man was still single-handedly tying ladders and scaffolding to 300+' chimneys and repairing or removing them. It is almost impossible to believe the Brits havnt appreciated his contributions enough to at least purchase his home, which was already historical when he purchased it, and memorialize it in his honor. I think I will have a "pint" in his honor this evening. Cheers.
“It’s only poverty and rust that’s holding the damn thing up* *been up here for a donkeys years* Every sentence this guy speaks is filled with amazing slang lol
Fred is my favourite Pom, a working class genius with a great sense of humour and gusto for learning new stuff, even when he was an old geezer, he was a truly inspiring man! He transmitted his enthusiasm for steam engines and the history of the industrial revolution so well that thousands of people have become admirers of the man, especially his philosophy which was very generous humanitarian and kind, like the man himself. A truly great man.
Only one Fred dibnah Never again will you find a block like this, he done everything himself, Learnt how to climb himself, learnt all the rigging etc. Such a legend, wish he was still young to make more show for us to watch
fred would,ve prob fixed it regardless whether they had any money or not,& ask then to just pay when they did have the money,like a lot of worker,s used to say year ago,& not charge them way over the top for it,but now these days its all about who can rip people off the most,& no-one will do anything for nothing,or on the cheap,
@@michaelgoulding6609 because as a self employed tradesperson you have to learn and practice alot of skills, it requires more knowledge than you think and you have to buy and maintain alot of expensive tools. Not to mention all the other overheads and hassles and insurances and book keeping. It takes over your entire life. But people see it as just a manual labour job and are shocked to find you want to charge more than just a regular minimum wage labour job. Yea, it'd be nice if we could all afford to work for a pittance/free. But that's not reality and I can assure you that Dibnah's services did not come cheap or for free either.
"give us a bit a slack donald..... donald lets go of the rope entirely!! hehe nice one, Fred total legend, always admired him since he first came on telly many years a go when i was a lad, totally fasicanated by how he works, the man is a genious, this country needs more like him who say bollocks to it just get on with it
Being a woman (kind of handy-do-it-self) with a large Victorian house in NL fr 38 yrs, did most of my repairs plus painting outside 2 floors high, do appreciate his work. I've wondered how these men managed such heights! Now I know .. Thanks Fred fr making it look so 'easy'.
Well, this one is "easy", in that he was able to take the stairs to the roof then lower himself down. Compared to a chimney where you have to start from the bottom.
@@beeble2003 - Yep. Watching him setting up hundreds of feet of ladders on a big chimney (including getting them round a damn great overhang) is fascinating and terrifying. I couldn't even climb the ladders, never mind rig them! :-)
Such a handy video. I Went to a job today and foremen said i had to clean the clocks face . I googled how to do it and this came up. Thank you fred, you made my day easier
mr dibnah it's been 18months - I think I'd send him a friendly letter - bless Fred he is so relaxed about life. His face at the end 'I wonder if they've any money ay'. Love Fred - if only blokes were like this now.
Fred came from a long tradition of steeplejacks going back hundreds of years. The trailblazers as far back as the 12th century or more developed and mastered the skills he demonstrates. Skills which have been in many cases supplanted by cranes and lifts. Window washing tall and supertall buildings including the Burj Khalifa is for the time being still performed manually but I suppose it is only a matter of time before that too is mechanized. Though for repair and maintenance of the exteriors of structures, there will always be a need for these skills. Recreational rock climbing also came out of this trade. Have done my own tree climbing myself using the same techniques. Exhilarating to be up there if you can and beautiful to watch if you are on the ground or via videos such as these!
All that you can see at 1:00 minute has gone now... big Sainsbury's supermarket on the left nowadays, big Morrison's supermarket on the right. The only building I think that is still there (apart from the church itself,which is no longer used as a church... ) is the group of 2 or 3 terraced houses in the foreground... which I think are now the Sweet Green tavern, a good real ale pub opposite the station.... how our town centres have become unrecognisable...
yeah, sunderland has changed that much now, you would not even know we made ships, all the ship yard grounds were redeveloped, into warehouses, and most of those are now gone for the new road and bridge.
@@procta2343 I was looking inside the last shipyard before the QA bridge, over the summer and could see a Mini and an Anglia inside, they had been there for a while! Sunderland council just doesn't want us to have any old buildings, and aside from a few things on the riverside and that plaque behind the Echo 52 building, there are no signs that we were once the largest ship building town in the world. We need a proper maritime museum. Still, at least the VAUX site etc is finally being redeveloped. Nowhere is as overlooked as Sunderland.
Gimme bit a slack Donald... Donald let’s go of the bloody rope all together!!! 🤣 ask Donald to give you an inch and he’ll give ya a mile. ~ I was a bit late to the party here...I just noticed I was definitely not the first to make that observation...which is really not surprising ~
Yes Fred was very special at what he did but there are stil many like him with us today. I work at a trade and meet talented men and women all the time.
At the end there it’s like visually a modern world is emerging behind him whilst he faces the other way, face full of industrial soot, defiantly of another age.
It was blokes like Fred that made Britain great in the day,...but sadly we are losing all the proper working class characters like Fred in this ever changing modern day world.......more's the pity
A dying breed. And taking all those hard-learned hands-on skills with them. Not a bloody degree/diploma to be seen, but true geniuses. When the last one goes, it'll all be gone. We should be ashamed.
"That bloody clock face, could pull it off if I wanted……….got any cigs?” Brilliant understatement. Today the place would be closed in seconds and health and safety hi vi’s everywhere
Not listening to a word Donald says either! Think Donald is trying to say the effects of the leak are in the main entrance and theres possibly a second paid job to sort that.... Holy Trinity Church, Bolton town centre outskirts. Can see the Sweet Green Tavern, still there, and Hick Hargreaves heavy engineering works which is now a retail park. Datewise 85 to 88 i reckon.
Amazing. Most of the ‘Appraisal’ and estimate would be done with high definition quad copters (drones) nowadays. Of course, the actual work would have to be manually done by Fred. But, what a saving!
Every company should expect to be treated as important by advising them when an established start date cannot be achieved because not every man is as important as Fred Dibner and his expertise high up on his ladders grazing his knees.
It wasn't mate. This church has been flats for many years. His service was done at the Parish Church on the other side of Town centre. This is Trinity church facing what is now Sainsbury's and Trinity retail park.
Church saying thieve not got a lot of money = reason why they've got a lot of money. Similar truck used by certain other members of society. Clever and works well over time.
What can be said of you who has the 'grace & balls' of Burt Munroe, & the 'warming humility' of Keith Richards within you're laugh? Was once a bricklayer for a while in my mid 20's & i'll be sure to look you up in the post resurrection, to compare notes on these pushy client sorts. 122717
you have all said it well, i will say no more , only his house is now empty and for sale , i would love to rent it and open for all to see ,, for free, i would open up all the yard, and get all working again,, its just a mess as it is ,, never mind,, hes the MAN """ kev
Irate Vickers.! lmfao!give some slack donald.he let's go of the rope!lol!pure legend Fred...I can see a church jumble sale after Fred s talked to Vicker....
I'm across the pond but Mr. Dibnah is legend here as well. As an old sailor, seeing him up in that rig warms my heart.
Yep, Bosun's chair!
Hah! Makes ya wanna grab a paint brush, right?
You are a very kind young man..👍🇬🇧
I discovered this magnificent man less than 24 hrs ago and 19 years after his passing.
I have searched and savored every interview, video and televised rebroadcast I have been able to locate and find myself curiously sad and missing an individual who I never once met or even knew existed.
Just witnessing his passion has inspired me wonderfully.
Even at my current age this beast of a man was still single-handedly tying ladders and scaffolding to 300+' chimneys and repairing or removing them.
It is almost impossible to believe the Brits havnt appreciated his contributions enough to at least purchase his home, which was already historical when he purchased it, and memorialize it in his honor.
I think I will have a "pint" in his honor this evening.
Cheers.
He also used to drink lot's and beat the fuck out of his wife true story haha
“It’s only poverty and rust that’s holding the damn thing up* *been up here for a donkeys years*
Every sentence this guy speaks is filled with amazing slang lol
I thought I saw ALL of Fred's videos many times. Missed this one. RIP for a one of a kind Bloke.
Fred is my favourite Pom, a working class genius with a great sense of humour and gusto for learning new stuff, even when he was an old geezer, he was a truly inspiring man! He transmitted his enthusiasm for steam engines and the history of the industrial revolution so well that thousands of people have become admirers of the man, especially his philosophy which was very generous humanitarian and kind, like the man himself. A truly great man.
You wrote this comment 12 years ago, are you still alive?
@@AlanWattResistance might have had his half day with the undertaker
@@ophiophagush.3926 Ahahaha! I hope not though.
@Paul Fryer You're a truly pathetic snowflake,get back to your safe space
@@AlanWattResistance are you still alive 😁
"Give me a bit o slack!" Noooot thaaaaaaaaat muuuuuuccccchhhh Donaaaaald !!!
😂
Only one Fred dibnah
Never again will you find a block like this, he done everything himself,
Learnt how to climb himself, learnt all the rigging etc.
Such a legend, wish he was still young to make more show for us to watch
Guy Martin is pretty similar but in the motor world and engineering
But in some countries, this is normal today
" It could very easily turn a wedding into a funeral" Priceless..
He came out with some blinders didn't he !
I suppose the chapel would get two lots of revenue in a short space of time.
Isn't that how things always go?
"I wonder if they have any money?" slightly nudges friend and laughs..
😂 😂 😂
fred would,ve prob fixed it regardless whether they had any money or not,& ask then to just pay when they did have the money,like a lot of worker,s used to say year ago,& not charge them way over the top for it,but now these days its all about who can rip people off the most,& no-one will do anything for nothing,or on the cheap,
@@michaelgoulding6609 because as a self employed tradesperson you have to learn and practice alot of skills, it requires more knowledge than you think and you have to buy and maintain alot of expensive tools.
Not to mention all the other overheads and hassles and insurances and book keeping. It takes over your entire life.
But people see it as just a manual labour job and are shocked to find you want to charge more than just a regular minimum wage labour job.
Yea, it'd be nice if we could all afford to work for a pittance/free.
But that's not reality and I can assure you that Dibnah's services did not come cheap or for free either.
@@flyingjackcarpentry9394 I'm a tree surgeon and your bang on with my trade atleast 😂
@@michaelgoulding6609 sounds you're the one wanting to rip folk off.
"give us a bit a slack donald..... donald lets go of the rope entirely!! hehe nice one, Fred total legend, always admired him since he first came on telly many years a go when i was a lad, totally fasicanated by how he works, the man is a genious, this country needs more like him who say bollocks to it just get on with it
"Give me a bit o slack!"
Lets go of rope.
I know right?! Jesus! Great job belaying!
Well that’s banter for you. He knew what Fred meant
LMAO
I laughed when Donald just let go of the rope 😂😂
Lol, damn this made me burst out laughing. Bit of a rarity these days
Being a woman (kind of handy-do-it-self) with a large Victorian house in NL fr 38 yrs, did most of my repairs plus painting outside 2 floors high, do appreciate his work. I've wondered how these men managed such heights! Now I know .. Thanks Fred fr making it look so 'easy'.
You go girl :)
Well, this one is "easy", in that he was able to take the stairs to the roof then lower himself down. Compared to a chimney where you have to start from the bottom.
@@beeble2003 - Yep. Watching him setting up hundreds of feet of ladders on a big chimney (including getting them round a damn great overhang) is fascinating and terrifying.
I couldn't even climb the ladders, never mind rig them! :-)
What you doing out the kitchen..
@@beakofthesouth2666 What are you doing slagging off hard working ladies on the internet...? Not that she cares I am sure
Such a handy video. I Went to a job today and foremen said i had to clean the clocks face . I googled how to do it and this came up. Thank you fred, you made my day easier
This man was absolutely marvelous. RIP Fred. You were the epitome of ingenious.
Thanks to our old boy Fred here, I now know how to inspect, and repair stuff I'll never be within 300ft of in my life.
Love seeing this old footage. My heart will always be in Bolton.
a true northener. one mistake and its half a day out with the undertaker like you know.
mr dibnah it's been 18months - I think I'd send him a friendly letter - bless Fred he is so relaxed about life. His face at the end 'I wonder if they've any money ay'. Love Fred - if only blokes were like this now.
The fall will never kill ya. It's the sudden stop that usually does it.
“I wander if they’ve got any money” this guy is my hero
*wonder. A wander is when you walk aimlessly.
mezsh
He's quoting how Fred said it.
@@SteveMHN pronounced
Yep, I bet he would have done it regardless of if they had the money
"Wander" is still nowhere near the pronunciation though
that man was great,love watching him sadly missed.
Fred came from a long tradition of steeplejacks going back hundreds of years. The trailblazers as far back as the 12th century or more developed and mastered the skills he demonstrates. Skills which have been in many cases supplanted by cranes and lifts. Window washing tall and supertall buildings including the Burj Khalifa is for the time being still performed manually but I suppose it is only a matter of time before that too is mechanized. Though for repair and maintenance of the exteriors of structures, there will always be a need for these skills. Recreational rock climbing also came out of this trade. Have done my own tree climbing myself using the same techniques. Exhilarating to be up there if you can and beautiful to watch if you are on the ground or via videos such as these!
The twin towers of the World Trade Center had robots to clean the windows.
You wondering how many countries in the eastern hemisphere work similar like this
Everyone needs an uncle like Fred . What man rip . ❤
Love this - good old Fred and his look at life from above!
the bosons chair ropes scraping over the edge stones OMG! Fred the man the SAS look up to!
Oh Fred I wish I could have seen you work or been old enough to talk to you , hope your having a pint , and polishing a great big engine in heaven.
Hebygum. Fred was one in a million!he was a pure legend...RIP fred
All that you can see at 1:00 minute has gone now... big Sainsbury's supermarket on the left nowadays, big Morrison's supermarket on the right. The only building I think that is still there (apart from the church itself,which is no longer used as a church... ) is the group of 2 or 3 terraced houses in the foreground... which I think are now the Sweet Green tavern, a good real ale pub opposite the station.... how our town centres have become unrecognisable...
yeah, sunderland has changed that much now, you would not even know we made ships, all the ship yard grounds were redeveloped, into warehouses, and most of those are now gone for the new road and bridge.
@@procta2343 I was looking inside the last shipyard before the QA bridge, over the summer and could see a Mini and an Anglia inside, they had been there for a while!
Sunderland council just doesn't want us to have any old buildings, and aside from a few things on the riverside and that plaque behind the Echo 52 building, there are no signs that we were once the largest ship building town in the world.
We need a proper maritime museum.
Still, at least the VAUX site etc is finally being redeveloped. Nowhere is as overlooked as Sunderland.
This on Trinity Street in Bolton. If you look at it on google maps you can still see the hooks he used in to hold it in place.
rip fred , a great man
Spot on this don't happen overnight
Nobody would follow my grandpa up the ladder, steeple jacks said he had balls bigger than a Africa elephant 🐘
Legend says Red bull stunt men sit round the camp fire telling Fred dibnah stories.
Finally! I have been looking everywhere for a how to so I can inspect my tower's clock face.
Soon as his feet touch the ground "Got any cigs?". What a man!
Gimme bit a slack Donald...
Donald let’s go of the bloody rope all together!!! 🤣 ask Donald to give you an inch and he’ll give ya a mile.
~ I was a bit late to the party here...I just noticed I was definitely not the first to make that observation...which is really not surprising ~
From an era when men were men. What a legend Fred is. R.I.P lad.
I hear you, sister. Pre-2001 when all men were repurposed as ostriches.
Yes Fred was very special at what he did but there are stil many like him with us today.
I work at a trade and meet talented men and women all the time.
fred R.I.P you was a true guy no bull shit just has it was and plenty of balls
Classic line - "The bride would end up with two rings - a wedding ring n a big cast iron one - you know!"
The only Englishman I ever loved, I'm a Irishman, but I appreciate a honest down to earth human being no matter where he's from., ✊☘️
Wedding and a cast iron ring ! Priceless ...
Good on you Fred . Hubbard wrote a book called "Lives you wish to leed" steeple Jack in it. Cool book.
At the end there it’s like visually a modern world is emerging behind him whilst he faces the other way, face full of industrial soot, defiantly of another age.
Fred relished in restoration work yet is more famous for his demolitions.
What a cool dude...
It was blokes like Fred that made Britain great in the day,...but sadly we are losing all the proper working class characters like Fred in this ever changing modern day world.......more's the pity
A dying breed. And taking all those hard-learned hands-on skills with them. Not a bloody degree/diploma to be seen, but true geniuses. When the last one goes, it'll all be gone. We should be ashamed.
My late uncle Stanley did something like this for a few pints of beer on high church spire roof no ladders he was amazingly strong and agile
Give us a bit of slack now Donald. So he lets go completely of the rope 😂😂
"That bloody clock face, could pull it off if I wanted……….got any cigs?” Brilliant understatement. Today the place would be closed in seconds and health and safety hi vi’s everywhere
Not listening to a word Donald says either! Think Donald is trying to say the effects of the leak are in the main entrance and theres possibly a second paid job to sort that....
Holy Trinity Church, Bolton town centre outskirts. Can see the Sweet Green Tavern, still there, and Hick Hargreaves heavy engineering works which is now a retail park.
Datewise 85 to 88 i reckon.
Legend.
No overalls just an old tweed suit 😂 and wee Donald on the pully
Great line,only thing holding it on are poverty and rust.
what a top bloke, i half expect him to send granville out on deliveries.
0:14 its great for Fred but notice no one gives credit to the cameraman filming from above him!
Turn a wedding into a funeral! Briliant comment.
I ifind watching fred is so relaxing
2:29 Guy elaborately checking the time on his wristwatch after staring at a 10 foot clock face.
Comes down from a dangerous height… says he could pull the clock face off, and then says “have you got any cigs?”… priorities 😂
Wonderful to see this giant of a man at work, but not a skill I will be needing any time soon
That last comment had me laughing 😇😂😇
😂 The sub titles are funny.
Amazing. Most of the ‘Appraisal’ and estimate would be done with high definition quad copters (drones) nowadays. Of course, the actual work would have to be manually done by Fred. But, what a saving!
looking at the mortar and block wont tell you if its sound or friable... sometimes you need to be up there to poke and prod it
Give us abit of slack Donald….
Donald: let’s go
great man, funny too... wedding turning into funeral... 2 rings she will not only have a wedding ring, the bride will have a big cast iron ring haha
A BOSUNS CHAIR is NO HOPE I CAN tell you 😨WHAT A GEEZER 👍👍👍👍👊👏✌g
He reminds me of guy Martin.
Funny - Guy Martin always reminds me of Fred Dibnah
Good vid
Thanks for uploading
‘got any cigs’
I love this man!
THIS is A MAN !!!!!!!!
OSHA would have FITS here across da pond !!!
Oops , sticks his boot through clock face , “ sorry your reverend , seems you have a problem here .”
And this was one of the "easier" jobs he did.
Reminds me of Back To The Future scene
Every company should expect to be treated as important by advising them when an established start date cannot be achieved because not every man is as important as Fred Dibner and his expertise high up on his ladders grazing his knees.
Omg its Frank Drebin again
0:00 holy trinity church Chimes
from what i have read, it wont be chiming for a good long while
bare hands galore :
Heights be scared of Fred
Real question is how did they put that heavy clock up there
"Eighteen inch..." "Aye..."
Bloody great hole..."
"Aye..."
"Flippin' cast iron..."
"Aye..."
"Chat wi' 't vicar"
"Aye..."
"Cost a few bob..."
"' Appen..."
Northern real men gerrin' proper animated.
Wow thanks for sharing
Never get stoned at work. 3.01
why not? fred was on the bucket bongs 1st thing in a morning he loved it.
Great man!! 👏👏👏
I really don't like being here says Fred. I shit myself standing on a chair.
Holy Trinity, Bolton. Sadly redundant now and converted into flats
@MichaelKingsfordGray Thats a bit unfair. You are full of hatred.
Fred's bosuns chair was reinforced to carry his huge balls.rope too.
Carry on Fred,wherever you are mate.
British legend
Freds service was done at this church
It wasn't mate. This church has been flats for many years. His service was done at the Parish Church on the other side of Town centre. This is Trinity church facing what is now Sainsbury's and Trinity retail park.
Who the fuck is thumbing these videos down!
One of the Vicars? You're right though. Miserable b*stards!
freds ex wives
So fred dont only sweep and demolish chimney.
Church saying thieve not got a lot of money = reason why they've got a lot of money. Similar truck used by certain other members of society. Clever and works well over time.
2:59 plenty of slack lol
The ropes are rubbing on the stonework at the top,fuck that !
Anyone know how he rigs his bosun's chair? I still use the same one but can't absail as fast as him?
This church is flats now.
Got some cigs
What can be said of you who has the 'grace & balls' of Burt Munroe, & the 'warming humility' of Keith Richards within you're laugh? Was once a bricklayer for a while in my mid 20's & i'll be sure to look you up in the post resurrection, to compare notes on these pushy client sorts. 122717
Sold to be Diers kiwi Burt Monroe
Legend 👍
you have all said it well, i will say no more , only his house is now empty and for sale , i would love to rent it and open for all to see ,, for free, i would open up all the yard, and get all working again,, its just a mess as it is ,, never mind,, hes the MAN """ kev
Irate Vickers.! lmfao!give some slack donald.he let's go of the rope!lol!pure legend Fred...I can see a church jumble sale after Fred s talked to Vicker....