American Reacts to Fred Dibnah How to Erect a Chimney Scaffold 

Fred Dibnah would havve been the first man on the moon if there was enough ladders

This is quietly one of the best British programs ever made. Just Fred's voice, the wind, the klank of the boards and clack of the hammer. No dramatic music. Brilliant. I cried the day Fred died. RIP FRED.

I met Fred twice, the second time was after he retired from steeplejacking, and came to do a talk at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon. This was after his cancer had been diagnosed, and not long before the end. The previous time was probably some time in the ‘90s. You could see on television that the house was by a corner in the road, and he had mentioned the river and cemetery behind it. One day I was going to Manchester, so I looked at a map of Bolton, and decided that the house was probably on Radcliffe Road, so after I finished in Manchester I caught the train to Bolton to have a look. While I was outside the yard Fred came out with a pot of paint and a brush, and climbed a short ladder to paint something. A few minutes later he came down and saw me. He saw me, and came over to speak. He invited me into the yard to see his engines and machinery. He was just the same as he was on television.

“You can work quite comfortably as if on the ground. “ no Fred no

It always amazes me in these days of Gyms and the fitness craze that Fred who smoked and liked an ale or two, along with what was probably not the healthiest diet had the stamina to climb ladders to the top of these great chimneys and make it look easy. I had the pleasure and honour to meet Fred once, what a wonderful down to earth man he was. sadly not many of his kind left now. Rest In Peace Fred, you will NEVER be forgotten

Really like the way you're so respectful to Fred Dibnah, a true legend who completely knew his stuff. So many "Reacts" videos from armchair experts are not. You're a breath of fresh air. Thank you.

Fred Dibnah is icon in the North of England! It's great to see him being appreciated still. Even over seas!

I loved the tour around England he did with Donald, on his steam engine and the guy was going through the trauma of having Cancer at the time. A truly amazing Man.

My grandad knew Fred very well. Fred was a brilliant structural and mechanical engineer. His use of common northern language gave him a likeable personality, and he was very switched on, very methodical and knew exactly what he was doing. Fred was probably the last of the real men that we used to have in this country. British men were a different breed back in those days. The British bulldog spirit.

That chimney is still there and still working, its for Bolton's waste power station. I had the honor of meeting Fred and his steam engines when I was a teen. A special man, one of a kind, they don't make 'em like that anymore.

"Fred Dibnah Climbing chimney over hang at 50+" his free climbing up the overhang is crazy skills... Please watch!!!!

Fred carried all the safety equipment he needed between his ears. The fact he did the job for so many years and survived is down to a lot more than luck. Never underestimate or forget the contribution Donald made either, he did a lot more than just pull on a bit of rope every now and then. There had to be real teamwork and understanding between them, out of earshot and barely visible at times.

Doctors orders. I can't watch Fred climbing stacks anymore, my arse chokes me to death.

Big round of applause to the cameraman who climbed up the chimney to film Fred!

He was a real human being in the truest sense. When he was diagnosed with terminal cancer he made one last TV series with his best friend where they went on one last road trip in his steem engine and trailer.

Fred Dibnah is an absolute legend. I loved it when he was on TV climbing chimneys. You have to check out John Noakes climbing Nelson's Column in 1977. He was a children's TV presenter and scaled the monument wearing a jacket, flared trousers and ordinary shoes with no safety equipment whatsoever. Amazing courage from the man.

My old dad was in this sort of work for a few years until my mother put a stop to it, the final straw was when he was working at Kingsnorth power station in Kent (650ft in height) and some men were injured and one killed... they were told that they would have a lift to access the top but when they arrived the lift had fallen near the bottom and men had been seriously injured. instead, they had to climb a ladder inside until they were about 100ft from the top were they had to climb out side and then up to the top holding on to just metal hoops in the wall... They set a staging up with a block and tackle to winch tools and materials up, Dad was an x british seaman so understood a bit about rigging and didn’t like it, he thought that by the time you drop 650ft x2 of wire up and down, just the weight of that would be too much! Anyway, unfortunately he was correct and the staging collapsed and killed a man on top the chimney, apparently the poor man had to be left up on top for a couple of days until they could work out how to get him down, Dad was told to leave the job and he never went back into that work again thankfully! Fred was a true British working class man, a hero...and what most don’t realise is that he’d probably be doing that with a few jars of a ale in his belly!

As someone who has also been a scaffolder... his strength to manipulate the pipes at that height “AMAZES ME!”

“Wind is the steeple jacks enemy” There’d be plenty of that from me up there, and shit running down my trousers at an ungodly speed.

For any fellow Brits out there, BBC 4 at 7pm. Fred Dibnah's world of steam, steel and stone, repeated at around 2am. everyday. EB, glad you got round to this one, the scaffold does actually go round the chimney on four levels for the completed scaffold.

Fred is a very respected, brave man in his day. I don't know how he done it, but my god he had what you call "BOTTLE ". He was a very brave man to do the work that he done, greatest respect to a man that does this kind of work! I miss his tv programs, as I know we well never get another Fred Dibnah again! He was a real man.

I’ve met this guy loads of times in my younger days. Guy was a legend and had all the time in the world to have a chat. He used to be a member of a charity run museum near where I grew up. Helped him load a small steam engine onto a low loader one day too.

I remember watching him on television as a kid, he was proper old school, a true legend.

Thanks for posting. Fred was fascinated with the Victorian way of doing things. His love of Victorian era engineering is well documented he loved nothing more than teaching people how things used to be done. But Fred was much more than just a steeple jack he was also a very very talented all round engineer and metal worker with a passion for steam engines. If anyone reading this is interested in Fred Dibnahs work just type his name in to RU-vid and you will be confronted with thousands of hours of videos about this fascinating man.

If you liked this you will love the video of fred climbing the over hang of a chimney ......more underware needed for that 1 , love your reactions btw

Later in his TV career he did a few other series where he explains everything victorian from buildings to engineering.

I was hoping you would do this one.....watched it numerous times, still makes my stomach turn......👍🇮🇲

So glad you are enjoying Fred. He is a national treasure. Did you notice when he was lashing the corner boards down he had no safety rope at all. Love your channel man. Keep the great content coming, top respect from the UK 🇬🇧

Fred was a really interesting, incredibly skilled man. I would love to have met him, just for a chinwag..........on the GROUND!!! 🤣

Fred was a real man even when he was dieing from cancer you never heard him complain what I’ve been told respect to this man 🙏🙏🙏

I'm from England. I grew up watching Fred. Amazing fella.

In the early 80s, I was a a scaffolder for 7 years and had many a job on the Forth road bridge where we worked under the rail track erecting platforms for the steel workers. We happily worked 160ft above the water without safety gear. H and S later kicked in and we had to wear an inertia reel safety line, which worked like a car seat belt, if you moved too fast it would lock. I had so many incidents of it pulling me back. You then had to climb all the way back through the Tube the long way round following the reel rather than just jump up top and walk. I felt far safer without the gear because you only had yourself to rely on. Respect to Fred Dibna who is a British Icon. RIP Freddy.

I've watched this numerous times and have never failed to get sweaty palms as a result during some of the more perilous moments of him leaning over and going up and down the ladder.

one of the last true brits, his giant brass bollocks make a mockery of todays youth.. never mind health and safety. RIP fred.. rip

Another great choice. I've watched everything I could find on Fred. He's a legend. He gets such respect for things he takes in his stride. RIP 🕊

Unfortunately Fred and others like him are gone, the world is a lesser place because of this! But he leaves behind him a legacy! And thankfully the legacy, knowledge and his loveable charm in the way he explains things will remain forever! You are a legend Fred Dibnah!! Long may your memory remain in the hearts of the British people.

Hi Alan, you should check out the story of Harry "bare hands" Bates, who climbed the mast of the Battleship HMS Duke of York to repair the RADAR antenna. No big deal I can hear people say, what I left out was, it was night time 26th December 1943, in the Arctic Ocean and blowing a force 8 gale! Not only that, they were at the time in a gun fight with the German Battleship KMS Scharnhorst, which was why the RADAR needed repairing! I think if Fred had been there he would have been up there alongside Harry.

Fred was everybody's favourite uncle. I met him once in Doncaster England, and he was wonderful. Took the time to chat and seemed to be interested in what I had to say. Best of all, he was an engineer in mechanics and this technical drawings were hand done and beautifully Victorian perfection. It was a sad day when Fred passed on to the great Steam engine in the sky.

You would only have one accident in a working life as a steeplejack. He was a heroic working figure.

I'm always amazed that Fred managed to climb a ladder with his massive knackers hanging below him

I remember in one of his programmes he said “ the only ladder he fell off was when he was painting his daughters bedroom, he was laid up for three weeks”

This man is almost a ‘one off’ in terms of character, personality & sheer dedication to getting things right. His programmes as informative as they were, were great entertainment. Best wishes & thanks for reacting 👍

There's a video showing him climbing an overhang... While he's doing it he's speaking out to the haters saying he should not be doing this this job if he has had a few pints in the pub before he goes up... Fred just turns around and says, "you go up that chimney without having a drink"... Pure class

Men like Dibnah built England, sadly they aren't to be found anymore! The absolute salt of the earth, as true a Lancastrian as was ever born. A giant in a flat cap. "Did ya like that?" 🌹

Fred is the English version of the Native American high iron workers that built the skyscrapers.

I have been watching his films since i was a child... I truly believe that he is partly to blame for me working with my hands for 40 years!

People said that he had balls of steel, no he had balls of tungsten, this man was a legend and still is. ❤️

Fred's a legend. Once you've watched some more of him you might like to check out Guy Martin. He's got the same bluff working class way about him and complete disregard for his own safety. His main interest is in old machinery, new machinery and going very, very fast. You've probably already seena clip of him spectacularly binning it at the Isle of Man TT without realising it was him. He's the one who flew off through a hedge at 150mph.

I've seen this lots of times, I know before I watch it again your reaction is gonna be priceless.

I worked in a timber yard from when I was 14 and the highest church steeple in England was down the street we had the great pleasure of watching him fire up there and repair it in his early 60s. Proper man that bloke!

Thanks for keeping Fred's legacy alive Alan.👍

"...Probably have less accidents..." - I guess you would only have one!

An uncle of mine knew Fred well, Uncle Arnold worked in a breakers yard "Stones and Hutchinson" that dealt with a lot of obsolete machinery from the railway industry and Fred used to go there quite a lot hunting for bits and pieces for his various projects, and incidentally my Uncle actually appeared in an episode of this tv programme, i actually met him myself once when he was coming out of Weston Engineering, no doubt on the scrounge for similar stuff.

He dismantled huge chimneys with a hammer on his own one brick at a time :)

He was the definition of a working class hero to me !!!

Your videos are actually therapeutic. Watching someone else reacting to Uncle Fred's antics in the exact same way I do, almost makes them easier to watch.

It’s the lack of him being tied to anything that brings on my vertigo

Fred is a English hero ...and rightly so... His TV work never gets boring ....his knowledge and his pride in his work is always great to watch ..he liked a smoke and a beer.. but seemed to be fit as a fiddle ..very strong guy for his size...a true gentleman who gave alot to people ...shared advice and brought alot of people happiness then and also now....Great to see Fred getting his recognition..cos he deserves it

That's one hell of a commute to work. All that work just to get set up to do the job. His knowledge and willingness to learn made him very special, and so modest, thought nothing of his trade just hard graft as he would put it. Some of his shows are still being shown on BBC4 at the moment, takes you back to a time before social media and the me me me attitude. I am sure Fred would have plenty to say about todays world.

If you want to see how respected he was watch the video of his funeral

Deffo the hardest part of this job is knocking mortar out with a 3kg head all day long, Man must of had arms of steel. Legend over here in the North of Uk Mr Dibnah.

He was a British institution and I used to watch these programs years ago and for him no big deal all in a day,s work. Terrific guy

By far the most impressive thing was that back in the victorian times when those chimneys were designed at built, they had the foresight to build them with such strength that they could support the gigantic weight of Fred's bollocks.

Fred was one of the most down to earth blokes even though he spent half of his time up in the air!

Does anyone else feel faintly nauseous watching this. Like I can feel the fear as if I'm sat there on that bit of wood.

Fred was a genuine legend of UK television.

My fave Dibnah clip is of him felling a chimney with burning wooden props rather than explosives, from the original 1979 TV documentary. His reaction at the end is what set him on the road to folk hero status.

There is a video of Fred taking down a chimney the same size as that a brick at a time only using a hammer and chisel.

Great video. With you being an American well done on understanding Fred's strong Lancashire accent too. He was way braver than me!

I thought the bosuns chair was a bit scary, but walking round the scaffolding with that wind blowing. One freak gust of wind!! I feel wobbly just watching.

I remember all of the steam powered gear he had round the back of his house & when he tried to fire a line with a bow & arrow & it bounced back & nearly hit him. Brilliant bloke.

My knees were aching just listening to him talking LOL

You’re such a breath of fresh air, your attitude towards learning about the world is in parallel to guy Martin’s appreciation for engineering. You’re the only reaction you tuber who accentuates the intrigue. Love your channel keep up the good work pal 👍

I lived in the next street to Fred and often on weekends took my young niece and nephew to his yard to see him working on his traction engine and he would talk to them for hours about the history of British industry and what he did and how he did his work and outside of being a steeplejack he was a history teacher and the kids loved it, it really was a good afternoon out and education at Fred,s.

Amazing how he just walks around the scaffolding with no safety lines attached....Great to see you reacting to some great British characters and tv programmes of the 60's,70's and 80's I was born in 1960 so I remember seeing these when they were first shown....keep up the Great work....👍👍

He definetely had a lot of luck on his life, very old school with lots of experience, that wind is crazy, he is a very talented and strong guy, balls of steel that guy

I'm a scaffolder in the UK our scaffolding is totally different to the USA we have much stricter health and safety rules you still get these steeple jacks they use tube and fittings now have a look at British scaffolding on Google images a lot more goes into ours 👍

Hi from UK I used to see Fred climbing chimneys in Bolton, it scares the hell out of me, Watch the one called Chimney overhang at 50+ This will definitely get those arse checks clenching, Excellent videos keep them up Keep safe

The true Lancashire Legend - Fred Dibnah. Makes everyones feet sweat when he's swinging away up at those heights... Absolutely nerves of steel (and balls) 👍🏼😂

I remember watching this back in the day. Being terrified of heights I was leaning back into my chair, looking away. I still am 😂😂

And he has take all that lot down again when he's finished. Imagine getting all that down, and then realizing that you've left your best trowel at the top!

Fred was one of those unusual success stories that occasionally happen with TV. The documentary that brought him to the nations attention was out of the ordinary for TV back then, and not a subject that you would think would garner much of an audience. However, his delivery of the material was so down to earth, and shaped by his tremendous depth of knowledge of the engineering principles involved that it endeared him to the TV audience, and was absolutely fascinating, both to watch and to listen to. It was so well received that future projects were filmed over a number of years. His technical drawings of things, such as a particularly elaborate roof joint, or whatever the subject of that program was, were of draughtsmanlike quality. In one series he travelled around visiting various engineering works that were still in production, examining and explaining how various items were made and what they were used for. It speaks volumes for his character that he became so well known, and so well loved by his viewers, just by being himself.

You talk about Brits and Britain with such fondness, I suspect you've got a little British in you. Keep up the great videos.

Certainly not taking anything away from Fred for what he does but I'm amazed at the guys who built these chimneys in the first place.

I remember watching Fred blow up a chimney as a kid and he was telling the kids the mortar ration mix

He was a regular on British TV back in the day. Very down to earth, balls of steel.

Much more than a’National Treasure ‘ 🇬🇧 we’ll never see his like again.

I could never hold a ladder at that height - my palms are pouring sweat just watching.

im sure there is a clip of him getting up the over hang segment of a chimney stack. cool vids!

Have been a (UK) fan of Fred for many years, but your channel has really shown me how human he was - that he learned how to put ladders up and a scaffold around an industrrial chimney top from a (presumably) younger and technically cleverer guy and was humble enough to both learn from him, but also acknowledge him. I've read and watched plenty of stuff about this amazing guy, but never seen this side of him before. Thanks for adding meat to the bone!

There are only two ways of getting me to the top of that chimney stack. 1) after I'm dead 2) after it has been knocked down and is lying sideways on the floor.

also what about the camera man, the video cameras back then weren't as small as the ones we have now... he also got some balls!

met him a couple of times at steam engine shows. Quite a character. WatchING him working on the chimneys makes you giddy though.

I think in this vlog fred sits on top and chisels the bricks off the chimney one stroke three at a time. When Fred died of cancer in about 2006 they had a special tribute programme, the amount of people even celebrities all saying good things about him.

I used to get ill watching Fred scale those heights, especially when you looked down from where he was. Very few people could do what he did, he really was unique in so many ways.

There is one vid where he builds the overhang at top, that is scary

I have a vague memory of him sitting on the top of a chimney.

Fred Dibnah should be on the next £50 note. He was an amazing man.

Hi Eclectic Beard, thank you for your enjoyable RU-vid channel I particularly like your reactions to some of our quaint characteristics around the British Isles your reaction to the madness which is the Isle of Man TT races was particularly entertaining. I have noticed you particularly like historical, information, and unusual British characters like Fred Dibnah (steeplejack), as I am over 60-year-old I remember many colourful characters like this however with the pressure of conforming we are slowly losing such diversity and much manner of madness, back in the day when it was so prevalent. In that regard I think you’d love ”Jack Hargreaves” from an old television series the old country a very knowledgeable countryfolk about the country and especially fishing I think you would like to sample his offerings on RU-vid. Yours sincerely

Bless him his house was sold more than once all his machines stripped out shame should have been taken to beamish it would have been preserved just as he left it