Fred Dibnah Dies Of Cancer

[cojones]

TV's Fred Dibnah loses cancer fight

Steeplejack Fred Dibnah has died aged 66, his family said.

The colourful and eccentric TV personality has been battling cancer for a number of years.

He was surrounded by his family when he died at Bolton Hospice, Greater Manchester.

Dibnah received the MBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in July.

He left off his trademark flat cap for the ceremony, donning a posh suit with a cream tie and waistcoat.

He said shortly after collecting his award: "It's actually in my bag across the road in the barracks. It's really part of me. It's like a wig."

He added: "I'm sure they would have asked me politely to remove it."

Bespectacled Dibnah, who received his award for services to heritage and broadcasting, brought his green, black and gold eight tonne traction engine along with him, parking it at a nearby barracks. He was accompanied by his third wife Sheila and sons Jack and Roger.

The father-of-six started work as a joiner but after completing his National Service fulfilled his dream to become a steeplejack, servicing the hundreds of chimneys that once crowded the skies of Bolton.

In 1978 he was featured on a local news bulletin and then became the subject of a one-hour film called Fred Dibnah - Steeplejack. He was the subject of several documentaries during the 1990s and later presented programmes including Fred Dibnah's Industrial Age, Age of Steam and the Building of Britain.

[DavidUK21]

RIP Fred

He entertained me and many others on the right side of the hills.

[English Noodles]

Yes he was a nice old guy and loved his Bitter, RIP.

[markt]

RIP Fred

He entertained me and many others on the right side of the hills.

And the wrong side....

[Girlfrombar]

(a bit) out of the topic..

NMA

Robert Heaton

It is with great sadness that we report the sudden and unexpected death of Robert Heaton on Thursday November 4th. A multi-talented instrumentalist and song-writer, Robert joined the band in 1982 and for the next fifteen years co-wrote many of the band’s greatest songs, including being responsible for all the music to the anthem “Green & Grey”. A consummate professional when it came to recording and performing, in public Robert was the powerhouse behind the rhythm driven sound of New Model Army. In the media and in private, he was always the perfect gentleman.

Robert left NMA in 1998 having recovered from surgery to remove a brain tumour and since then has worked tirelessly to promote live music and original talent in his home town of Bradford in Yorkshire. His latest project, Fresh Milk, is such a scheme, encouraging young bands playing wholly original music, onto the live circuit by producing low cost, high quality, live recordings for them. He had also been working composing film scores for independent films as well as working on his own new material under the guise of Gardeners of Eden.

A post mortem has determined that Robert had been suffering with pancreatic cancer and it was almost certainly this that was the cause of his sudden and unexpected death.

Robert’s passing will be mourned by family, friends and fans around the world. He leaves a wife, Robin, and young son, Marlon.

[Totster]

What a shame... I loved his Programs on the TV about Steam engines, so enthusiastic it was hard not to enjoy.

totster

[cojones]

Old Fred had a pretty good innings when you remember he spent a lot of his working life

perched on top of very high chimneys carrying out repairs , and never seemed to use a safety harness . casually climbing wooden ladders lashed to the side of the chimney , and casually strolling around the top of the chimney !

he never once fell off . he had balls as big as coconuts did Fred !

he was a one off ....