Press Article

July 2011

 


We Did Like That!

Fred Dibnah's catchphrase 'did yer like that?' received a resounding reply on Saturday July 23rd... 'yes we did!'. Seven (and a half) Sailors from Tent #262 visited Fred's former home which has now been opened as the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre. This must be the friendliest visitor attraction in the country. Owner Leon welcomed the party the way Fred would do, very cheerfully! The stories and anecdotes started at the gate and continued throughout the tour. Alf, Fred's close friend and TV colleague, recalled many amusing escapades, and the love for Fred was obvious. You could sense Fred around the place with lot's of items still there as he had left them.

At the end of the fascinating tour Leon's wife Jan welcomed us into their home for refreshments, sitting at the table where Fred worked out his engineering plans. After a look around what they still consider to be 'Fred's place' we chatted for a while with Alf and found out that he is a fan of Laurel and Hardy too!

Leon and Jan must be praised for saving the property from falling into the hands of developers who wanted to flatten the site for apartments and preserving this unique peice of northern industrial heritage for future generations.

                  www.freddibnahheritagecentre.co.uk              www.freddibnah.co.uk