Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Does anybody remember one the UK's first RTV stars FRED DIBNAH?

He was a brilliant engineer, actually trained as a draughtsman, i remember watching his first shows when he was demolishing a chimney stack, no explosives no shoring or suppression or hoarding. He done it the old fashioned way, lit a fire in the bottom of the stack making the bottom courses crack and buckle. I would never have even thought of that. Old craftsmen are becoming extinct, health and safety is killing some of the old trades. All scaffolding and harnesses now for steeple jacks instead of a rope and block and pulley or a very long ladder. Thats why a lot of churches roofs are falling apart they can't afford all the health and safety even just to patch in lead flashing. I took every trade skill course i could as a kid, Car mechanics fabrication welding foundry work and turning, i doubt i knew half of what he knew.

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