It was his wife and son that was at the bottom of the ladder and Fred sadly passed in 2004 of bladder cancer. I think this was filmed in the 1980s how i see it he was the modern day superman in those times my anxiety is climbing just watching this

Hi my father was a master builder down south and he was without fear! Like fred dad would climb without a safety harness. Yes he fell off a roof only once, but survived. He said safety harness only gets in your way and then you over trust it. When you should be paying attention to your body. Anyhow at age 70 my father rescued a fellow builder from a steeple on his local church. The steeple only a measly 174 foot high laddered steeple climb. Just like you see fred doing the old school method. Dad had taught the builder how to ladder like fred. This younger builder had an accident up the top. He had damaged his hand and could not climb down. So dad went up and then helped lower him safely down in a boson's chair aged 70. Dad was very strong, he still was working 3 days a week. He was a family man that would help anyone and was the first person the village called on for any building advice or help. He had to go up as the rescue helicopter could not get close, due to high winds and low clouds. So the local policeman come and found dad on his allotment and asked for help as he was scared of heights and the fire brigade would not use the wet ladders. Anyhow he went up bandaged up the hand and helped rig a rescue chair. That was dad alwase willing to help anyone... I am not half the man he was, he passed after a long illness a couple of years ago in 2019 aged 86. Even then he had a stroke gardening at age 80 at 6.40am on a Friday in May. He wasen't discovered until Sunday afternoon, when my sister found him. We were concerned as he wasen't answering his telephone. Now how he survived a massive stroke and then outside for 2 and half days? I have no clue how only shear will power I guess! We were contacted by my sister and then all rushed to be there in a local hospital. After a long 6 hours, I could see he was coming back with fluids and liquid food. So we decided to leave my sisters stayed, I left and the doctor was shocked. I swear he was convinced dad was going to die. I simply told Dad see you tomorrow as I need to rest. I am disabled so only have so much strength and needed my medication and I knew he would be OK. I was right Dad lasted another 5 years in a rest home after a massive stroke and all that! The Doctor sadly died a year later, i found out later.The stroke damaged over half of his brain and he could not talk or control anything but his left hand. He was right handed he relearnt to wash, hold his newspaper and play cards and checkers and eat. At age 80! Oh yes he read his newspaper every day and understood it. Despite his doctors telling me it was not possible! Strange he could play cards, checkers and understand enough to win most of the time! This wasen't us wishful thinking nope we have video of him counting up his hand and asking for more cards playing cards with us. Same with dominos and checkers. With only using his left hand, with no speech just grunts sadly. Somehow I could understand him most of the time. Having been closest to him and working with him over the years you almost develop an understanding of how he thought. So I become his voice and everyone fell in love with Ray at Bay house. He had just such a fun and loving personality, he could charm anyone. We lost Mum many years before this due to cancer and dad had nursed her until the end. After a year or so he used to indicate yes/no thumbs up or down .Half for maybe with his left hand which helped communication. We taught the staff to play the yes/no game as we called it. That way he could communicate his wishes in a simple way like asking for a drink. We found a page of simple words he could point to words on this laminated sheet. Like food, drink simple words to help communicate and they still use it with other patients. I visited Dad every day for 3 years. This was the deal worked out with my sisters that he would come live in the same seaside town. We found a fantastic rest home but because they work. I would visit as much as I could, so he would alwase have family around him. Sadly I had to cut back to only 5 visits a week because of my worsening health. I still treasure every extra day, I got to spend with Dad even lessesened as he was. He was so special, we just don't make men like him any longer! Sorry for the long post but it gives you a idea of men like fred and dad family men, very clever and very strong will power. Okay maybe I got most of his willpower being left in chronic pain from the age of 32 after a horrific RTA. I am 53 as I write this. Heh, well good luck sir with your channel! At heart your a true brit and thanks to these video's, your really starting to get us! So I recon your a honorary Britishman nowadays...

That random couple are his wife and son

I live in Fred's town when he passed away the hole town of Bolton came out for his funeral and people from afar came a much loved and respected man was Fred who is sadly missed Have you watch his steam engines that was his passion .

Fred was a total legend and is still very missed here in the UK. Another English legend who is worth a watch is Guy Martin, he is very much from the same mould as Fred and equally fearless. He holds several world records for crazy speed related stunts and due to his many motorcycle crashes is almost as much metal as flesh.

I always stop breathing watching him. What a man he was.

If anybody ever asks. 'What is an Englishman'? It's Fred. A true gentleman of the first water. Every subject Fred spoke about had you fascinanated. God protect that man. Peace out.

The little boy Jack is his eldest son, The lady holding him is Freds second wife Susan Lorenz

Glad to see that Fred is having the same effect on people now as he did when he first appeared on our screens in the 70's. Huge depth of engineering knowledge coupled with a love of architecture made him fascinating to listen to. Whenever you watch him you come away feeling that you have learned something of note.

I've been a Roofer for 20+ years and you couldn't pay me enough money to climb that overhang with no scaffold. I've been in some dodgy situations on taller buildings than that, in strong winds and heavy rain, but it never felt like "One little misstep and you're a goner"

As Fred would say. What great age comes great knowledge. And it was his wife and son

How do you have a career like this and live all yr life and not die from falling it just shows you how much faith and knowledge he had in his jobs RIP Fred

Fred was certainly a one off creation, there'll never ever be another like him. His lack of fear of heights was more than impressive as was his love of traction engines. Some of the structures he's climbed up would put the fear of God into most mortals - God bless you Fred and may your name never die!

He was a legend . R.I.P. Fred 🥇❤

Fred always said he continued using the old traditional methods as an homage to the craftsmen who built the chimneys in the first place. I first met him when I was about 15 years old, and living with my parents around 200 yards down the road from him. Most Sundays he would drive his steamroller past our house on his way for a pint at the local pub!

My mum and dad would watch this when i was a young teen and I'd say "why you watching this crap?" Little did I know 25 plus years later, I'd be watching him and thinking wow. Now I know why my parents watched this guys show. Insane. They don't make people like this anymore. Imagine a gen z told you have to do what Fred did haha they would cry!!!

You can tell he absolutely loved his job , almost a vocation for him really . Imagine what his first time going up a chimney must have been like it must have been unnerving . 😳

I have been up Tower Cranes on Building sites and at least there you are in a Cab, This is in a different League, open to the elements as well. What a Guy Fred was.

I think the key to laddering the overhang is the fact that he has a ladder going up vertically to just under the overhang. The vertical ladder would be placed in the standard way (as shown in the chimney laddering video). Presumably the overhang ladder would be secured to the vertical ladder (a few rungs up) with the other end of it attached to a pulley. He could then stand at the top of the vertical ladder and then pull in the ladder that went out over the ledge and secure it to a point just underneath the ledge, on the vertical part of the chimney. To take the overhang ladder down he would just need to release that rope whilst standing at the top of the vertical ladder. What Fred does not explain in his videos is that he always places new pitons for each job so that he can ensure that they are sturdy. You could not trust anything that is already up there since there is no way of knowing if it will take the load until your life depends on it ! After all he is up there to carry out maintenance on the structure which means bits of it are crumbling away - yet another amazing aspect to what he did.

I have Fred Dibnah to thank for my interest in our Industrial Heritage, even though there are only scraps left. In some ways it must have been sad for him because he didn't just live through its destruction, he actually did a lot of the demolition. The other thing with Fred, as fit as he was he smoked most of his life and he really liked his Beer. That combined with God knows what carcinogens and toxins from his line of work he was never destined for a long life, I am grateful that so much of his work and life where so well documented and he still inspires people to this day, on a global level too.

Maybe you should watch the fred Dibnah story its 6 parts but 30mins long each part, very interesting and more about him and his life not just his job.

Fred died of bladder cancer in 2004 aged 66.🙁

In all these videos of Fred climbing those chimneys, no one ever takes into account of the wind against his body. The pressure he feels trying to pull him off as he climbs must be unbelievable. R.I.P. Fred. Thanks for the lessons in humility and outstanding workmanship. You have done the things no one else would want to do. What a great man he was.

That is the "India Mill Chimney" it is Darwen, in Lancashire. The town I was born in. It's still going strong today.

Fred's only in his mid 40's here his generation look a lot older than someone in there mid 40's nowadays ..

Fred was definitely spiderman. That must be so frightening climbing the chimney let alone going over the overhangs. And no safety rope or harnesses. Amazing

My grandad Fred did similar work but also did painting and maintenance of stacks and other tall places health and safety has now destroyed the British courage to do simple things without fear but only certain people are built to do that sort of work but to love the history of what your working with is what makes you great at it

It makes your toes curl. The ancient ape response, your toes gripping the branch tighter.

This reminds me of that 1970’s Blue Peter segment where John Noakes climbed Nelson’s Column to see how it was cleaned. Would recommend watching that one!

That chimney is the biggest I've ever seen. It used make me nervous just walking past it.

My hands are sweating!!!!

My grandy met Fred when he came to the Midlands to help with a demolition. In his later years, he had dementia and would often talk about Fred teaching him which way a demolished chimney would fall. Bit of a weird method, included putting your head between your knees!

The flag was in his backpack - he took it up with him all the way up the ladder!

This was in the 1980’s. There was no High Definition back then.

I live about 3 miles from this chimney 🙂

Leaning back, going up overhanging ladder and he’s not strapped in, just his hands stopping him falling, that is mental dude

Love how much you’re enjoying these, bear in mind with the drilling the holes that was what the chiselling was - he’d just pointed them with cement, but it would ne the same process on brick

Fred Dibnah...'Balls Of Steel'..

I cannot watch this…..making me feel sick 😂….what a man he was!!

He carried it up there. 😂❤

There are multiple times up a chimney where he has a normal vertical ladder fixed to the wall with Dogs and roping but to get over an overhang he used another ladder tied and braced from a position on the vertical ladder. He anchors the second ladder at a position on the verticals ladder which allows an acute angle as small as possible so he will not to all intents and purposes dangle more than just lean back while he climbs passed the overhang he can then secure it at that point. To release the ladder I can only surmise that he has used a strong enough release knot to allow the slow removal of each ladder in the climb, later in your research you’ll probably find the actual way he does it. Have you seen his other job of chimney demolition, he has two systems he climbs to the top of the chimney where it’s position is to critical to just drop it and he takes it down brick by brick. The second way is by fire. Cheers Aah Kid

His 1st Wife Alison, 29 years his junior, and Son at min 4.0. He as married 3 times.

Steve, that is his wife and son. Its still remarkable watching this man, whatever he was paid it wasn't enough. I think he mentioned the ladders on this chimney were only initially for an inspection. 👍

Fred the legend he is. Is shown in that clip with his 2nd wife & son. The BBC made a 6 part series of his life & work all available on YT. It began filming in 1979. His funeral tribute is also on YT. He made other series on Steam engines and Engineering also out there. I am old enough to have watched the 6 parter 1st time around :-) His surname is pronounced 'Dibna' the h being virtually silent. He lived in Bolton, Lancashire, UK. He was very passionate in his belief of Victorian Engineering. The Industrial Revolution here in the UK. The 6 parts are 45 mins each, you would benefit immensely from watching them!

I live in the same town where Fred plied his trade and was fortunate to meet him on one a occasion. He was a real character and also made a series of documentaries, for the BBC, about the UK’s historical engineering and architectural achievements.

Fred is one guy i would have loved to have met...what a life he had..

Fred had knowledge, confidence and bravery that was far beyond a normal man in the street!

Some other videos show him taking the chimneys down by removing bricks from the bottom,then support with wood, later starting a bonfire with old tires, and the whole chimney came down, his wife usually should start the fires.

Steve have you watched him blowing up old industrial chimneys and felling them with pinpoint accuracy?

I consider myself a bit crazy and love scary adrenaline and straight up …no chance I’d freeze and have to get rescued. Always enjoyed watching Fred as a kid …he’s a legendary and an amazing engineer as well as having the biggest balls on the planet.

The flag was the bundle that was hanging from his belt as he climbed up

Climbing the ladder would be bad enough, but the bit that really scares me is the thought of stepping out onto the overhang ladder.

Not sure if it was deliberate, but I liked your use of the phrase "straight up". Pretty much sums up much of Fred's life really.

Fred use to go past our house in the 80/90s you could hear his old steam engine going down the road we would run to the window to see him going past.. my dad and bro went to see him knock a chimney down. I’m from northwest good old Fred 🥰local hero!!

You only fall off a chimney once, its half a day out with the undertaker.😂😂

This is the clip I wanted you to see.Its the India Mill chimney

Steve, There's a video of Fred's funeral to checkout that you might find interesting,n Its on KZfaq called Fred Dibnah. A final goodbye. The day Bolton stood still.

My legs have gone to jelly, watching this,lol

When i first came upon Fred i was a truck driver making a delivery to his home town of Bolton Lancashire UK, remembering seeing an old guy at the bottom of a factory chimney who turned out to be Fred's ground man Donald and he told me that Fred never employed a young guy as they tend to get distracted and walk off probably to chat to some young woman,after that i wanted to know more about Fred and on another occasion out with the truck called to see Fred in his back yard working on his pride and joy steam roller which was named after his first wife Alison,he was never in the house though always up a chimney or in his shed working, it's a wonder any woman stayed around for long but saying that he renevated his beautiful Victorian home for his family to live in,i believe it had been an old coaching house where travelers could stop off for food and refreshments, he's very sadly missed by many followers mainly from the steam traction engine members, the guy your watching is the true man himself,a backstreet engineer very sadly missed.

Awesome vid. RIP Fred English legend. Have you seen the one where he goes to Blackpool and his wife has to Labour for him?😅

That looked like he’d knocked a dog in the next sector. You can just see the rope. ❤❤❤❤❤😂😂

He’s free climbing when all said and done. 😮😮😮❤❤

Fred's famous saying was "did you like that?"

India Mill chimney, Bolton Road, Darwen, Lancashire, England.

Fred was born before his time! His work is all based on the Victorian period,laddering and scaffold and toppling chimney is from the mid 1800’s. The man is so inspiring especially to the younger generations!!

My biggest issue is this; (as I type with soaking hands and feet like every time I watch Fred's videos), I could never in a million years climb up the straight ladders never mind the overhang. I'd get so far up and either freeze or fall off.!!! Now, even if I could manage to climb the overhang, which I can assure you I could not, imagine what it's like trying to climb out over the ledge to set yourself up to climb down the overhang ladder 😳😳😳😳 That bit freaks me right out because be honest, getting up has to be easier than coming back down over that ledge surely 😳 absolutely bonkers

The last chimney he worked on was in my hometown (Oldham). There will never be another Fred Dibnah. One of a kind, although having said that Guy Martin is in the same league.

Im enjoying your Fred vids very much but lordy lord lord .... Some of those shots of him so high up make all my legs and groin go tinkley and jellified... My lord what a man ... Thk Q Steve for the trip down memory lane 🙂

Dibnah struggled to understand the younger generations in the 1980's and 1990's, let alone the absolute shower today.

There is some film of him traversing a church on a bosons chair inspecting the steeple amazing man his love was his steam roller which he took around the UK to steam fairs :)

Everyone talks about Fred, but it was his job - the cameraman was up there with him!

Steve, I remember watching an episode in 1979, where he demolishes a chimney using fire and not explosives, well worth a watch. The episode where he demolishes the chimney brick by brick, was from the first BBC series called Steeplejack which was in 1979, the young lad is his son

That's Fred's Wife & Son x

VOLUME LEVELS!!!!

The hardest part of the climb is at the end, can you imagine the long climb then you have to do the over hangs. I am sore just thinking about it.

You should watch his tribute the day Bolton stood still x

As a person with Vertigo, I struggle to even watch Fred's work.

Fred last dropped a chimney in 2004 his 90th

Fred the legend

A teacher suggested to me - Could I walk along a wall 1 foot wide, if it was 2 feet off the ground? I said I could, but when he asked if I could do it 300 feet off the ground, I said no. Fred puts those thoughts out of his head. I think that's half his secret.

I always find it interesting how Fred holds the ladder with his hands on the sides. If he rotated his hands to hold the rungs instead, it would increase the tension in his forearms and they would tire far quicker.

My guess for laddering the overhang would be to continue the ladder til you cant no more, chisel a hole then put in a dog somewhere around midway (maybe slightly higher) on the last ladder, maybe that dog has an eye on the end is my theory that you could then attach a block and tackle, man on floor lifts the “overhang ladder” to the top (probably on another “eyed dog” fixed into the “roof” of the overhang) you then maybe attempt to guide the ladder on the angle over the overhang with our man on the floor taking the weight on a rope attached to a lower rung near bottom and lifts it, then the block and tackle can be used to cramp up the ladder to the overhang on a rope attached to a middle rung somewhere…?? 🤷‍♂️ that’s how my brain has explained it to me but I could be waaaay off!! I’m far from being a steeplejack 🤣

Ugh made my palms sweaty watching that lol

You seen John Noakes climb Nelson's Column, yet? Kids' tv from tbe 70s.

The boy is one of his sons; the woman is his second wife. He had three daughters from his first marriage and two sons from his second. His third wife was the one he married to until the end. (He was considerably older than all his wives, afaicr.)

What's wild about Fred is that he was an older, late-middle-aged, somewhat hefty guy and he seemed to do this somewhat casually in regular street clothes with no special shoes or gloves or protection and no apparent "Plan B" in case something went wrong. Even if I was in shape to climb a ladder that tall, I'd have to worry what would I do if I suddenly got a cramp in my hand or in my leg when I was a hundred-plus feet over the ground or if I carelessly cought my foot under a rung.

The flag was in the bag tha he was takin up there.... Fred..... A British hero

His second wife and son he had 2 daughters with his first wife and 2 sons with his second. I often passed his house on the number 14 bus on the way to Darcy Lever.

1988 this was filmed if you work out the date Fred died 2004 and he was 50 in this.

Every time I watch Fred climb to those heights my gonads disappear inside my body !!😲

He's some man for just one man Steve

I think the way he laddered the overhangs was, he would tie the rope at the top of the ladder flat against the wall, his mate on the ground would tie the rope just above half way up the next ladder to be pulled up so it was still bottom heavy so as to stay vertical as it was being pulled up and pull it up, when it was pulled up Fred would take hold of the bottom of the ladder taking some of the weight and his mate at the bottom of the ladder would would let out some of the rope so the ladder would lean back, but still keep most of the weight on the rope, then Fred would would climb a bit higher until the ladder was where he wanted it and tie the bottom, with his mate at teh bottom of the ladder taking all teh weight again Fred would climb around the ladder on to the ladder flat against the wall again and tie the 2 ladders together near the top securing it.

Loved watching Fred here in the UK back in the very late 70's through the early 80's. He became a national treasure but would be cancelled today if still alive. He was three times married and had five kids. I remember women swooning over him, probably because he was an old school man at a time when New Romantics and Yuppies/Metrosexuals were all the rage - girlie hair and effeminate clothing, even make-up were being pushed by pop stars and encouraged by the fashion magazines. The women that loved him said he had immense physical strength and a no nonsense manner, but also had an underlying insecurity and fear of being abandoned. I read somewhere that his own parents had split and that would have been at a time when divorce was rare.

the woman and child are Freds wife and son now you must check out how to bring a chimney down the coolest of all the Fred videos

Watch Fred falling chimneys!!

Bumped into an old friend today who knew Fred. My friend got to know Fred a long time ago through mutual interests. My mate is actually responsible for bringing back from extinction, the British Deerhound. He breeds gun dogs, ratting dogs, and working horses. His stock is sent all around the world, and he was personally requested to act as security at Fred's funeral. Dave Platts is his name. See; 'A Breed Apart' and that will create a rabbit hole of content. He even appears in some oil paintings made in tribute to himself and Fred and I believe they can be seen in one of Fred's documentaries.

There's no way i could climb that ladder I wouldn't make the 1st overhang nevermind the one at the very top !! I'd be shaking to much to move ..

Fred Dibnah could ladder El Capitan or the North Face of the Eiger. I honestly reckon he could.

You need to watch "Fred Dibnah How to bring down a chimney stack."

There is another part to the Swan chimney (the chimney he laddered)clip.😲😲Hopefully you can find it.