As well as the good times and the not so good times there are also so brilliant, laugh to loud moments too, particularly when he relates some of the scrapes he got into. I would recommend this eminently readable book to anyone with any interest in industrial archaeology, in Fred Dibnah himself or in less conventional ways of the world. Alan knew Fred for many years and Fed would regale Alan with stories of steeplejacking and chimney drops, embellished in a way that only Fred could do. It’s a book you can dip into but it’s much more than a picture book, and tells tales that needed telling. Travelling the length and breadth of the country, the intention was to seek out the remarkable achievements of the craftsmen, engineers, inventors and industrial workers whose endeavour made engines like Fred’s possible.

Keith Langston contributes news and feature material on a regular basis across a wide range of heritage titles. One very interesting section of the book describes Fred Dibnah’s old style ‘gobbing-out and pit-propping’ chimney demolition procedure in detail. He was a most brilliant, natural speaker, and especially gifted in being able to ‘paint a picture’ in his distinctive Boltonian accent. It is not only a glorious testament to our nation's industrial achievements but also a story of the friendships, unfailing courage and determination of the nation's favourite steeplejack. Fred was awarded two honourary degrees: the first was from The Robert Gordon Institute of Technology, Aberdeen, and the second from The University of Birmingham.The book features a brief introduction to Fred's early life but it is his work that the book is based on. Probably one of the most atmospheric series of photographs is the one depicting the downfall of a chimney. His latest work includes a documentary on Fred's garden and Founders of the Great Dynasties for History Channel International. David's 30 years producing and directing network television programmes include a number of years at both Yorkshire Television and the BBC, as well as making landmark documentaries for Channel 4 and the History Channel.

Great British media characters emerged from the industrial poverty of the North West of England in the 1950's and 60's - Eric Sykes, Bernard Cribbins, Hilda Baker, Peter Kay. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. He has passionately and vividly written this excellent book that chronicles 28 of Fred’s amazing and often exceedingly dangerous chimney drops.

But to just place an explosive charge in the chimney’s base and blow them down when they came to the end of their lives, did not appeal to Fred, for to him there was another more traditional way of felling these chimneys that embodied respect for the old time chimney builders – and would demolish them with great aplomb and not a little drama. This publication takes the reader on a fascinating journey during the making of Fred's last TV series in 2004. The majority of pages are undamaged with some creasing or tearing, and pencil underlining of text, but this is minimal. Fred became famous through a TV series on his methods, using well tried Victorian practice of ‘gobbing out and pit propping’. The first account is of a chimney drop in early 1970 and the last, a painfully sad occasion for all who knew Fred personally, knowing that it would be his 90th and last, in 2004.

This is a weighty tome – and is not at the budget end of the market – but it is Christmas and if you’re a Fred fan or an enthusiast for our industrial heritage then this book really should be on your wants list. Finally, 'Victorian Splendour' sees Fred looking at the achievements of architects in the 19th century and discovering the story behind the building of the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. Fred Dibnah won the hearts of millions of viewers with his television programmes about his life as a steeplejack, and his passion for the industrial history of Britain.Alan McEwen’s writing style and respect for accurate documentation serve to make a very interesting book even more interesting. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.