But still no go ahead.
After a couple of days of noticeable silence we’re starting to get news of the out come of the Bolton Council’s Planning committee meeting that took place on the 10th December 2009 regarding the proposed Heritage Centre at Fred’s old house.
Read the rest of this entry »
But you will have to wait for a while before you can see it:
Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive is to undergo a major refurbishment in order to highlight the importance of the town’s most famous invention.
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As a result, the gallery will close to the public on January 4, 2010 for approximately 10 months while the £530,000 project is carried out.
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The new gallery will be divided into three sections, looking at industrialisation and the impact of the invention of the Spinning Mule; the subsequent developments in Bolton since the textile industry declined and the lives of Boltonians past and present.Highlights will include a “talking heads” display featuring anecdotes from the characters of Samuel Crompton and Richard Arkwright plus a new bronze bust of Fred Dibnah.
Please let me know in the comments if you know anything about the new bust.
(source)
Word just in from Leon Powsney:
Hi guys well its the council planning commitee meeting tomorrow the 10th dec. and we will finally get to know the decision whether we can go ahead with the heritage centre, and immortalise Freds lifetimes work, its been a loooong hard road with unbelievable opposition from a hard core handful of neighbours who i believe will stop at nothing to prevent us from our aims, however i believe this was meant to be and fingers crossed we will be successful, wish us luck and watch this space.
Many thanks to all our supporters and hopefully its onwards and upwards.
Fingers crossed from everyone here.
(source)
A couple who want to turn the former home of late TV steeplejack Fred Dibnah into a museum of his life’s work has been given a boost. Read the rest of this entry »
Just noticed a interesting paragraph from Sheila Dibnah’s web site:
(text removed 9th December – see below)
It’s a shame that Sheila, due to current legal arrangements, can’t give her backing help when it needs it most. Edit: Sheila has clarified from the comments section, once planning permission has been granted she will be able to give the Heritage Centre her full and active assistance.
(image removed 9th December – see below)
Update #1 9th December: A comment has just been left by Jonathon Wild, who I gather is webmaster of Sheila Dibnah’s FredTalks.co.uk site, objecting to the text I quoted and screenshot I posted for the above news piece.
As requested by Mr Wild I have removed both the text and image that was causing concern, leaving just my own words and observations. I have also added clarification to my own observations.
Please follow the link at the top of this page to read the words that I’ve been requested remove. In case these words should change, which they no doubt will as legal situations change, please refer to this cached version of the page from November 2009 courtesy of Google.
Update #2 14 December: Title corrected after clarification by Sheila Dibnah in the comments section.
Update #3 June 2010: Sheila Dibnah’s site now reads:
Sheila is simply delighted with the sterling work that Leon and Jan have done to ‘Fred’s World’ – and even more delighted that Fred’s Dream has come true with the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre now open for business!
Sheila has given her full support and blessing and shall be doing what she can to promote her late husband’s name and ‘world’.
Just came across the below from an eBay sale of Heritage Centre memorabilia:
Q: Hiya. Are you guys planning to do any more tours of Freds home and workshop in the near future? How are things looking for the place to be opened up as a heritage/memorial/museum site? Do you guys stil have Freds landrover? would love to see that. Many thanks John
A: hi john our planning consent application to open as a heritage centre to celebrate fred rather than a memorium the decision was deferred we had to provide further details and do a lot of running around to satisfy the council due to a couple of miserable neighbours objecting but we are confident we will get consent, if we do we may have a celebration evening after christmas which i can let you have details of nearer the time we have a dvd on sale of some of the work being done so far but we have a lot to do yet and are working on idea’s to raise funding many thanks Leon ps the land rover is long gone sorry
From Paul Donoghue on Twitter:
I am writing a brand new Fred Dibnah book that will be on the shelves of W H Smiths early next year. Fred Dibnah 5 years since we lost him.
Hopeful details will follow soon.
The man behind plans to convert the home of late Bolton steeplejack Fred Dibnah into a heritage centre has had his dream put on hold by planning chiefs. Read the rest of this entry »
An invitation is extended by Ribble Valley Vintage Club to members and non-members to its next meeting on Sunday, at 7-30 p.m. in Sawley Village Hall.
This month’s speaker is Mr Alan McEwen who will talk about “Fred Dibnah and Boiler Explosions!” Free admission, refreshments available. All welcome.
(source)
