Fred: The Definitive Biography Of Fred Dibnah

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Cheshire based KEITH LANGSTON is a widely published and highly respected photo journalist who specialises in heritage transportation and industrial archaeology subjects. We discover all the different sides of Fred’s personality – engineer, steeplejack, artist, craftsman, steam enthusiast, inventor, storyteller and eccentric. After he retired from steeplejacking he took to the road, looking at the achievements of the craftsmen, engineers, inventors and industrial workers whose endeavour made engines like his possible. Following Fred's untimely death, Keith embarked upon the creation of a book, drawing not only on his experiences with the Bolton born steeplejack and TV presenter, but in addition talking to a representative cross section of those persons who numbered themselves amongst Fred's many friends. As Fred grew up, despite parental disapproval, he pursued his first goal of becoming a steeplejack, and it was his outstanding skill in his chosen profession that led to his first appearance on television.

By the employment of this tried and tested procedure, Fred almost made it into an art, because from the early 1970s his fame as an expert chimney feller became renowned. Printed on quality art paper, this brings out the best in the photographs of preparations such as the pit propping and ‘gobbin out’ procedures utilised by the master. Probably one of the most atmospheric series of photographs is the one depicting the downfall of a chimney. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged.Alan continued: “His name became synonymous with the stereo type no nonsense, straight talking Northern character, and of craftsmanship, hard graft and of daring do.

Our current partner charities in the UK are READ International, the National Literacy Trust, Room to Read. One very interesting section of the book describes Fred Dibnah’s old style ‘gobbing-out and pit-propping’ chimney demolition procedure in detail.The first account is of a chimney drop in early 1970 and the last, a painfully sad occasion for all who knew Fred personally, knowing that it would be his 90th and last, in 2004. Fred’s untimely death meant the BBC series would be his last, and Keith decided it was time to record in writing his shared experiences with the Bolton-born steeplejack. In 2004, after felling his last chimney and retiring from steeplejacking, Fred took to the road on his beloved traction engine for the BBC series Made in Britain. Growing up a youth in the 1940s in Bolton, Lancashire, he lived near the railway lines and there began a lifelong fascination with steam locomotives. Cheshire based Keith Langston is a widely published and highly respected photo journalist specialising in railway and other transport related subjects.

It covers most of the later tv series he made and gives enough depth into his life, not to go into the technical details of steam engines, but enough to make good reading. The text covers 28 different ‘chimneys’, all but about 5 of which stood within a 12 mile radius of Fred’s own home, indeed a handful were within walking distance. Alan had also spent time with Fred and some of his close colleagues during the preparation of the `drop’ and describes expressively the situation, the history and work involved.Fred is the companion to the 12-part BBC2 series celebrating the life of this great man, which combines highlights from some of Dibnah's classic programmes with previously unseen footage. We give people around the world the opportunity to contribute to the circular economy, earn money and protect the planet, by trading their unwanted books and media. Fred’s later television series particularly made his character blossom, his passionate and oftimes comical descriptions of how the complexities of historic mechanical wizardry were built and how they operated, thrilled his television audiences nationally.

This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. He held these towering structures with great affection and he often related stories about the ‘hard men’, the chimney builders who erected them and of the men also, who maintained and repaired them: the steeplejacks. This second of two hugely successful volumes on Fred Dibnah MBE commemorates the life and times of a truly Great Briton. With his trademark flat cap, enthusiasm and knowledge of the country’s steam past, his gift for storytelling, and his cry of ‘Did you like that? Keith Langston contributes news and feature material on a regular basis across a wide range of heritage titles.You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. This is a nice book to own if you were a fan of Fred’s or simply interested in entertaining stories about his exploits.