Fitting tribute to Fred Dibnah MBE.

[wonwinglo]

Look out for a really excellent special edition of 'Old Glory' the January 2005 issue carries a 16 page souvenir tribute supplement to Fred Dibnah MBE steeplejack and steam enthusiast extrodinaire,I know for a fact that there are a lot of Scale-models members here who watched his fascinating programmes and enjoyed his down to earth typically English approach to life,his superb restorations of steam subjects will live on in his memory and hopefully some kind of permanent museum can be set up by his many friends.

He will be sadly missed by many but his programmes and all the work that he did will serve as a permanent reminder for of his love of steam,I think that the statement by one of his close friends says it all 'Fred was a national treasure' There is little doubt that he was just born too late,but his knowledge of the industrial revolution and the very mechanics of how it functioned was described to us in perfect detail.

Gone but not forgotton.

[Guest]

Had the great pleasure of meeting Fred with a work mate and what a pleasure it was. The moment you spoke to him you knew his energy and love of steam was second to non

A true gent

[wonwinglo]

Had the great pleasure of meeting Fred with a work mate and what a pleasure it was. The moment you spoke to him you knew his energy and love of steam was second to nonA true gent

*** Helo Mick,I think you have summed him up in one,all of his programmes speak to you the viewer and nobody else,his real talents really blossomed in the later series and the clever way that he made those models to demonstrate how things worked,little known is the fact that was an accomplished artist capable of skilful period drawings of engineering projects,he also served as a woodworker which came out even in his basic shuttering jobs,what a talent ! I really do hope that some lasting memorial will be made in his name,too much to hope that his garden 'museum' will be kept for posterity and I hope that the council do not make his lovely wife fill that replica mini-mine in either ?

Very few of us reach our true ambitions in life,but I think that Fred through the media of television certainly did,really good to know that he was awarded the MBE as well,makes a mockery of some of the people that they dish it out to ! he deserved it,his name and what he achieved will become legend if it has not already,there is some good material on the internet on his life,just type in Fred Dibnah into your browser and see.