Fred Dibnah's Ups And Downs Of Chimneys (DVD)

Advantages: Fantastic look back at Fred Dibnah's life
Disadvantages: None

...Fred Dibnah. Man of steam. Getting steamed Up is a very popular Fred Dibnah DVD. I heard someone say: "When they made Fred Dinah, they broke the mould." That's a nice thing to say, a good compliment, really, but it is not quite true. For Fred's sons are equally as passionate able steam preservation as their late father. But that's slightly off the point, here, so on with the review. This DVD shows many aspects of Fred's life. His fascination with chimneys, his love of steam and also his love of historical building and a stirring belief that we must preserve our industrial heritage for our own and future generations. Watching Fred swap tales of steam engines and of steeplejacking and jokes with his equally steam mad friends whilst supping ale at what the DVD bills as "the world's largest steam rally" at The Dorset Steam Fair is... 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... 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

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful