nightrider Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 This morning I went up to Bolton to visit two of my favourite haunts, Machine Mart and Maplins, on the way up I had to pass the old terraced house that Fred Dibnah was born and brought up in. A little tatty and the worse for wear but it is still there, on the back elevation is the magnificent ornate chimney stack that Fred built when he was a young man. In Bolton town centre there is a bronze statue of Fred wouldn't it be great if this ornate chimney stack of Freds could be somehow be taken down and re-erected next to his statue. I knew Fred personally having worked with him some 40 years ago on Chester castle he was repairing the stone work and fitting lightening conductors and I was doing the cast iron and sheet lead work, a true charactor sadly missed by many, RIP Fred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 Absolutely right Malc - and you wouldn't see Fred buying anything made abroad if he could help it! In fact I do have to wonder if Fred ever bought anything except tools to make the things he wouldn't buy! What a character - a real Great Brit and as you say truly missed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 Of the many TV shows Fred made there was one episode that for me and him was heartbreaking, Freds first wife was called Allison and he had 3 daughters to her, Allison was a reet bonny lass, after their divorce Fred never saw Allison or his daughters again. He had 2 sons to his second wife a woman I did not like, she started to play around with other men and they divorced. His third wife Sheila was an ex Blackpool showgirl, long black hair and leather boots up to her thighs a real miss Whiplash, on the night of their wedding reception which was held at the local Labour club a young girl came up to Fred and started talking to him, Fred said do I know you? and she said you should do, I'm one of your daughters! Fred collapsed in tears he had never seen his daughters for years. One thing that stunned me was the fact that when he died he left an estate over a million pounds and never left a penny to his third wife Sheila and she had to get out of the house, she went to court to claim her legal rights, dont know what happened after that? have seen Sheila on a number of occasions at steam rallies up and down the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 Fred was definitely one of a kind - I met him a few times over the years, and saw him out and about in his land rover. I seem to remember it always had a flat tyre and looked rough. Seen the land rover a couple of times recently - looks to have been restored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Bolly1965 - 2012-04-29 6:41 PM Fred was definitely one of a kind - I met him a few times over the years, and saw him out and about in his land rover. I seem to remember it always had a flat tyre and looked rough. Seen the land rover a couple of times recently - looks to have been restored. Freds house was sold to a guy who opened it up to the public, no doubt he has restored Freds old landy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 knight of the road - 2012-04-29 3:57 PM One thing that stunned me was the fact that when he died he left an estate over a million pounds and never left a penny to his third wife Sheila and she had to get out of the house, . Sheila lived in the house for a while after Fred died. She said she went out and when she came back all the valuble stuff in there had disappeared. In any event, the place was empty for a long time after Sheila had gone, even squatters dossing down in the shed apparently and carting all the small metal stuff off for weighing in. Some of the windows were smashed, before they were boarded up. So much of it there now is not original, sadly. Even if everything had been left there as it was I doubt if anyone could have kept it all working and maintained as well as Fred did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 PS: Professional Steeplejack Dr. Fred Dibnah once slipped off a step ladder in his bedroom and put himself in hospital for a fortnight. As far as I know it was the only time he was seriously injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 my only claim to fame is that i met Fred at a Steam Rally near Oxford some years ago before he became mega famous, lovely man, we chatted for ages as if we had known each other for years, it was at the time he had just got divorced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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