fred frederick fred april november born english television personality keen interest mechanical engineering born country relied heavily coal fuel industry child fascinated steam engines powered textile mills paid particular attention chimneys men worked began working life age served years armed forces national service returned met limited success asked repair parish church resulting publicity provided welcome boost business ensuring work making repairs filmed regional bbc news crew bbc commissioned award winning documentary followed rough worked chimneys interacted family talked favourite hobby steam manner gentle self taught philosophical outlook proved popular viewers featured number television programmes end life decline britain industry mirrored decline business increasingly came rely dinner speaking income presented programme britain industrial history went present number series largely concerned industrial revolution mechanical architectural legacy died cancer november aged survived children marriages early life childhood son frank née travis initially employed works mother later worked gas works named uncle frederick born april brought historic lancashire town predominantly industrial town history spinning weaving cotton child fascinated sights sounds industry dozens chimney visible park paid particular attention saw way school popular local children playing mill industrial ponds area inventive child friends designed makeshift diving suit crisp tin car inner tube told remove local swimming tested unsuccessful arm manchester regular canal largely disused arm closed iron hook rope called stored yard mother house friend built canoe old bicycle wheels cut half ribs slate canvas sheet mother sailed boat nearby river teachers following theft school keys cut new keys classroom door young man school placed art class reading writing skills judged poor following spent years art college work based mainly industrial themes machinery gear spinning mills leaving college offered job funeral left quickly begin work local watched activities childhood witnessed chimney father near track removed chimney created hole base blocks wood lit fire destroying supports causing chimney collapse unfortunately occasion chimney fell wrong direction track dog local cafe series power cables job involved given worked asked point garden wall end customer house short rope gave valuable experience employer expanded business include property repairs aged climbed foot chimney bridge bet night took union flags secured lightning reported incident photograph feat attributed activities students time decided replace chimney stack mother house alfred street design mother fireplace leaving chimney redundant single opening new stack inches wide needed regular maintenance occasion cleaning sack bricks tied rope sack ripped open breaking lead pipes flooding mother kitchen death mother house sold council placed preservation order chimney remains day national service aged army complete given position cook house spent weeks training sent learn basics army catering posted 14th 20th king sent west_germany persuaded commanding officer let repair regiment farmhouse horses soon given permanent position builder dug foot deep shaft horse dog emptied fed animals impressed commanding officers making army kitchen found pistol bought fellow soldier received parcels alcohol tobacco mother allowed maintain habits formed began working life initially resented called service later positive experience wasn bad thing kept going kept line return retrieved tools storage bought motorcycle looked work midst post industrial decline mills closed town leaving mills operational disused initially unable find work existed smaller domestic jobs earned buy set secured commission working local mill paid point mill tower weekends struggled meaningful work met teachers art college agreed deal paid commission job got job chimney alongside manchester difficult proposition mistake force temporary closure railway managed gain commissions jobs relationship terminated called undertake months commissioned repair chimney local brewery working met local knew vicar wanted repairs parish church vicar drove impressed motorcycle quickly friends church tallest building repaired vicar asked appeared local newspaper publicity friendship vicar enabled gain work local clergy major job local firm proceeds enabled expand collection commissioned remove half foot chimney employed assistant chimney contained length railway line lifting materials construction line pieces letting piece fall ground assistant kept area clear spent months removing brick hand chimney use factory afford halt production marriage following disagreements invited wedding year old married spotted chimney day walked pub drinking asked weeks later engaged left notes parents caught train series buses initially planned stay house friend returned holidays stayed instead local farmhouse resident days married agreed point ends local hotel exchange bed board married church returned live mother house later moved victorian gatehouse earl estate outside spent years restoring property including building extension house listed building source appropriately aged bricks extension vicar offered old church graveyard create stone later expressed fear property haunted couple later purchased house required major repairs stabilize rear wall couple child girl named june initially worried husband occupation learned deal risk trust fred organised accounts collected debts helped demolish chimneys worked lighting fire burn away temporary supports place chimney having mastered trade repairing chimneys aware demand cost effective method offered remove explosives cutting base chimney supporting wooden props burning away props chimney fell hopefully intended direction tried tested method opponents occasion contracted local council fell chimneys contract obliged hand decided fell cutting away base chimney collapsed planned council terminated contract refused pay contacted borough engineer offered fell second chimney charge prove effectiveness technique offered let engineer light fire wind blew hard chimney draw flames props burnt remained standing resorted hydraulic jack apply extra pressure intact base chimney eventually fell later told engineer fine balancing high wind forces lost life concrete chimney asked fell began collapse team finished preparing base team ran chimney fell greeted sight tonnes concrete leaning fortunately chimney fell opposite direction chimney steam interest steam power stemmed childhood observations steam locomotives nearby railway line visits father workplace works fascinated steam engines drive line small mill near childhood home broke remember getting mill lifting dust sheet look engine got found beautiful british racing green steam engine left boilers plenty ready waiting job bit sad standing idle like later steam engine drivers worked nearby railway teenager met driver invited locomotive asked boiler supplied fuel steam engines eventually looked buy learnt kept barn near owners bought boiler pressure tested despite poor condition bought towed friend house spent fortnight making repairs drove mother house married bought property cut access road garden new house moved restoring engine took years create replacement parts victorian engineering techniques equipment built garden boiler poor condition needed work fell local knowledge eventually able build new boiler restored porter living van bought restored family local steam driving vehicle relatively safe experienced including instance lost control descending steep hill forced drive engine concrete barrier bring halt smashing fork process restoring placed heavy burden marriage complain husband spent time shed repairing engine house responded naming vehicle telling wife woman steam engine named eventually developed affection antique vehicle saying years built couldn bear purchase autumn traction engine paid friend vehicle moved garden home built steam driven workshop garden parts mills including line shaft gear stationary engine mill gave conservative estimate years complete work restoration eventually took years engine sold auction july asked repairs chimney beneath chimney engine room contained single cylinder steam engine poor condition repaired chimney weeks later asked repair engine dismantled winter took assistant spent months repairing engine sourced replacement boiler local pork pie factory installed engine wales later won prize quality restoration work spent seven months restoring boiler engine near fame commissioned repairs decades exposure rain caused damage clock tower alerted clerk works condition stone pillars tower bought new stone built workshop created replacement pillars given job repairing clock tower golden sphere building fred working chair public relations officer town hall informed bbc look wanted interview following week film crew arrived conducted interview building outside warm friendly manner combined enthusiasm broad lancashire accent proved popular later contacted producer view making documentary meetings course weeks filming began early morning climbed foot chimney mill town near sporadic filming took place month period captured assistant working range buildings spending time family enjoying performed music chosen accompany work town hall notable aspects demolition chimney standing yards away base chimney began collapse retreat safety subsequent like viewers won bafta award best documentary years returned film documentaries newly found fame came work visitors arrive house garden began receive fan mail individual wrote offer steam powered machine longer wanted company apparently disturbed matches extinguished wind chimney sent sample matches filming interfere work climb fred chimney film camera film work hundreds feet ground years later family went holiday trip filmed television showed preference working manage undertake removal small chimney stack business town distinctly grey sky aided wife payment job new plate boiler traction engine refused holidays years marriage booked paid holiday greece taking children caroline remained home surprised return asked divorce day october attended solid fuel exhibition nearby bury return discovered left house taking children dog items furniture short money forced sell antique motorcycle found life family difficult defended wife doubt whatsoever good help going miss pressure got second marriage met second wife year old administrator steam rally fred story recalled meeting looked sad miserable sort figure bounce people knew later invited chimney talk invited group fans halifax known sue moved home married february encouraged grow smoking chimneys repaired demolished forced travel work travelled install lightning conductor parish church digging hole conductor uncovered human bones ceremony held son jack named father trade born offered provided son christened church second son roger born later life repaired foot chimney bridge chimney scaled bet youth asked install falcon nest later influential ensuring chimney listed building notable dinner speaker wear trademark flat cap dinner jacket appearance television advertisement strain living man dedicated began toll wife thumb hit hammer couldn expect come start things house don think fair think got strike balance think cent fred susan met man moved taking roger leaving jack fred went away saying don want don want house don want money away forgive marriage television presenting living little work money competition manchester reduced income filming bbc dried completely met assistant arrived day parents young son yard signed visitor book remained contact friends shared interest steam fascinated tales son moved couple married september year wedding reception surprised moved tears youngest daughter caroline came little contact daughters years divorce met author hall raised district manchester swapped tales growing half 20th century hall suggested unlikely television work commissioned life consider television presenter worked new ideas programme touring country visiting important historical locations speaking men involved maintenance restoration industrial machinery architecture programme exploit working class attitude operating machinery visited filming fred began july location near wet earth crew moved locations country continuing film summer autumn series achieved high viewing figures positive reviews associated website second visited bbc website time book published best selling history books year admitted found speaking camera nerve climbing chimney success industrial age later presented television series filming began fred magnificent monuments installed red preston ready inspection filming television taking time unable complete job left church years donated eventually took job years illness mark centenary death queen_victoria bbc transmitted season programmes based victorian theme presented long fascinated especially regarded hero filming visited number locations including foot high early begin filming building britain suffered severe abdominal pains admitted hospital tests discharged began filming locations country including chairman episode construction britain canal network particular interest end filming went check found right kidney kidney removed found went manchester discovered day father fell roof house died underwent treatment finished tests showed free cancer filming fred began early mill near pier film crew visited number locations including steam rally cornwall sussex travelling country working subject fascinated visiting old friends making money hobby restoration traction engine complete later year told large found dig course time treatment unsuccessful began dig replica coal garden home sight gear considered neighbours unusual child raised surrounded pits long interest mining assembled wooden gear planning sink foot brick lined shaft shaft horizontal tunnel led steep valley garden sits intention narrow gauge railway running tunnel rope hauled inclined plane returning ultimate aim able demonstrate basic working early seven years diagnosis sourced drawings suitable gear built frame timber iron bolts applied given planning permission erect structure mention wish dig shaft underneath bbc decided documentary proposed travelling country visiting working heritage mines filming started late time friend start shaft traditional shaft sinking techniques labour mining friends shaft sunk depth feet lined brick work undertaken planning permission council eventually found happening insisted apply planning permission britain despite best efforts planning permission refused appealed decision new series diverted attention end production began britain friend tour country completed traction engine visiting workshops produce parts needed antique vehicle engine complete medical diagnosis good knew short time live traction engine developed fault help friends quickly repaired restoration completed december traction engine working order planning new series commenced illness necessitated sleep hotels living van engine tow trip long distances locations engine transported low engine suffered early mechanical problems barely tow fully loaded living van cylinder placed slightly closer result time fully forward covered steam inlet port engine repaired minor engineering work brought power team joined sons jack roger production crew effort reduce workload changes filming schedule allow time rest home filming days crew visited forth road bridge man drive traction engine steam bridge pleasures provided welcome distraction ill pain end june ill continue filming sent home rest given medication alleviate condition collect honours awarded honorary degree doctor technology achievement engineering july honorary doctor university awarded services heritage broadcasting said looking forward meeting queen shall probably new cap like meet share views modern architecture july went buckingham palace receive award queen initially planned drive traction engine palace grounds refused feared weight damage surface mall eventually allowed drive engine army barracks short distance palace collected medal wearing morning dress hat filming continued locations country sons jack roger essential members tour providing needed support father end july crew filmed days planned difficult day filming duties crew decided cut short schedule home decided gear garden fell injured adamant continue filming trip complete filming later partial recovery completed day filming death died surrounded family november suffering cancer years years old time death estate estimated worth million days later thousands watched coffin trade mark flat cap placed towed centre restored traction engine driven son steam powered vehicles followed procession way hour long service told congregation wasn presenter recognised working man learned experience following service led vicar friend buried cemetery home legacy television work famous chimneys time death ninety favourite jobs films outspoken views changing society work ethics embodiment views fans view northern working man praised notable british people reporting death television presenter remarked don like said sad news kind gone think like enthusiastic way life virtually disappeared chairman said unique britain world thoughts wife children foot bronze statue unveiled mayor town centre april sculpture created home converted heritage centre play titled demolition man based final years staged filmography fred fred fred disappearing world year fred year fred new life fred ups fred story industrial age magnificent monuments getting steamed building britain dig tribute fred britain
Fred Dibnah