This page is getting rather long and messy please post into the forum to give us all a bit more room to answer. I’ve set the General forum so that you do not even need to register (but if you do register it will allow you to receive notifications of replies etc).
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Thanks all.
To whom it may concern, after a spot of trouble getting hold of a DVD of ‘Restoration Work’ at the Fred Dibnah Heritage Museum from Ebay, we were appalled at the (admittedly hysterically funny) incompetant work being done. This does not seem to fit with the positive comments about the Centre made in all your previous emails. Have we been sold a false DVD? The opening scenes show one of the ‘builders’ perusing Fred’s jumbled-up shed, obviously pre-clean-up, then goes on to film 3 or 4 men half-heartedly making less-than-professional stabs at a sort of monument or fountain affair, we couldn’t tell. Please tell us we have just paid a tenner for something fake! We would hate to think that fans of Fred like ourselves were willingly but naively funding a bunch of careless amateurs to make a hash of Fred’s passionate life. Please reply to clarify matters. pip3203
Hi pip3203, can you post the eBay ID of item that you bought?
Check the “My eBay” page when you are logged in, or look for an email from eBay called “You bought this item on eBay….” the item number is in brakets at the end of that line.
With that number it will be easy enough to tell if it was sold by the Official Heritage Centre.
Hi all, I can comment on the so called farcical dvd that pip bought, this was the first dvd we did of Freds place, it was not meant to be a professional dvd and this was explained in the listing on ebay, it was not intended to show any seriosu work being carried out, it was intended to show the terrible state that Freds place was in when I took over, and it was basically me, not “some builder” messing about, of all the people that have bought this dvd pip is the only person to complain and he gave us the only negative feeedback we have ever had, everybody else has said how pleased they were with the dvd. but hey you cant please all the people all the time. as for the next evening “do” we werent going to have one due to the neighbours using the last ones as ammunition against our planning application, but I am considering having a celebration evening on 28th April which was Freds birth date ( and mine also ) so if anybody is interested please contact me at freddibnahtours@live.com for details, many thanks Leon Powsney
Thanks for posting Leon, at least we know it was not a fake. pip3203 perhaps if you post your email address here someone would be interested in buying the DVD from you.
Leon, I read a news post when you were given planning permission that the Heritage Centre was due to be officially opened on the 28th April, does that mean this will not be the case?
Different subject
Does anyone know whether Fred knocked down any chimneys in Rochdale? I mentioned his name to my grandfather a long while ago and he grunted. I am Fred fan but as our company R & T Howarths built around 16 mills in Rochdale grandfather was not impressed. I have a full list, 16mm films and mass of documents. I am in the process of putting all the family files into Touchstones in Rochdale. Last delivery unopened plans for Dunlop Cotton Mill datd 1914 on the brown paper packet.
There used to be a guy called ‘Blaster Bates’ the men used to talk about when I was working on the sites around 16. He worked for Howarths apparently did Fred know him
Hi Mike
A google search pointed me to this news item that seems to indicate that he did:
Also I understand that the chimney Fred felled at the end of “Fred Dibnah: Steeplejack was in Rochdale, (the exact site is not mentioned, but skip to 6.15 in part four to see Fred talking about the job, along with a building with the initials ERA on it)
Hope this helps.
Mike,
The swashbuckling stories of Fred’s Rochdale chimney- toppling exploits are to be read in my book: FRED DIBNAH’S CHIMNEY DROPS. Please visit my website:
http://www.sledgehammerengineeringpress.co.uk
Cheers Alan McEwen.
Hi Mike / Joe,
You are quite right regarding the stack featured in the original documentary, this was indeed Era Mill on Crawford Street at Rochdale.
He felled a number of other chimneys in Rochdale including Arkwright Mill and Whitfield Mill up at Whitworth.
Mike, was that the R&T Haworth who owned the Greens Steam Roller, which I think is in the transport museum at Bury.
I knew of some of the Haworth family who used to live in Ramsbottom many years ago when I was a kid…
By the way Joe, did you get the jpeg image of my latest painting….
Hi Robin
Thanks for the extra info.
I did indeed get the image of your latest painting. I posted it into the two Pictures page of the site. The page picked it up from eBay as well, will you keep listing it on eBay as I notice it’s no longer listed? Otherwise I’ll make a permanent note on that page with details.
Cheers Joe,
Painting relisted today, many thanks…
Best Wishes
Rob
Hello Joe,
Firstly let me compliment you for your wonderful “FRED” site.
I am delighted to see my book: FRED DIBNAH’S CHIMNEY DROPS is featured on your website, for which my wife and I thank you. For anyone requiring a signed copy of the book, please visit our website: http://WWW.SLEDGEHAMMERENGINEERINGPRESS.CO.UK;read the many excellent reviews and testimonials and either order by email or ‘phone. As we are the publishers of the book we always have plenty in stock, together with our other ” steamy ” title: HISTORIC STEAM BOILER EXPLOSIONS.
I am proud to relate that I was a close friend of Fred for almost 25 years and used to enjoy regular visits to his home and the amazing steam-powered workshop,where he would amuse me with his brilliant steeple-jacking tales, and I would reciprocate with mad-cap boilermaking stories which would please him. I was honoured to attend and occasionally assist during around 30 of Fred amazing chimney dropping exploits, which provided much of the stories in FRED DIBNAH’S CHIMNEY DROPS. Fred would occasionally delight in visiting me at my Farling Top Boilerworks or have a gander around my stationery steam engine museum, which he incidentally opened in June 1990. And during most of his many visits, both Fred and I, fellow proud Lancastrian mill-towners—both out of the same mould –would enjoy exploring the old cotton and woollen mill, engine houses, boiler houses,chimneys and other diverse heritage sites on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border.
Fred Dibnah was a GREAT man, a bloody good friend who over a lengthy friendship until his untimely death in November 2004 inspired me profoundly. That is the reason I dedicated
FRED DIBNAH’S CHIMNEY DROPS to my old mate.
Keep up the excellent site.
Happy Steamings.
ALAN McEWEN. WWW. SLEDGEHAMMERENGINEERINGPRESS.Co .UK
Hi Alan, your message has caused me great embarrassment, not only about your kind words, but the fact that I own you a reply to an email you sent me a couple of weeks past.
If anyone wants further details of Alan’s excellent book please head over to this page.
Dear Joe,
Thanks a million. Great life experiences come to them that have bottomless patience!! My Owd mate, Fred was thus gifted. Can you just imagine laddering on your lonesome a 250 foot cotton mill chimney ’bout patience? Patience and much good cheer was among Fred’s many natural gifts. He was blessed with these and many more attributes.
http://WWW.SLEDGEHAMMERENGINEERINGPRESS.CO.UK
Hi, can you try to help me find my fathers sister that he hasnt seen for over 60 years.My dad insists that he was in an orphanage that faced Freds house what he calls the Two Cats, but i cant find any reference to it only Chadwicks orphanage which was off Bromwich St he says it was called Edens orphanage but i think Edens was at Astley Bridge? I was hoping you may have unearthed some details of the area that might confirm this!I realise that this site is not for this reason and if you cant help then thanx for reading, Mark.
Hello Fred Fans,
As many of you already know I was a close friend of Fred for some 25 years. I consider Leon & Jan are doing an impressive job of creating ” THE FRED DIBNAH HERITAGE CENTRE “, both are a profoundly hardworking,dedicated-to-project couple who welcome visitors with open arms.
My wife & I had special invitations to the ” Open Day ” June 5 and on the “Official Open Day” June 15, both events being eminently successful.Leon & Jan’s enthusiasm and heartwarming genuine hospitality knew no bounds, and every visitor including the Mayor of Bolton were well impressed.
Let me urge all ” FRED FANS “to arrange a visit to ” THE FRED DIBNAH HERITAGE CENTRE” soonest.
Happy Steamings Ahead!
Alan McEwen.
http://www.sledgehammerengineeringpress.co.uk
JUST READ IN SUNDAY PAPER ABOUT FREDS FAMILY DISPUTE ABOUT WOT ELSE MONEY HAVING TO AUCION HIS TRACTER IS TERRIBLE IT SHOULD BE AT THE HERRITAGE CENTRE WOT IS THE POINT OFF SOMEBODY MAKING A WILL IF IT CAN BE OVERTURNED I AM NOT BEEN HORRIBLE BUT I NEVER DID LIKE SHEILA BUT IT IS JUST MY OPINION IF ONLY I HAD SOME MONEY I BUY WOT I CAN GOOD LUCK WITH TRYING TO RAISE 130.000GRAND AS I SAID WISH I COULD DO MORE BILL SOUTHAMPTON PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED ABOUT THE OUTCOME THANKS
Bill, Have you ever met and actually spoke with Sheila Dibnah?
Happy Steamings.
Alan.
http://www.sledgehammerengineeringpress.co.uk
no i have never met shiela as i said it is just my opinion i dont suppose fred was easy to live with didnt mean to upset anyone sorry
Bill,
Thankyou for being so candid.