Fred Dibnah's Bolton, Pt 1: Fred's former home & workshops
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ต.ค. 2019
- Part 1 of Mr H and his friend Mike exploring a few of the locations around the historically Lancastrian town of Bolton that are still closely linked to the late great Fred Dibnah, starting with the legendary Steeplejack's former home and workshops located on Radcliffe Road to see how they look today.
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What a disgrace his workshops and tools weren't kept in pristine condition.That place was as important as any stately home in England.Shame on the Heritage Trust.Future generations need to know what knowledge and values Fred gave to Britain.A true Brit more important than most..certainly talked more sense than any politician of late.Thank you for the video.But very sad to see.
BBC should've contributed also
I couldn't agree more Bonnie. Such a shame.
Heritage & Lottery refused to give Leon the money as he only owned the property. He did NOT have the families permission to turn it into a shrine.
& with all the upset he caused the family, he never would.
The family don’t call him ‘Leon Poundsign ‘ for nothing.
Do your research. If you want to support the memory of Fred, do it through his 2x sons, Not this shyster!
P.s. I’m NOT connected with the Dinah family, I just did my research.
Dave Smith I’ve been trying to do some research recently and that is the impression I get.
Everything got sold at auction. Even old filing cabinets filled with clutter with a draw missing wer auctioned off down to a few of Fred's old hammers and spanners in job lots of 3 or 5. The auction house put 90% of Fred's tools up between £20 to £40. They whole house and contents and traction engines and toolsheds should have been left intact and bought by the nation as a permanent historic place of pilgrimage for his many fans and schools should have taken the younger kids to visit and do projects Fred was interested in preserving. They would have learnt a great deal of how we used to live and how the industrial age began.
Fred Dibnah was a fantastic all round man. I never get tired of watching his videos. So so interesting, compared to the rubbish that's on TV today.
Fantastic place he lived in good piece history look nice house modern place
We love fred in the southern USA. So much like the men I grew up with. Keep his kind of knowledge alive and tackle those projects you've been wanting to. Push yourselves. With love from the USA
I had tea with Fred in his kitchen one afternoon - god bless him
Great video. Thanks very much. Did you notice all those platform slabs, some lying around, some stacked and some laid...now THAT is a yard floor.
Lucky sod 😀👍👍👍
Came across Fred on TH-cam a few weeks ago, I've been watching all his documentaries since. They seem timeless. I had my first pint of Guiness this evening and felt very thankful to have found Fred. Thank you for helping to keep his memory alive!
Yeah its such a shame they didnt keep his yard as it was! That was a lifetime of work that went into that! thanks for taking me back there buddy! Liked and supported!
Fred was a legend , the world is a lesser place for his passing. Sadly missed. RIP Fred.
Freds spirit is still there,did anyone else sense that ? our National treasure who was born just a bit too late but he lived the life he wanted,there is just a touch of sadness about all of this,we loved you Fred and still do.
First off, can I say how much I like your accent :-) I do think regional accents are a national treasure that must be preserved. You might like this ,many years ago I went to Blists Hill Industrial Museum (By Madeley, Telford in Shropshire) as Fred was going to be there signing his latest book. While I was milling about waiting for the book signing to start I was looking at one of the volunteers who was having great problem getting a small steam rollers fire started, next thing I knew Fred walked up, took of his work jacket and got stuck in helping the lad.
As if this was not a great indicator of what a down to earth bloke Fred was a bit later at the signing Fred had a chat with with every one who wanted a book signed. Now being a decent bloke he did not just scribble his name like some "celebrities" he wrote a personal message is the most wonderful boiler plate hand writing. His wife at the time said " oh just sign your name Fred" Fred turned round and said"some of these people have come a long ways to see me" she then shut up!
I treasure meeting a wonderfully down to earth honest working man. Rest In Peace Fred
Thank you Mr. H for the video. Over the last 3 months ive been watching Fred dibnah on TH-cam and dvd ive bought and I never realised how much tv work Fred did. I come from Wigan however I moved away for 31 years to join the army so only returned to Wigan in 2021 and I just want to say THANK YOU for your video because I stood proud outside Fred's house and I was allowed a look at the sheds ECT in the yard. But without you Mr. H I managed to find Fred's resting place to pay my respects to the great man. I've left a dvd cover at the grave with a note on it to Fred. If you ever go back to the grave please please have a look at it. Once again thank you Mr. H
Regards
Sir Damon k. Wheeler KBE
Sir Fred Dibnah & Isambard Kingdom Brunel would have been great mates. R.I.P To you both.
Thanks for showing us Fred’s house you can almost hear him talk when you are looking around , he was salt of the earth , there will never be men like him again , god bless Fred .
Bolton council made plenty money out of Fred so did the BBC, them and the heritage trust allowed his legacy to be dismantled.
His last wife Sheila was in a legal battle with the family over rights to her share of his estate forcing his sons to sell the traction engine he had left them in his will.....not nice not what Fred would of wanted.
Luckily the bloke that bought it keeps them both involved in maintaining and showing it including driving it.
Fred’s workshop was mostly steam driven! The original steam punk, Bolton calling! Freds tool got auctioned off they were probably 100 years old when he was using them. That’s the thing with tools, some of them will stills be getting used properly and doing their thing. Half my workshop is older than me, 3rd generation at least. The wheels of industry keep turning but a less skilled place without people like Fred.. Absolute legend and one of the greatest working class Englishman who ever lived balls of steel, stout in the veins, a bronze lightning rod wit and a heart of gold. Climb high Fred
A lovely look at the life of Fred, one of England's true eccentrics. The videos of Fred laddering a chimney are nothing short of industrial works of art. Much missed!
He was an incredible all round engineer, not many left of that type of engineers. You have an amazing accent too.🙏
Nice little vid mr H love watching anything to do with the great man. Thankyou
Fred was such a fab character loved all of his videos. Many thanks for this. ……
Good one , lads. Really enjoyed watching it and I was always a fan of Fred's activities, back in the day. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for this Mr H. I've only been round to gaze and take a few photos through the railings, am still in awe of Fred even after all these years since his passing.
No problem Cloudmaker, and I'm glad that you enjoyed the video. Originally the plan was to just film Fred's former home from the outside and what little of the garden is visible through the railings when the current owner Leon Powsney came out and invited us in to have a look around. Obviously we jumped at the chance! But due to not wanting to abuse Leon's kind offer and hospitality I kept filming to a minimum however I could have happily spent hours in there.
@@MrHsHotPot You captured it perfectly 👌
Brilliant video well enjoyed it thank you Fred seem like a proper character and one off
Fred was a man and a half, if we had bred more men like Fred ,is this poetry as Fred would have said, no this country would be a far better place.
fandabydozy Definitely 👍🏻
Is your profile name in relevance to The Crankies ? 😂
A Truly Likeable , Talented , and Genuine Man . Bolton through and through . RIP .
I enjoyed this video, seeing part of. Fred's real life. Facinating and a fitting tribute to a fascinating legand.
Fred was a down to earth, no nonsense type of guy, who called a shilling a shilling. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of Britain`s great industrial age, the type of man that our country needs today. I could imagine, being sat in a pub with him and never getting bored. R.I.P Fred.
Really great video fred was hero of mine many thanks making this video
I first became aware of Fred when I was 8 yrs old and his first documentary was on in 1979. Fred's story was greately sad. It makes me sad seeing his house now.
Very interesting, thanks for posting. 👍
many thanks for filming his house and work area, keep up your good work,
If Fred had any idea that all his hard work and tools would be gone after he died he be pissed that nobody put it to use he showed us that it was all worth it to keep this stuff going That’s what’s wrong with the generation today we’re forgetting about the past
I absolutely agree I'm 33 I totally agree
Absolutely wonderful" Fred Dibnah was the ultimate superior "a real Great British man and of men ,that made our country,,and they should of been in our governments, there would of been, no wastage, economic,no waffle and industry's would be thriving, pride,law and order, he was a magnificent historian, its crying shame this mans knowledge, intelligence,love and pride,wasn't at the peak, and now this is why ,,we are where we are now,,
Thanks for the update.
Enjoy every minute thanks for showing us again ture legend 👍👍👍👍😁😁😁👍😀
Thanks for posting! ❤️🙋🏻♂️🏴👏👍
Nice one mate,i called at Fred's about three times on one occasion he was sat in front of the chimney chucking wood on the fire for the boiler to keep the engine running cheers Steve ..
Great memories, I went a couple of years ago and bought a ‘dog’ (the tool used to attach ladders to walls), now used for holding up a hanging basket. A shame Bolton council didn’t show an interest early on, would have made a great educational centre as well as museum.
Liberals dont like history. Or honor much of anything. Love from Texas.
Well Put Together Video Lads! Should be Proud of Yourselves! Well Done.
Sad to see shead empty. Met Fred ones at local vintage rally. Nice man full of interesting story's.
Very enjoyable thank you....👍
Looks like it’s been sold - I drove past and had a look I noticed work had been done in the garden and lots of cars in and around Fred’s old sheds
I was fortunate to visit this place in 2010 when it first opened. Managed to meet Sheila Dibnah on the day who was lovely. All Fred's gear was still there then, even his old jumper but visitors over time had half inched a lot of stuff. That chimney also had his ladders attached which you were allowed to climb but I bottled it half way up. The wife managed it though.
Hi Ian, it's one of my greatest regrets that I didn't pay Fred's former home a visit when the Heritage Centre was still open. Sadly it was on my 'to do list' and now it's on my 'never got done list' although this visit was the next best thing I suppose. Unfortunately it is widely known that things rapidly soured between Sheila Dibnah and the Heritage Centre's owner Leon Powsney shortly after it opened so you can consider yourself one of the privileged few to have experienced meeting her in this setting. As for climbing the chimney in Fred's yard I do know that there were structural concerns regarding it's future as cracks had started to appear in it back in 2010. So maybe the opportunity to climb it was a short lived experience as I should imagine that in this H&S obsessed world that we now live in there would be those type of concerns with offering the public this type of experience as well. Thanks for commenting, sharing your memories and all the best. 👍
@@MrHsHotPot That's a shame, they seemed to get on so well when I was visiting. I wonder what went wrong there then ? I took quite a few photos of stuff around his yard at the time. Interesting place but I don't think I could live there myself, especially as you wouldn't get much sun being in a dip. Also, I walked around for a good hour before I found his grave so you did well to find it. When Fred did his last tour he visited Anderton boat lift which is pretty much on our doorstep. Sadly I didn't know about it otherwise I would have been there to see him film.
@@MrHsHotPot Probably an argument over her cut from the profits, as Fred's family wouldn't allow Leon £ Powsney to use his name & legacy to be exploited. Sheila on the other hand had no problem wiith this, unless she wasn't getting her share, as per the will.
Great video, but so sad Fred's workshops are all empty now, rip Fred.
Mr dibnah was a legend, remember me dad always watching him!
Just bricks and mortar now but Fred put the soul into that building. Shame. Really love the bloke. He was a great insight into history.
Sad loss but sadder still is the fact that uncontrolled immigration in time will kill off all Freds work and memory
Mr H Hotpot really enjoy your videos of the legend Fred Dibnah mate Fred brought a chimney down in 1989 at Ballymena paper mill Mr H Hotpot when you watch Fred's Videos you never get tired of watching he earned that MBE for services to engineering Mr H Hotpot he called one of his steam engines Betsy his mother was called Betsy, he wasn't long in his grave that someone broke in and removed the name plaque of the steam engine
Nice video , and filmed with respect .
Cheers Matt, we tried to be as respectful as we could both to Fred's memory and the current owner Leon Powsney, who I am grateful to for allowing us to take a look around Fred's former home and workshops. Glad you enjoyed the video and all the best. 👍
Real sorry to find out that the Heritage Center closed I visited it in 2016, really enjoyed it. There was quite a bit to see then, it's a shame what's not there now.
Fred needs to be remembered. Thank you.
It's amazing how Fred had the time to do all the different things did, most in great detail.
I always remember Fred appearing on television in the Russel Harty talk show in the 1970's, Fred asked Russel do you mind if I smoke (cigarette) he lit one up. that would not happen today.
Gotta love old Fred .. off to pt2 now
Yep old Fred was definitely a 'character' Graham, hope that you enjoyed Pt 1 and had a chuckle when I showed the chimney.... Give my regards to Peter. 😉 Lol.
I had the pleasure of chatting to Fred for about an hour in the bar after a meeting where he'd been invited to give a talk about some of his exploits. He was so unassuming and friendly. A real pleasure to have had the chance to get to know him a little. He mentioned that he never made much money from the BBC for all those programmes. This would have been about 2001 or 2002 I think.
Did a visit to the house when was ran as a visitor centre. Was definitely an experience.
Hi mate Leon Powsney he did a good job trying to keep it open as a musieum under present circumstances and we must respect the new owners who now own Fred Dibnah's homestead as we look at the homestead we see the hands of a true crafts man who could turn his hand to anything it is amazing in some ways how I saw Fred's love of steam a real engineer
It's a crime how it wasn't kept as a museum 😢
Thanks for sharing
ee baa gum that were a great video :-)
Just subbed really enjoyed this video 👍
Brilliant mr h remember watching freds programmes with my late father think he’d have loved to have had a place like that when he was doing his steam engine and never knew he was a doctor 👍
Cheers Andrew, and glad that you enjoyed the video. 👍 Like yourself I watched many of the earlier documentaries with my father and it was amazing to see and stand in many of the spots that have become so familiar from those documentaries and I am grateful to Leon Powsney the as yet current owner for inviting us into Fred's former home and workshops for an hour or so to have a look around. That said it was quite sad in a way to see the property that had once been Fred's pride and joy in a semi dismantled state as many of the unique industrial features built by Fred have now been either semi or completely removed presumably either auctioned or privately sold off.
Really interesting mate.
Cheers Jason. 👍 Glad that you enjoyed the video and apologies for not replying to your comments on the last couple of videos that I made whilst I was in Florida. Since returning to the UK I've been really busy playing catch up with work etc. but hopefully I'm back on top of things again now. 😉
@@MrHsHotPot no problem mucker. Loving the videos very interesting and informative. Toby is coming on a treat you must be very proud. Looking forward to NY next lesson. Kind regards Jason. By the way I live in Eccles so not far from you guys.
Thank you.
A very nice looking pie
All the best
Brilliant but sad nice to see the yard again
It felt a bit strange Brian, TBH walking around what remains of Fred's yard as you half expect him to walk out of the shed or house after popping in for a brew. Sadly I never got round to visiting Fred's house when it became a Heritage Museum so I'm grateful to the current owner Leon Powsney for inviting us in and allowing us to take a look around.
Just found you on TH-cam. Great content and a fantastic video thanks for sharing. New subscriber here, Del 👍
This is a great 👍
I worked for the Bolton Evening News for many years, and spent some considerable time in the house and workshop, along with his last wife, Sheila, as I was on the photographic team. The workshop was crammed with tools and equipment, along with one of his steam engines.
It's such a shame to see it like that without the steam engines andr the effort and all of Fred's hard work has gone. Unfortunately, but he will never be forgotten. That's for sure.
I went to Fred’s grave a few weeks ago, quite easy to find. I also seen what looks like smoke coming out of the remember too and on closer inspection it looks like a steam train on a side view!
How sad on reading the comments and learning that everything in the garden was auctioned off ,I was on the understanding after Fred's passing that it was to be kept as a museum... Very sad
Originally that was the idea Christopher, but sadly the current owner of the property couldn't raise any interest from the type of organisations that you would have thought would have jumped at the chance to fund something as unique as the 'Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre' and secure it for future generations to enjoy. Personally I don't blame the current owner for calling it a day after seven years and having to deal with the negativity and ill will that he has had aimed at him from some quarters. Whilst the decision to auction off Fred's tools etc. will be cited as proof by those who claimed Leon Powsney was only ever in it for the money, it has given many of Fred's fans out there the unique opportunity to own something that once belonged to Fred and for the seven years that the Heritage Centre was open it also gave people the unique opportunity to step into Fred Dibnah's world for an hour or two.
He was an amazing man, a one-off.
9:56 it is a deceptively big house, compared to what we see at the front.
Aye, Fred's spirit was there in't back shed like! Rest in Peace Fred. Great video Mr H.
spot on lads
Would love to look round there, i took a picture of the b&b in Blackpool he stayed in
Iits ALL about the money lads like my wife soon to be x she just wants the money ,she can piss off.
The heritage centre closed?? I only recently discovered this legend and I was hoping I might one day get to see his famous shed. I hope it's brought back to its former glory at some point.
I’m not sure it can be all of the content was auctioned off won’t be the same now
"Sikander Grt Khan
3 weeks ago
My cousin bought the house from auction a few months ago feel so lucky to be around this time capsule it’s a shame the property Wes neglected by Fred’s family"
Not looking likely Mr Turtle!
I would like to go for a walk with you one day. Looks interesting
Heard a story once about Fred being on top of a chimney and looking down he saw Donald chatting to a posh bloke in a suit. When he came down he asked Donald what did he want? He said he was after some business and would give you 10% off. What's he do ? said fred......Donald said " he's an Undertaker"
One of freds famous saying
Half a day with the undertaker
He was the last of his kind. They'll never be another Fred Dibnah again.
Fortunately my nephew bought this house a few months ago it’s so big around the back
Good video mate 👍
Cheers John, glad to hear that you enjoyed the video and all the best. 👍
@@MrHsHotPot all the best mate I love this video 👍
Yes i did i did like that. RIP Fred.
Cheers Alan. 👍 Glad as always to hear that you enjoyed the video. Ideally I would have liked to have got more footage from the inside of Fred's former home and workshops but as the invite by the current owner to take a look around was both spontaneous and unexpected I didn't want to outstay our welcome. Anyway Part 2 of this video has now been uploaded if you haven't already watched it. th-cam.com/video/u_OYMl5lbhM/w-d-xo.html
Spent a few hours in the house when everything was in place. I was a photographer on the Bolton News, and met Sheila, his wife, on a number of occasions at the house, complete with, two of his engines, and a shed crammed with tools.
Would you show your photos 📷
Unfortunately, I now don’t have access to the photographs, as the copyright belongs to Newsquest and not to me! You could however, obtain copies from the Bolton News, but you would have to pay for them! boltonnews.newsprints.co.uk/search/scu/p/u/58356/7/fred%20dibnah
I wish I did the tour years ago but missed it, a friend went on it and said it was a little amusing, as they were trying to sell stuff. See theyre still trying to sell it.
Sad seeing the place without Fred there.
A true legend of Bolton what a character Fred was they don’t make em like that no more
Used to bumb into Fred when I worked around Bolton as a tree surgeon great bloke and his lad who was older than Fred proper bloke
Hi mate the chimney he built in his back yard is a smaller scale if you look at his mothers house
What a shame, his workshop wasn't preserved! 🙁
If I could have any four people to dinner Fred would be one of them!✌️
Should have been awarded "Listed Building" status imo
The building itself was awarded Grade II listed status before Fred Dibnah bought it in 1980 Alec, but the workshops, 40/50ft chimney and mine shaft are not listed and all of them can be removed from the property by a new owner without permission should they wish to remove them.
That would be a terrible thing to do like ripping the heart from his labour of hard work and dedication to the work he did,please please let someone responsible show the respect the place deserves,I know her had to fight the authorities to do what he did,we want someone who is prepared to keep at least some part alive and even restore the wonderful workshop to how it was.
I’ve just Come back from Fred’s House and it’s in new ownership the New owner is a really great guy He Showed us around the place. But I have mixed Feelings about because there is absolutely nothing left it’s all been sold off from Spanner’s to machinery really sad. But hopefully the new owner has some real good plans for It an I will definitely be back. God bless you fred .
A great video, & a big thank you. Do You know what happened to his family & his first wife Allison I think she was called
Hi Andrew, I'm not 100% sure on this but I'm sure I read somewhere that his first wife Alison remarried. Sadly Fred remained estranged from his three daughters from his first marriage for many years. He reunited with one of them apparently as late as 1998 when he married his third wife Sheila Grundy and his daughter turned up at their wedding but sadly Fred failed to recognise her at first.
I found one of many of Fred’s projects fascinating was he was sinking a shaft in is back yard to make is own Coal Mine but I believe that the local authorities stopped it “what a remarkable man”
I believe that the replica pit headgear that Fred built John, pre dates the shaft that it eventually sat over and was originally just a standalone feature in his yard. As John Smith states a lot of the heavy work (digging) of the shaft was carried out by friends and other volunteers who just wanted to be able to say they had worked on one of Fred's projects with him. There's a video knocking about on TH-cam somewhere from 2003 showing Fred sat holding court and I think eating a pie with a group of these friends and volunteers in the area shown at 7:26 in my video. It was quite eerie seeing that empty stool just left there like that and I got goosebumps when I saw it as you half expect Fred to come around the corner saying "How do!" in that unmistakeable Boltonian Lancastrian drawl that he was famous for.
Mr H's Hot Pot thank you for the information really interesting and grateful.
I managed to get the headgear for the museum before it went to a private collector in Cumbria .
My mate Jack and his dad helped me get it to Astley :)
Hi James, funnily enough Leon Powsney told us this very story when I asked him about what had happened to the headgear when he showed us the shaft in the garden. Although he didn't mention any names of who was involved or give away too many details of how the private collector from Cumbria was persuaded to give up his claim on the headgear as I believe he had already closed the deal with Leon and was about to remove it when you enquired about it for the museum. Thankfully because of your efforts it's now at Astley (which is a place I must visit one day) for all to see rather than in the hands of some private collector and only for the eyes of a selected few, so a big thumbs up from me for that. 👍
@@MrHsHotPot Let me know when you are going to visit the museum and I'll tell you exactly what happened !
So happy that I managed to get it :)
Fred must have been in constant motion all the time. RIP.
I really miss seeing him release the steam into the woods
Steady on now, this is a family video.
You should see if you can a sort of interview with fred dibnahs sons
I got the chance to see everything when it was a heritage centre got loads pictures
There are some fantastic videos online of when the Heritage Centre was open Lee, and all Fred's stuff was still in there. Sadly a visit to the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre was on my 'to do list' but I kept putting it off and in the end it ended up on my 'never to do list'. Still I am grateful to the as yet current owner Leon Powsney for inviting me and my friend Mike in off the street and taking an hour out of his day to allow us to wander around the property to take a look at what is left when he didn't need to. At least we got to see Fred's home and workshops before it is eventually sold and the inevitable renovations that will follow destroy what's left of the industrial themed projects that Fred built.
There is some film of Fred with a bow and arrow shooting a line across the river behind his property for a pulley system I’m not sure but it could have been Donald on the other side of the bank trying to retrieve the arrow..classic Fred will always be sadly missed...
I remember that film it was Donald.
Donald died in 1992. That was Alf Molyneux ex coal miner who helped Fred dig the pit in 'Dig With Fred'. Its on youtube.
Hi has anyone claimed copyrights to this video of Fred's old home, because mine has?
gutted when i see this such a shame