Heritage - Fred Dibnah - Getting Steamed Up (DVD)

...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 wonderful. As it is all too easy to forget, whilst watching those scenes filmed on a summer's day several years ago that Fred Dibnah ...
...(Fred's steam roller with elderly wooden caravan is a real sight to see. Especially when they have to pull up at a fire hydrant to fill up.

Watch the famous (or infamous?!) Monton Chimney drop, as Fred displays the technique used to drop the chimney, that has been used for 1,000 years or more. The audio is not quite as good as it might be, it sounds as if the narrator and Fred were talking in a chimney when they were recorded!
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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 wonderful. As it is all too easy to forget, whilst watching those scenes filmed on a summer's day several years ago that Fred Dibnah is still with us, and not the late Fred Dibnah. (Fred's steam roller with elderly wooden caravan is a real sight to see. Especially when they have to pull up at a fire hydrant to fill up.

Watch the famous (or infamous?!) Monton Chimney drop, as Fred displays the technique used to drop the chimney, that has been used for 1,000 years or more. The audio is not quite as good as it might be, it sounds as if the narrator and Fred were talking in a chimney when they were recorded!

It should cost about £12.99.
It also touches on the very real dichotomy in some of Fred's jobs. He would rather be working on an industrial chimney, repairing it, and not preparing it for a smoky doom. Unlike the dynamite men, with Fred's method, the chimney is able to give one last defiant belch of smoke as it tumbles to the Earth.

Watch Fred as he (and his son Jack. See the reference to his sons WAS relevant, after all!) and the steam engine that Fred worked on at Caernarfon, in Wales. Fred scoffed at a quote given to restore the derelict and rotting stationary steam engine. The story of what happened next and how Fred cam to restore the engine is somewhat amusing and a testament to Fred's skills in what I suppose could be called archeo-engineering.

We also see Fred working on a chimney inspection in Bolton. This is a very interesting look at how a traditional steeplejack like the late Fred Dibnah employs. Fred's job on the chimney excites a class of children from a local school who are all trooped out into the bright sunshine to draw Fred's work on the chimney.

Next we are privileged to see inside Fred Dibnah's workshop! And all of the industrial tools powered by Fred's stationary steam engine! Watch Fred use his steam powered equipment to work on a traction engine, fitting in some steam tubes for the boiler to get it ready for a vintage vehicle rally.

We also see Fred (and his elderly assistant Neil) deliver the steam driven road traction engine (an Aveling and Porter called Joanne) to the owner. In steam, of course!
Next we see Fred at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, as I alluded to earlier in this review. What seemed like hundreds of steam engines (mobile and stationary) meet with their owners and enjoy a genuine steam powered fair in some glorious summer weather. There's even demonstrations of horse and steam powered ploughing.

The last section of the DVD is another chimney drop, the Farnworth Chimney Drop. In this Fred must demolish an old paper mill chimney. Fred pointed out that this was the last but one chimney left in the town. But it had to go as the rest of the factory had burnt to the ground around it. Even so, you could tell that Fred was not happy to fell this chimney.

There is a rather nice video montage and some rather nice still photographs of Fred at the end of the DVD.

Special features on this DVD are confined to an interactive menu, scene selection and some experts from other DVD titles.
 

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