This puts an angle grider to shame

[ARWadsworth]

want one

Adam

[Lobster]

terminator-esque like this, or just going the whole wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am hog and doing a Dibnah on it...

David

[Davey]

Agreed!

All the graphical drawings on his TV programs were drawn by his own fair hands. Those alone were of a very high quality.

I had much respect for Fred. In fact, I have much respect for anyone who could climb a ladder up the side of a chimney that was held on by metal pegs, noggins and some nylon rope. Balls-y stuff indeed.

[Steve Walker]

I only heard the other day that Fred attended Bolton College of Art for a short time before he decided to become a steeplejack.

SteveW

[onetap]

Reinforced concrete, I think the late great Fred's technique was only applied to brick jobs.

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

Om nom nom nom!

Si

[Andy Dingley]

You never met him, did you? He burned those chimneys down because no- one would let him loose with an explosives ticket. Blaster Bates might have hammed up the bumpkin bit for his after-dinner speaker part, but Fred was a natural at it. His spirit lives on today, whenever anyone takes a hacksaw to a pushfit fitting.

[ARWadsworth]

Another one

[ARWadsworth]

I will try again.

[ARWadsworth]

I once abseiled that college wall (for charity mate). I nearly shit myself whilst doing it.

I could never have done what Fred did.

Adam

[The Natural Philosopher]

That might mean no more than lack of relevant paper qualifications. I've got a dozen of those, but I learnt early on a deep respect for those who have experience and job knowledge. And who can do wonderful things, but find trouble reading, too.

Blaster Bates might

No problem provided you de burr it and do it square, and polish the edges off it. Or if your name isn't Dr Drivel..

The local farm manage helped me take down a tree. A simple sighting at

45 degrees told him how FAR it would fall, and a couple of ropes meant it wouldn't fall outside a small zone, and an accurate cut made it fall bang ion where he said it would.

Fred's chimneys are likely enough easier.

[geoff]

My uncle helped him on a few demolitions

I'll have to ask him about it one day

[Cicero]

=========================================

I think he was a joiner by trade, before he took to climbing chimneys.

Cic.

[Derek Geldard]

Yes , in as far as he worked for a funeral director in the days when they did their own box-ology. Apparently all the half finished "caskets" decorating the place got him a bit depressed.

Derek

[Al]

About 20 years ago TPTB decided to demolish Ye Olde Tax Collection Joke Shop at the junction of the A4 and Three Tuns Lane in Slough.

Crikey - They had a fleet of crane mounted pneumatic hammers/cutters on site.

It really *did* look like dinosaurs eating trees.

Sadly twas before the days of easy vids or photos, so I can't show you how

*awesome* it was.

And, for a moment, I thought "now that *has* to be the coolest job in the world".

These days it's just Socialism crushing every last drop of hope from everyone ... :(

Al.

[newshound]

I had the pleasure of buying him a pint of guiness when he was guest speaker at a local IMechE dinner. He was exactly the same as on the box. A fine craftsman with deep insight.

[Chris J Dixon]

Chris

[Andy Champ]

We had the little brother of one of them knocking down a two-storey Victorian builder's yard office workshop etc. next door to our place and it was impressive.

But I admit it bothered me to see it crumpling up 9x3 (ish) oak beams from the roof to fold them into a skip. What a waste. The only thing they salvaged was the copper.

Andy

[ARWadsworth]

In used to be called the "new tech".

Adam

[Chris J Dixon]

My point exactly. ISTR visiting it for a science open day of some sort, split between new and old buildings.

Chris