YOU CAN ENJOY AN EVENING AT THE HOLIDAY INN, BOLTON, WITH A THREE COURSE MEAL AND AFTER DINNER TALK BY SHEILA DIBNAH ABOUT LIVING WITH FRED AND HEAR LEON POWSNEY the new owner talk about BUYING FRED DIBNAH’S HOME.

The evening has been arranged to help fund the repair of Freds Chimney !!

Here’s your chance to meet Sheila Dibnah, and hear her VERY entertaining talk about life with Fred.

Also hear all about the ups and downs of buying Fred’s place, from the new owner Leon, get to hear the background of this lunatic that bought Fred’s place, when nobody else was prepared to take the risk.

• Why did he buy it ?
• How did he buy it ?
• What made him do it ?
• Where’s he from ?
• What’s his connection ?
• Wha’ts he doing with it ?
• Why is he doing it ?

Come along and be fed and entertained.

The venue is the Holiday Inn Bolton, you will be served a superb three course meal in the CLOISTERS, The Cloisters function room is a beautiful converted church and the perfect venue for an entertaining evening, refreshments will be served, and after your dinner you will be entertained by Sheila Dibnah with many side splitting stories of living with the Great Man Fred Dibnah MBE.

Then Leon will give you the nitty gritty of buying Fred’s place, how it came about, and his background.

All in all a GREAT night. What a fantastic pressie for somebody you love who is a fred fan.

Accommodation can be arranged at the Holiday inn, do not miss this night, it will be a night to remember.

This evening has been arranged to help with the repair of FRED’S CHIMNEY which we have already started working on.

For more details or tickets click below:

Celebrity steeplejack Fred spent eight years building the brick chimney for his main boiler house in the back yard of the Grade II listed property on Radcliffe Road, Bolton.

The yard’s collection of oil-stained machinery and 70ft-deep working mineshaft featured in many of his TV shows.

New owner Leon Powsney has opened the property up to the public as the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre and hundreds of guided tours telling Fred’s story have been held since it launched in June.

But the chimney, which hasn’t been used since Fred’s death in 2004, has now suffered serious frost damage.

A number of cracks have appeared and there are also concerns about its foundations as it perches on top of a steep banking leading down to the River Tonge.

A council surveyor attended and ordered the chimney to be assessed by a structural engineer. The chimney is now wrapped in scaffolding as engineers continue to assess the full damage.

Mr Powsney is appealing to Fred fans to suggest a way forward. He said: “We hope to save the chimney and we want to get the public involved. Should we repair it or demolish it and rebuild it?

“Our preferred option would be to repair it because it is Fred’s chimney but we would like some suggestions.

“The chimney was started by Fred in 1991 and completed in 1999.”

He added: “It is stable and safe and the tours are continuing but we are not sure about our next move.”

Engineers have quoted him £10,000 for repair work.

Bolton council said a notice was served requiring the chimney to be checked by a structural engineer.

A spokesman added: “The engineer has inspected the chimney and confirmed that there are some concerns in respect of the structural stability of the chimney.”

(source)

Doncaster-based Steam4 Fun.com — the world’s only supplier of miniature, working Fred Dibnah model engines — has organised the trip for 49 steam enthusiasts who will be given a guided tour of the house in Radcliffe Road by owner Leon Powsney.

Mr Powsney bought the house and opened it as a heritage centre earlier this year and has since seen visitors flock from all around the country to see the late TV steeplejack’s old work yard.

He said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming the first coach party because it is a big thing for us. We have quite a few booked in over the next few months so it is all coming together.”

Since opening his doors in June, Mr Powsney has had a steady stream of visitors booking the fascinating tours, which give a real glimpse into the working life of Fred, who passed away in November 2004 after a battle with cancer.

A number of Fred’s friends, including close confidante Alf Molyneux, spent hours restoring the yard after Mr Powsney and his wife, Jan, snapped it up at auction last March.

They spent more than 12 months battling with council planning chiefs — and neighbours — before seeing their dream of creating a lasting memorial to Fred come true.

Mr Powsney said: “It has been a very testing time, but things are going well. We spent a lot of time and money on the place so, obviously, coach parties, such as the Steam4Fun one on Saturday, do help us.

“I am still in love with this place and I have never regretted buying it.”

The centre, which is open to pre-booked £12 tours every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, has the backing of Fred’s widow, Sheila.

At the opening in June, she said: “Fred spent 38 years working in this yard and it is just a magical place to be. It feels like Fred is here and I hope it is a real success.”

Anyone interested in taking a tour of Fred’s yard or in volunteering, should call Mr Powsney on 07801 255486 or email freddibnah tours@live.com

(source)

Details come from “The Bolton News“:

FRED Dibnah fans are being invited to act as guides at the TV steeplejack’s old home.
….
Now he is looking for volunteers to show people around the heritage centre on guided tours.

At the moment there are four tours a week — Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and two sessions on Saturdays.
….
Mrs Powsney said: “Everything is going really well so far — and now we want to give Fred Dibnah fans the chance to volunteer with us.

“Enthusiasm and a knowledge of Fred and his work is important and we will help build on that.

“This is an excellent opportunity for people to get involved and it only needs to be a few hours a week.”

Anyone interested in volunteering should call Mr Powsney on 07801 255486 or e-mail freddibnahtours@live.com

Fred's back garden mine shaft

After months of planning and hard work Fred Dibnah’s former residence has finally opened today as a Heritage Centre.

Booking is essential to visit the heritage centre. For details email freddibnahtours@live.com.

Details will be added here as they come in. If you attended the event or saw some media coverage that we’ve missed please post details below. Thanks!

Update #1: Leon posted that he was up at 6am this morning:

Hi all, Many thanks for all your kind words, we are truly moved by your good wishes, its 6am on the morning of our grand opening and I am just about to go out in the yard tidying up after the last minute work that needed to be done, still got some work to do this morning like filling in the 20ft long 2ft deep trench dug for the new underground cables and putting the floorboards back in the house where they had to feed the cables to the fusebox, ouch my backs not what it was, in the yard last night till midnight with the sparky’s getting the lighting right, we now have a lighting extravaganza at night better than Blackpool Illuminations so if you are passing take a peek.

Update #2: BBC Radio Manchester interviewing several people:

Phil Humphries is one of the volunteers at the Heritage Centre and he described the whole thing as “magic”.

Adding: “You can see for yourself, it’s got an ambience about it and this is all to do with Fred Dibnah.

“It’s the mine shaft, it’s the workshop, it’s the top of the chimney – it’s magic, pure magic.” (source)

Update #3: We are reminded that you can buy official Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre Memorabilia. Click here for details.

Update #4: “THEY travelled from as far as Sutton Coldfield and Loughborough to look around Fred Dibnah’s “Aladdin’s cave” of a work yard.” (source)

Update #5: “Full steam ahead for Fred Dibnah museum” (source)

Update #6: “”Fred’s yard tour is a proper treat”

..the idea of looking around a yard full of old junk (in my eyes) didn’t exactly fill me with joy.

But the enthusiasm of Leon and his team, which includes Fred’s mate Alf Molyneux, is very infectious and you do get a real sense of history and the spirit of Fred, who spent decades working in the yard and its various workshops.

The mineshaft which caused so much controversy has been lit from within to give visitors a glimpse at the project Fred had always hoped would be his legacy while in the main workshop, which stands silent for now, you can imagine the belts and the machinery whirring and clattering away as Fred went about his business.

And there are even a few reminders of its previous owner, with Fred’s work pants, jumpers and raincoat hanging from various pulleys and ropes used in years gone by to lift ladders and anvils.

(source - source)

More pictures of the opening day can be found here.

BBC North West Tonight News Footage

(credit)

He said in a recent interview with “This is Lancashire“:

“We are halfway through the job, but I could really do with some help from the public and Fred’s fans to pay for this. It has completely wiped me out.

We will be opening on Tuesday, make no mistake about that. We have worked very hard and we have complied with everything that has been asked of us.

I am still glad that I bought the property and I am in love with the place.”

FH Brundle have recently donated fencing and mesh for around the mine shaft, as well as many members of the public donating money as part of the “Sponsor-a-Brick” competition and purchasing official Heritage Centre Memorabilia.

Leon also mentioned that they have made their first group booking:

The first coach party is booked for September and we have some people booked in for the tour on Tuesday. It is going to be a very historic day because it will be the first time we have done a tour of the new heritage centre.

Remember that there are still lots of items for sale on their official eBay shop, click for more details:

This sale is for our catalogue featuring all the items that are available and should you buy the catalogue then the price of .99p will be deducted from your first purchase of any of the items listed in the catalogue. The catalogue will be emailed to you to avoid you having to pay postage.

While you can click below for full details, the team over at the Heritage Centre say “please email us before you bid on the catalogue to check availability, freddibnahtours@live.com.”

Update: Apparently these are so new they are not on the Heritage Centre Web site yet, heres a sneak preview. Be sure to pick up a catalogue by clicking on the above link.

The catalogue includes:

• Mugs
• Coasters (single and sets of four)
• Fridge magnets
• Button Badges
• Cuff Links
• Limited edition 14″ x 11″ mounted prints of the house in both colour ( and black and white
• Limited edition A4 mounted prints of Fred in both colour and black and white
• Key rings
• Greetings cards complete with with inside leaf page

Leon over at the Heritage Centre is quoted as saying that it will open to the public in June “come hell or high water” (there seems to be some confusion as to which exact date: the details in the press says 15th, but tickets for the first day are being sold for the 14th)

“It has been slower than we expected, but I am not going to give up and we will open, come hell or high water, on June 15. The two biggest things we haven’t been able to do is the toilet block and the extension to the workshop, but it will be a work in progress.” – Leon

Leon also reminded us of the current “Sponsor a Brick Campaign” with the extra snip-it that they “are going to have a big plaque in the yard with the names of everyone who sponsored one”.

Some more details of the Open Day on the 5th June have also been released:

It will be a very good day. We have some of Fred’s friends coming down and there will be a first-class buffet and maybe even a steam engine on the day.

Don’t forget that the Heritage Centre is selling lots of official memorabilia as well, be sure to have a look.

Update: more details have been released, please forgive their spelling mistakes in their excitement to get the news to us:

THE GRAND OPENING OF THE FRED DIBNAH HERITAGE CETNRE!

At long last – our Grand Opening of the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre has come true!
The Grand Opening will be on the 15TH JUNE 2010!!!

The mayor of Bolton will be here to cut the tape at 2pm and the first ever guided tour of The Fred Dibnah Heritage centre will then take place!
This is a historic and a momentous day as its the realisation of Freds dream, that his wonderful collection of 40 years lifetime’s work will now be on show to the public, and of course his many hundreds of thousands of fans.

Normal times of the tours will then be as follow:

Tours will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and Bank holidays. There will be TWO tours per day. The first will start at 10am and finish at 1pm and the second tour will start at 2pm and finish at 5pm.

Visitors will have a guided tour of the wonderful grounds, workshops and machinery, collected by Fred over his working life, and will then be able to sit and relax in the garden, the snug or the lounge, and take in the atmosphere of this amazing piece of Engish history!

Refreshments will be available and there will be a superb range of memorabilia and souvenir’s to purchase. Visitors must pre book as we will not be able to allow people who just turn up entry.

The cost of each ticket per person is £12

(source)

Booking is essential to visit the heritage centre. For details email freddibnahtours@live.com.

Opening date confirmed

No official announcement as yet but I just noticed a eBay auction of tickets to what seems like the official opening of the Heritage centre at Fred’s former residence.

Update: Heritage centre confirmed to open in June. The press have been told that the official opening date is the 15th June. But the eBay auction for tickets (link below) still lists it as the 14th. Confusion.

Update 2: The opening date has been confirmed as the 15th, seems the eBay listing below incorrectly reported it as the 14th.

Word is that the first day open to the public will be 14th 15th June 2010, with the Heritage centre to be opened by Norman Critchley, current Lord Major of Bolton.

The tickets will cost £12 and must be booked in advance. Tours are limited to two a day with a maximum of 30 people per tour. The centre will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday as well as Bank holidays. We are told ample car parking as well as local accommodation is available.

This is great news for everyone who has been following Fred’s old house over the past couple of years. And this a announcement comes the day before what would have been Fred’s 72nd birthday!

Remember there are also lots of Heritage Centre memorabilia available for sale as well.

Click here for details:

Otherwise here’s the full text (sorry about the SHOUTING CAPS LOCK, that’s the way Leon and the team at the heritage centre do all their eBay listings)

WE ARE AIMING AT OPENING ON 14TH JUNE 2010 AND THE LORD MAYOR OF BOLTON WILL BE CUTTING THE RIBBON FOR THE FIRST DAY OF BUSINESS AT THE FRED DIBNAH HERITAGE CENTRE. WE STILL HAVE LOTS OF WORK TO DO SO TAKE US AS YOU FIND US, BUT WE ARE NOW TAKING BOOKINGS FOR OUR GUIDED TOURS.

PLEASE NOTE WE CANNOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO JUST TURN UP, IT WAS A STIPULATION OF THE PLANNERS THAT ALL VISITORS PRE-BOOK, SO PLEASE DO NOT JUST BUY A TICKET PLEASE EMAIL US FOR DETAILS OF AVAILABILITY BEFORE YOU BUY.

TICKETS ARE £12 EACH AND WE ARE ONLY ABLE ( ALLOWED ) TO HAVE TWO TOURS PER DAY WITH A MAXIMUM OF 30 PEOPLE PER TOUR, THE TOURS WILL BE FROM 10am TO 1pm AND 2pm TO 5pm, THESE TIMES ALLOW FOR YOU TO SIT DOWN AND RELAX AFTER THE ACTUAL TOUR AND TAKE IN THE WONDERFUL ATMOSPHERE OF “FREDS PLACE”, HAVE A CUPPA TEA OR A COFFEE AND A SANDWICH OR CAKE, DAYS OF OPENING WILL BE TUESDAYS,WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS, AND SATURDAYS, PLUS BANK HOLIDAYS.

THE OPENING OF THE HERITAGE CENTRE WILL BE A HISTORIC EVENT AND WE AIM TO GIVE YOU AN EXPERIENCE YOU WILL CHERISH FOR YEARS TO COME.

WE HAVE COMMISSIONED OUR VERY OWN LOCAL ARTIST AND HE HAS TO COME UP WITH SOME WONDERFUL ARTICLES OF MEMORABILIA THAT WE ARE SURE YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY LOVE, THEY ARE EXCLUSIVE TO US AND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE, THESE WILL BE ON SALE IN OUR LITTLE OLD SHOPPE.

MANY THANKS FOR LOOKING AND GOOD LUCK !!

For further detailsplease email us at freddibnahtours@live.com.

PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THESE AUCTIONS ARE FOR ONE REASON ONLY AND THAT IS TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE RESTORATION OF FREDS PLACE.

WHEN YOU VISIT FREDS PLACE YOU WILL BE SHOWN WHERE HE FETTLED HIS MACHINERY, SEE ALL HIS TOOLS, SEE HIS BLACKSMITHY TOOLS, HIS FORGE, TAKE A WALK AROUND HIS MAIN WORKSHOP WHERE THE STEAM ROLLER AND TRACTOR USED TO BE KEPT, SEE ALL HIS PULLEYS, HIS MANY BLOCK AND TACKLES, ALL HIS STEEPLEJACK EQUIPMENT INCLUDING HIS FAMOUS RED LADDERS, SEE THE TOP OF SWAN MILL CHIMNEY IN THE GARDEN, SEE HIS MINESHAFT, WE HAVE LIT IT UP SO YOU SEE THE IMMACULATE BRICKWORK AND WORKMANSHIP, SEE THE BEAUTIFUL 50ft CHIMNEY IN THE GARDEN, SEE ALL HIS MACHINES ALL DRIVEN BY STEAM, ( THESE ALL NEED REFURBISHING AND YOU WILL HAVE A CLOSE UP LOOK BEFORE WE START WORK ON THEM ) SEE WHERE FRED SHOT THE ARROW FROM IN THE FAMOUS SCENE ON BBC SERIES, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE ARROW HE USED, SEE HIS BOILER HOUSE AND THE CURRENT STATE OF THE BOILER, CAN BOB FIX IT, YES HE CAN ! ( WE HOPE ) SEE THE FANTASTIC PLANS FRED HAD FOR THE MINESHAFT WHEN IT WAS FINISHED, HAVE YOUR PHOTO TAKEN IN FREDS BACK GARDEN.

ACCOMODATION CAN BE ARRANGED LOCALLY AND WE HAVE AMPLE PARKING FACILIES , SO COME ON DOWN, EMAIL US AT freddibnahtours@live.com

PLEASE ALSO NOTE ; WE ARE THE ONLY GENUINE FRED DIBNAH HERITAGE CENTRE !!!

Booking is essential to visit the heritage centre. For details email freddibnahtours@live.com.

The event is due to take place in the afternoon of June 5th 2010 and is limited to only 40 people.

As well as your host Leon Powsney and his lovely wife Jan, the following will also be present: Alf ( Elf ) Molyneux talking about his memories of Fred, author Alan McEwen will give a talk as well as other surprise guests.

We are told that there will be food galore, refreshments will be served including the famous flat cap ale made by the local brewer.

Visitors will be treated to a guided tour of the house and yard, including:

• tours of Fred’s workshed
• take a walk around his main workshop where the steam roller and tractor used to be kept
• the top of swan mill chimney in the garden
• the mineshaft, which is now lit up showing it’s immaculate brickwork and workmanship
• the beautiful 50ft chimney in the garden

For anyone travelling a distance accommodation can be arranged locally for everyone else travelling by car (one of the issues that delayed the initial planning permission) is promised ample parking facilities.

If you have any further questions about the event please post below, in our forum or email Leon directly.