Skegness Magazine

Fred gave rollercoaster its final dab of paint in 2002
LEGENDARY steeplejack Fred Dibnah was “painting the village red” when he visited Fantasy Island on Wednesday.
For health and safety reasons Fred was persuaded to swap the cloth cap he is famous for with a hard hat as he put the finishing touches to the Jubilee Odyssey roller coaster in Ingoldmells.
Paintpot in hand he took to the skies in a cherry picker to ensure the ‘coaster is in tiptop condition ready for its Royal opening by the Duke of Kent next month.
Before he ascended to the highest points of the ride I had a chance to chat to the man famed for straight talking and a love of steam engines.
He was just as he appeared on our screens, lively and talkative, so much so it was difficult to stop him drifting off to tell eager bystanders his tall tales of chimneys and steam engines!
His ability to feel totally at home at heights that would make most of us cry like babies has made Fred famous and I was curious to know if there was anything that frightened him.
He answered immediately: “Women! They are dangerous. I am on wife number three now. They are taking over, you know.”
He was impressed with the resort at Ingoldmells but admitted: “I am a bit of a Victorian really. It is a bit modern, a bit frightening!”
He said riding the roller coaster would not be a problem for him and he added if he was ever passing this area again he would pop into Fantasy Island and take on the challenge of the Jubilee Odyssey.
Even though he is almost eligible for retirement, 64-year-old Fred is still climbing up and down chimneys. In two weeks’ time he will be knocking down a 200ft chimney in Bury near his home town of Bolton.
But old age is taking its toll on the man who first burst onto our screens 20 years ago. He told me he was suffering from lung cancer and was currently undergoing chemotherapy to treat the disease.
He said: “I’m feeling not too bad apart from the chemotherapy makes you dizzy.”
Fred remains the lovable rogue he always was, a born storyteller and, as he prepared to board the cherry picker, he said: “It feels a lot safer stuck on the side of a chimney with all the wooden ladders than in one of these things!”