The man was born in the wrong century. He was a Victorian throwback. The £7000 he earned for that one job equates to £ 47,844.83 in today's money. Worth every single penny I think. In Euros that equates to 56,478.192 Euros.
Don't forget about the cameraman who was up there with him! It is one thing being up there with a hammer and chisel but it something else entirely being up there with a film camera.
RIP Fred Didnah The man is an Absolute Legend on a different Level he had many talents including restoring his traction engine and engineering He featured in many tv shows with his work I remember watching him growing up RIP fred he passed away in i believe 2004 from cancer
He was old school for sure. Every country had men like him. Think of all the Cathedrals and churches. Who's name gets credited. Usually the architect , financier and some vague saint. Same applies to the sky scrapers in the U.S in the 1930's. The people that actually built them at great risk were largely not acknowledged.
Hola. New viewer here. Fred was a national treasure. He finished his life as a tv presenter for kids explaining things like steam engines (a passion of Fred's). I'm sure Spain must have working man hero's like Fred?
Climbing up those ladders, negotiating up over the scaffolding, and demolishing the chimney brick-by-brick with only a mallet and a bolster are impressive enough. But then there's assembling the scaffolding himself after putting up all those ladders, all by hand, by himself (With the assistance of his labourer hauling the pieces up to him). They truly don't make them like Fred anymore. I definitely recommend looking up "Laddering a chimney" and "Building a scaffold", both featuring Fred.
The name steeplejack comes from their beginnings, repairing and working on church steeples (the tall spires). What you didn't see was him having to put the ladders up both sides of the chimney, and also the platform he stood on. Two of his other videos are "how to ladder a chimney", and "how to scaffold a chimney".
I really love the great variety of videos you watch and share with us! Your reactions are very genuine and have depth - You are very open-minded. Robin.
Fred was talking about a man he could trust @ the bottom as he was climbing back down the ladder he was preferring an experienced older man rather than a younger man who could have his eye turned if he saw a young senioretta through the window & walk away when fred needed him.fred didn't have a safety rope..
Fred was a British icon!. Last of the "old school" who grafted (hard work) & never complained. He was the complete opposite of today' moisturising metrosexual "in touch with their feelings" men of today - It was men like Fred who were the backbone of Britain. His video on dropping a factory chimney by fire is well worth watching! - as is pretty much anything with Fred in it!
I was amazed at the concept of ‘one brick at a time’, and thinking this guy deserves an award or medal! Then found out his documentary Steeplejack won a 1979 BAFTA, and he received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2004 for services to heritage and broadcasting. Sadly, in complete contrast, it was the same year he passed away.
I dare say someone else will point this out but the ladders and the scaffold at the top were actually put there by Fred. There is another video which shows him doing exactly that.
You could get in a city centre nightclub for £1:00 tand they would give you a free drink voucher too. I was being payed £13:00 a week as an apprentice bricklayer in 79. Thanks for reacting, love Spain❤
A delightfully unexpected video! I think everyone has the same experience of not knowing who this man is, and being suddenly completely enthralled to him within minutes
£7,000 to knock that chimney down brick by brick, that would probably take about a year I should imagine, then Fred has to pay his mate who makes sure no one is injured by bricks flying out of the hole, then there is Tax and National Insurance to pay, it wouldn't give you a luxurious lifestyle by any means.
No.I demolished a house brick by brick in the 80s with another bloke in a week.Including cleaning of the stocks for a rebuild.The money he got, was for danger.
