Fred Dibnah.

[Black Sheep]

I can understand a quick re-cap after the advert break for the benefit of those who were channel hopping and come in part way through the program or for the ones who use the breaks for a quick chat on here / with other people in the room etc.

by quick, i'm meaning 30 seconds or less!

 

[Archie_tect]

Only £1000 Beebo... I'd need way more than that not to climb it.

 

[ianrauk]

If you offered me £1000, I wouldn't climb that chinmey, I hate heights.

I miss TV like that, informative, educational and easy to watch. There is no way on earth that anyone would commission a series like that now. Can you imagine watching 10 minutes of prime time telly about erecting scaffolding.

Now everything has to be fast edits with an element of jeopardy. And dont get me started on the patronising recap every 5 minutes from the presenter in case we are too stupid to remember what just happended.

The plethora of Discovery and similar channels that is fed into my TV box, there are plenty of programmes that fit the bill. OK, they are a bit more hi-tech now but still on a similar theme.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

The plethora of Discovery and similar channels that is fed into my TV box, there are plenty of programmes that fit the bill. OK, they are a bit more hi-tech now but still on a similar theme.

Sure are; I've whiled away many a happy hour while the youngling dismantles our living room while I watch a program about a super massive oil tanker or suchlike.

 

[accountantpete]

not necessarily a hero to the three women he married

That might have been down to the family holidays.

 

[totallyfixed]

Anyone remember Blaster Bates? Don Whilans? Two more cut from the same cloth. Loved watching Fred, fag in one hand, cup of tea in the other, seemingly oblivious to the fact he was perched a couple of hundred feet above the ground. As Banjo says Guy Martin looks to be from the same mould, very natural and watchable.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Anyone remember Blaster Bates? Don Whilans? Two more cut from the same cloth. Loved watching Fred, fag in one hand, cup of tea in the other, seemingly oblivious to the fact he was perched a couple of hundred feet above the ground. As Banjo says Guy Martin looks to be from the same mould, very natural and watchable.

Don't know Don Whilans but I do like Blaster Bates tales. I saw him at Shrewsbury Music Hall a few years back and my dad has a collection of his records (which I transferred onto tape when I was younger).

The shower of **** over Cheshire is one of my favourites. When the chap stood up and had "gossamer wings".

 

[Smurfy]

Sorry to disappoint you, but he was two timing. Here is the "other woman" :
View attachment 14821

Fiery personality, and smoked like a chimney. Fred certainly knew how to choose a woman.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Curiously I had a disturbed night sleep.

Don't worry, he's dead!

It's a testament to his attention to detail and safety + his skill and care that he survived!

I remember him saying in something I saw ages ago that he'd seen so many people getting injured/killed that I do have to wonder exactly how much skill and attention there was and how much of it was actually just luck.

 

[subaqua]

I remember him saying in something I saw ages ago that he'd seen so many people getting injured/killed that I do have to wonder exactly how much skill and attention there was and how much of it was actually just luck.

I have found that those who take care , have a good skill level in their particular job and pay attention to detail don't get hurt as often as those who pay little attention, don't take care and have a low skill level in their particular job.

one of the best signs i have ever seen is " safety is no accident" its not about luck , it is about a high level of skill care , attention to detail.

yes some of the application of safety legislation is terrible but thats generally applied by people who have no skill or understanding of how to asses risk and implement control measures.

Fred was not balancing on one leg, one handed , overreaching, he was using proper acces equipment. therefore - Safe.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I have found that those who take care , have a good skill level in their particular job and pay attention to detail don't get hurt as often as those who pay little attention, don't take care and have a low skill level in their particular job.

one of the best signs i have ever seen is " safety is no accident" its not about luck , it is about a high level of skill care , attention to detail.

yes some of the application of safety legislation is terrible but thats generally applied by people who have no skill or understanding of how to asses risk and implement control measures.

Fred was not balancing on one leg, one handed , overreaching, he was using proper acces equipment. therefore - Safe.

I was going to say 'calculated risk', but said 'luck' instead, because you are only as safe as your ropes/platform etc.

 

[Black Sheep]

I was going to say 'calculated risk', but said 'luck' instead, because you are only as safe as your ropes/platform etc.

yes, but you don't blindly put your ropes and platforms up, you check them over the day before the job, and you check they're ok as you put them up, a little tug on a rope before you swing on it etc.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I don't know why, but to be honest, I never thought of him as being a particularly likeable chap anyway, but then, I didn't know him personally. He was ok, bearable, nice enough, yes, but there was just something about him that meant he was never a favourite of mine to watch on the telly.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

yes, but you don't blindly put your ropes and platforms up, you check them over the day before the job, and you check they're ok as you put them up, a little tug on a rope before you swing on it etc.

I think what I was trying to say is that however fastidious he might have been about his equipment, there must be times where it only takes something small to happen and if you aren't careful/don't notice then it'll grow into to something potentially dangerous. Besides, what safety backup did he have, really?

Accidents don't just happen, they are a result of a series of events leading up to it.

 

[ASC1951]

My dad told me his wives got fed up with him always being in the shed, not sure how much truth there is in that. I've not heard any rumour of foul play, although as is the style these days someone will no doubt put me right.

A colleague of mine was at school with Fred's daughters. Not hugely popular locally - he was known to be a bit handy with his fists and belt at home.