Life & Family

Early Life

Man & Steeplejack

Danger Warnings

Getting Started

Danger & Excitement

Call Me Fred

Giving up Smoking

Jack the Lad

The New Fred

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MAN & STEEPLEJACK

Although Fred started work as a joiner, he longed to become a steeplejack. His boss tried to put Fred off this dangerous occupation (see Danger Warnings) but Fred would have non of it and soon started up on his own. 

The small matter of National Service put the new business on hold for a couple of years as Fred found himself looking after the regimental hounds & horses in an old farmhouse in Germany. It was here that he first turned his hand to making weathercocks, something that would provide a very useful sideline once all the chimneys had disappeared.

Married at Gretna Green

According to Fred "It was from a chimney top that I first spotted Alison" She became wife number one in May 1967, when they ran away to get married in Gretna Green.

   

He came into public notoriety when a local BBC Television broadcast included a news item showing him gilding and installing the topmost finial of Bolton Town Hall.

His earthy cloth-capped common-sense attitudes, personable 'old world' philosophy, love of all things mechanical (and particularly steam engines), and his unashamedly workingman charm, immediately endeared him to millions of viewers, and he became an overnight national celebrity.

      

His new-found celebrity status was confirmed in 1979 when he was invited to take part in the making of an hour long television film series about people with unusual occupations. The film won two awards and was entitled "Fred Dibnah - Steeplejack".

Several other TV series have followed, covering various topics, including his work as a steeplejack, the restoration of his steamroller and various industrial archaeology programmes. 

Another less celebrated series covered Fred's divorce and the effects of being a television personality.

It was October 1985 and one evening Fred returned home to find Alison had gone with their three daughters the Alsatian and some of the furniture. Fred's life style combined with the onset of fame had led to this parting of the ways which left Fred fending for himself.

Fred married his second wife Sue in 1987 and he became the proud father of two sons, Jack and Roger. 

Fred & Sue getting wed

His 1994 TV programmes showed Fred coping with this new brood, especially Jack (see Jack the Lad) who was learning about engineering in general and Steam engines in particular.  

   

            Sue                         Jack                     Roger

Alas this marriage went the same way as the first but lets hope it's third tome lucky for Fred with his new wife Sheila Grundy. They were married in September 1998 and they have a son called Nathan.

 

           Fred & Sheila                            Sheila

In the last few years Fred has turned his hand to television presenting with the airing of Fred Dibnah's Industrial Age followed by Fred Dibnah's Magnificent Monuments and Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain.