Fred Dibnahs House

steamyjim · Fred Dibnahs House

Fred Dibnahs house if for sale, guid price of only £300,000 includes the workshops and everything. Id love the National Trust to buy it because then it wont be changed and may be able to be seen

Andy

i would love to buy it and keep it as it is

johnreid

Time for James to sell his Mamods and various Architectural antiques.

James

LOL I wish!!

Cranko

Are the workshops etc large and well equiped

James

You ain't ever seen one of his programmes or read one of his books?

Hang your head in shame John

He equipped it with lineshafting from closing down mills, a stationary engine called Caroline (who were his youngest daughter I believe), iron band making machines, drills, lathes, everything from the steam era!!

He could almost make a brand new steam engine there

steamyjim

johnreid

Mister Dibnah is relatively unheard of in the US, I guess I need to do some reading.

I visited several Web sites and agree a very interesting individual, I think all of the videos are only in PAL.

I also read that his house is a Class II Structure in the historic trust so I am sure that there are some things that would keep it from being damaged too much. I agree it would make a fine museum.

Roly Williams

Does anybody know how the auction went?

By the way - WARNING - if you are going to investigate the web site of the auctioneers (like I did) DO NOT miss off the E from the end of the name (like I did

). Without the E, it takes you to a totally unrelated site that has obviously been set up deliberately to catch the unwary (like me). It swamps your PC with pop-ups and links to highy suspect sites, including at least one porn site, that have nothing to do with the auctioneers. When the page finally comes up, it is full of links to APPARENTLY Dibnah related sites, but I wasn't going to risk trying them.

Having gone back and found the genuine site:
http://www.millermetcalfe.co.uk/
it, unfortunately, doesn't mention Fred's house.

Sandman

Full story here.

http://www.manchestereveningnews....23997_fred_sale_runs_out_of_steam

Roly Williams

I've just noticed in the Old Glory article, the sale included the store room as Fred left it, including all his steeplejacking equipment. Watch out on Ebay!

Sandman

Roly Williams

steamyjim

Its still going ahead but later accordin to Old Glory

Rob

i realy am sad now. cant believe his property is for sale. jack or rodger should keep it!!!! that realy is sad news.
Rob

Andy

rob i strongly agree they should get it and all of his engine

H2o vapour

Hi Folks,

Just a quick point,

Yes I believe that this should be saved for the nation, no other person has done for Steam and British Architecture what Fred has!!

Brilliant man!!

My friend had a property some time ago, along the road from Fred, he was not to happy about Fred, apparently he used to come home from a days Steeple jacking, Light the boiler, go in for tea and then get his steam Hammer going, running off the shafts etc until the early hours of the morning . I understand that this used to make a considerable amount of noise!!

THIS BLOKE IS A LEGEND!!

H20

Spokey

interesting to see in the film that it was boarded up - anyone know why ? Did they move out when Fred died ??
I seem to remember his wife was written out of the will or something ?

What a place to buy though, especially if it came with all Fred's stuff - seems very strange though that his boys didn't take it on as they seemed interested in it all when he was alive.

Spokey

James

I've talked to Sheila (his last wife) about it quite a bit, and without going into too much detail (I gave her my word that I wouldn't!), she was written out of the will at last minute, and got nothing.

steamyjim

His boyshaf the roller and the tractor

CCairns

Question is - Who actually got the house and workshop, as although it is well reported that he changed his Will just before he died, I cannot find anyone reporting who actually got the house and workshop?

Great shame that Sheila got nothing, but 3 wives and children by each of them would have made splitting up the estate a nightmare.

Chris Cairns.

Cranko

Manxman

I guess we have to be a bit careful talking about Fred and I fully accept that to some people think of him as a Steam God. But, like most of us he wasn't perfect. In his time he had 3 wives, a number of kids and I don't think home life was always that good. Some of his views about women and children may not be what we would all hope for in our own relationships or with our own children.

Two of Fred's boys live here on the Isle of Man and both have been working on our railway. Fred's second wife is now married to the someone big and important in our transport buisness here. I'm sure the boys will have had anything they wanted from the house and from Fred's belongings.

I've met both of the older boys a number of times and they seem fine, decent young men.

I guess, as with lots of families their are a few sides to every story and most of it has nothing to do with any of us. The public Fred Dibnah was a great bloke who taught us all lots about great subjects. The private Fred Dibnah is best left that, private.

Graham-Jilly

well put Manx

johnreid

This sparked my interest and I have done a lot of reading about the man, I must say that he was an interesting individual, but I also have read a bit that makes me thing that Manx has hit the nail on the head. It is an interesting place and there is a lot of industrial Age preservation that should be done there. I would hope that it gets made into a museum of sorts.
It is no big secret that Sheila was written out of the will, it is written on many web pages. The man seems to have enjoyed life, he worked hard, played hard, and made many friend and enemies. It is sad that he no longer is around.

Atticman

Sorry to bring this thread up again, but I see that the sale is now back on, according to Old Glory magazine .

I think its in here, but I havent registered to find out.

http://www.millermetcalfe.co.uk/auctions.html

With house prices dropping it will be interesting to see what happens,

Do hope it finds a sensible owner though.

Ahh heres the actual link

http://www.vebra.com/home/search/...;db=1&cl=112&pid=15497328

Roly Williams

If only I had £300k to spend