Fred Dibnah was a English steeplejack. A Steeplejack is someone who scales tall buildings, chimneys and church spires (steeples) to effect repairs and maintenance. He was old school! Wore a flat cap, brown overalls and climbed with minimal gear.
He became a TV cult personality in the UK. He had a BBC series where they followed him around as he demolished unused, old industrial chimneys. Again, he demolished them old school.
Didn't use explosives. He would chip away at the brick work at the base of a chimney to make a hole, then he'd widen the hole and support the chimney with wooden trusses until the hole was more than half of the whole structure! He'd then build a fire to burn down the trusses and the chimney would (hopefully!) fall down in the direction he planned.
For chimneys where there was no room for it to fall, he would actually demolish it brick-by-brick! He'd climb to the top and sit on the rim, then break the bricks off and throw them down inside the chimney!
He was an amazing character. Born in Bolton. A typical, working class Lancastrian (someone who comes from Lancashire in NW England - my home area!). :-)
Mark
2010 White MTS 1200s Touring
--- In st2_owners@yahoogroups.com, "mike" <mike.vaughan@...> wrote:
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> --- In st2_owners@yahoogroups.com, Nick Vale <nickvale@> wrote:
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> > Looks quite good....
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> >Probably more exciting than his current TV series where he's rebuilding a barge with his mate, like some sort of 21st century Fred Dibnah.
> mike
> South wales
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> ..and I know nobody on the other side of the sea will know who Fred Dibnah was but it's Friday evening and life is too short ;-)
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