Fred Dibner
An erstwhile mate of mine was once walking down Radcliffe road in Bolton with a couple ofhis buddies, when they happened to see Fred Dibner in his garden.

"Ello Fred1!" shouts my mate.
"Awright lads" replies Fred and walks over - cup of tea in his oily hand.
"Ohh.. Tah Fred" says mate cheekily, "Don't mind if I do" and makes a joking gesture as though assuming the Tea was for him.

Fred apparently chuckled, said "Cheeky bugger", and handed the tea over to my shocked mate. Fred then enquired as to how the other two liked their tea, and nipped inside to get 3 more cuppas.

They sat on the side of the road talking about steam-power and how sad the demise of the mills was... and then said polite and grateful goodbyes and went about their ways.

I'd like to think that oneday I'd be as chilled and approachable as Fred - albeit without the celebrity status.
( Humpty Dumpty was Pushed Is unaware of having any limits., Wed 22 Apr 2009, 9:26, 6 replies)

...
I always thought there was something a bit odd about Dibnah - his disdain for anything that wasn't from the 19th century and made from cast iron was, by turns, touching and pathological...
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Wed 22 Apr 2009, 9:30, closed)

Indeed
Like some kind of northern one-man Amish dude.

Charming but not quite right.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 22 Apr 2009, 9:39, closed)

I was taken aback by the way
he'd announce that the traction engine he was restoring in his shed had cost him at least one marriage.
( monkeybananaraffle, Wed 22 Apr 2009, 9:58, closed)

I'm gutted I never met him
He genuinely is one of my heroes.
(username1, Wed 22 Apr 2009, 10:50, closed)

great story
and a great man

in a parallel steampunk universe Fred Dibner resides as an all powerful overlord commanding his legions of sentient tractor warriors
(Hipfubu one step forward, Wed 22 Apr 2009, 12:40, closed)

Dibnah used to go to steam fairs near here...
Late on one hot summer's day the kids and I found ourselves crawling along in a traffic queue on a winding country road.

Yup, Fred was holding everyone up in his magnificent traction engine. From several cars back, we saw that it was unmistakeably the one we'd seen him proudly polishing a few hours earlier.

Over the next few miles, car after car overtook him and sped off. When it was our turn, I honked and waved and the kids shouted 'Hiya Fred!' and the great man waved back.

There it was - FRED DIBNAH STEEPLEJACK, painted along the canopy. Sadly, I didn't even own a camera in those days!

Bless him. 66 is far too young to die - he was in his prime.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Wed 22 Apr 2009, 19:01, closed)