Fred Dibnah - Made In Britain - Part 2 DVD

Advantages: Fantastic programming
Disadvantages: only 177 minutes long!

...Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain should be made required viewing for all students of history, archaeology, building conservation and architecture. Fred is able to make everything come to life. The late Fred Dibnah was a modern renaissance man. For not only did Fred say how something was built in times gone by, he would show the viewer, using exquisite drawings that he had executed himself, models or full-scale replicas, how the techniques had actually been employed by master craftsmen of times gone by. The three DVD boxed set of Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain is a fantastic introduction to Fred Dibnah's world. He is able to explain and to really demonstrate how things were done in what some people describe as "the olden days." DVD 1 shows The Art of Castle Building and Might Cathedrals. He explains how the castles were designed... Read review

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Advantages: Wonderful
Disadvantages: None

...Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam DVD is another exceptionally good TV programme released on DVD that carefully reflects and capture's Fred Dibnah's love of steam and his respect for the engineers who made steam not only a possibility but a living and breathing reality before, during and beyond the Victorian era. As anyone who knows of Fred Dibnah will be able to testify, Fred Dibnah has had a special fascination for all things steam since his childhood growing up in the Northern industrial town of Bolton, Lancashire. In Bolton if cotton was King, the steam must assuredly have been his Queen or consort. Fred's respect was made manifest by the fact that he carefully and expertly restored steam engines not only for himself (his Aveling and Porter traction engine for one) but also for friends and later for commercial clients. Although he did... Read review

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Advantages: Educational, entertaining, charming
Disadvantages: With Fred? Don't be so soft! (IE None)

...Fred Dibnah's Industrial Age is a wonderful DVD. It is packed with great programmes made by Fred Dibnah for the BBC, and is released by Beckmann (www.beackmandirect.com) who are based on the Isle of Mann. The first programme is Wind, water and steam. Fred talks of early uses of these power sources. He takes us to Saxtead Green Post Mill, which is in Suffolk and then in typical Fed style, we find ourselves haring off up the length of England all the way to Cumbria, where we find ourselves with Fred at Muncaster Mill. There are craftsmen and women there who still employ the ancient power of wind and water (not steam!) to power the devices they use to pursue their crafts. Of course, Fred demonstrates his own skills (which are many and very varied) showing examples of his own restoration work. He also chats with friends about how... Read review

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