Last updated: May 15
Background noise
If you spend much time in a Pub, especially in the North of England, the background chatter will take on many topics of conversation. The weather, football, politics… One topic of conversation that tends to reappear from the time to time is the name Fred Dibnah.
My first run-in with this name was in a small Pub in Worksop. Wikipedia will give you all the facts about this man but until you watch a video of Fred working his trade you won’t quite understand why so many young men back in the day looked up to this man as a giant among average folks.
Fred at work
Pub chatter
The folks I’ve met in the pub often talk about Fred coming to their Primary school or watching his TV programmes in awe as a child.
His Northern accent and cigarette hanging out of his mouth may seem out of place for us Americans who have seen Britain through the filter of a “proper” BBC accent and TV shows focused on high class society, but Fred was the real deal. He represented so much of working class life. You’d do well to learn a bit from his programmes. Maybe it’ll help you join in on the next pub conversation.