Alan knew Fred for many years and Fed would regale Alan with stories of steeplejacking and chimney drops, embellished in a way that only Fred could do. Access Codes: Unless the book is described as "New," please assume that the book does *not* have an access code. Fred Dibnah’s procedure for carrying out a chimney felling was the result of a well considered demolition plan, based on traditional Victorian practice known in steeplejacking parlance as ‘gobbing out and pit-propping’. His deep-seated knowledge of chimney construction and of steeplejacking lore, his charismatic and competent showmanship rapidly made him nationally famous: particularly following those memorable early BBC television programmes. Even as a young lad, Fred was considered by his family and also his contemporaries as being a little odd, rather eccentric, for the young Boltonian eschewed the normal football and similar sports-related pastimes in favour of the world of steam engines, boilers and in particular the numerous cotton mill and factory chimneys that were as ubiquitous as blades of grass.

Read our Privacy Policy to give you more detailed information about your rights and how we use your data. We are a sister company of the Slovenian Publishing House Pipinova Knjiga – which literary translates to Pipin’s Book. 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. This is a nice book to own if you were a fan of Fred’s or simply interested in entertaining stories about his exploits.Fred’s greatest passion however, was industrial chimneys and steeplejacking, which had thrilled him from being a small lad when he had witnessed, during the local wakes weeks when the cotton mills closed, the sight of steeplejack’s’ red-painted ladders running up the sides of the towering mill chimneys and the tiny ‘Lowry-esq’ figures, the steeplejacks ‘dancing around’ on the platform some 200 feet up in the sky. Finally, 'Victorian Splendour' sees Fred looking at the achievements of architects in the 19th century and discovering the story behind the building of the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. There are some books about a person and their work can only be written by an individual with a similar background both in industry and the life to that person, and their work. Some reviewers have said it's a little bit repetitive, but I can almost envisage Fred with a pint of Guinness in hand repeating some of the same stories in different pub - don't we all?

as another giant chimney slid to earth behind him, he quickly became a genuine favourite with viewers.Fred Dibnah's World celebrates the life and work of Britain's best known steeplejack and national treasure, Fred Dibnhah. 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. His latest work includes a documentary on Fred's garden and Founders of the Great Dynasties for History Channel International. 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.

But to just place an explosive charge in the chimney’s base and blow them down when they came to the end of their lives, did not appeal to Fred, for to him there was another more traditional way of felling these chimneys that embodied respect for the old time chimney builders – and would demolish them with great aplomb and not a little drama. 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.

David's 30 years producing and directing network television programmes include a number of years at both Yorkshire Television and the BBC, as well as making landmark documentaries for Channel 4 and the History Channel.

The Age of the Carpenter' sees Fred learn all about the way that carpenters have used their skills to transform medieval castles into homes. A book leaves our collection of over seven million titles and begins a new chapter every two seconds, enabling more goods to be reused. Cheshire based KEITH LANGSTON is a widely published and highly respected photo journalist who specialises in heritage transportation and industrial archaeology subjects. Probably one of the most atmospheric series of photographs is the one depicting the downfall of a chimney.Fred's passion for the glories of the Victorian age and his fascination with the landscape he grew up in, plus his admiration for the craftsmen and labourers who made it all possible, captivate us on every page. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Fred's love for all things steam is also a practical one; for the last 27years, he has been renovating a steam boiler and engine in his back garden and it is now nearly complete.