Rarely has a cartoon character captured so many hearts or tickled as many funny bones as the inimitable Fred Basset the hound that's almost human. Since he first appeared in the pages of the Daily Mail Fred has charmed readers young & old with his unique perspective on the ups & downs of everyday life. Sometimes critical
- more often playful
- but always amusing Fred's escapades give insight into canine & human nature alike. This very special annual collects strips from Fred's amazing 50 years in print from his debut in 1963 to the present day. Though the world has changed considerably throughout Fred's lifetime one thing's for sure: Fred has always been
- & will always be
- simply Fred.



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In 2004 after felling his last chimney & retiring from steeplejacking Fred took to the road on his beloved traction engine for the BBC series Made in Britain. Travelling the length & breadth of the country the intention was to seek out the remarkable achievements of the craftsmen engineers inventors & industrial workers whose endeavour made engines like Freds possible. It was a journey that took him to Britains most iconic engineering marvels as well as less familiar sites: from the Forth Bridge & the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge to Europes last deep-working iron ore mine in Cumbria & a local castings workshop in Boness. This behind-the-scenes account of that ambitious journey is made all the more remarkable by Freds heroic efforts to complete it while suffering from terminal cancer. It is not only a glorious testament to our nations industrial achievements but also a story of the friendships unfailing courage & determination of the nations favourite steeplejack. ...

In 2004 after felling his last chimney & retiring from steeplejacking Fred took to the road on his engine for the BBC series Made in Britain". Travelling the length & breadth of the country his intention was to seek out the remarkable achievements of the craftsmen engineers inventors & industrial workers whose endeavour made engines like Freds possible. It was a journey that took him to Britains most iconic engineering marvels as well as less familiar sites: from the Forth Bridge & the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge to Europes last deep-working iron ore mine in Cumbria & a local castings workshop in Boness. Along the way he called in on numerous old friends & even managed to squeeze in a trip to Buckingham Palace to collect his MBE. This behind-the-scenes account of that ambitious journey is made all the more remarkable by Freds heroic efforts to complete it while suffering from terminal cancer. It is not only a glorious testament to our nations industrial achievements but also a story of the friendships unfailing courage & determination of the nations favourite steeplejack." ...

Britains favourite steeplejack & industrial enthusiastic the late Fred Dibnah takes us back to the 18th century when the invention of the steam engine gave an enormous impetus to the development of machinery of all types. He reveals how the steam engine provided the first practical means of generating power from heat to augment the old sources of power (from muscle wind & water) & provided the main source of power for the Industrial Revolution. In Fred Dibnahs Age of Steam Fred: shares his passion for steam & meets some of the characters who devote their lives to finding preserving & restoring steam locomotives traction engines & stationary engines mill workings & pumps. Combined with this will be the stories of central figures of the time including James Watts
- inventor of the steam engine
- & Richard Trevithick who played a key role in the expansion of industrial Britain in the 18th & 19th centuries."

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Fred Dibnah was a man born out of his time. His era should have been the magnificent age of British engineering
- the nineteenth
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Have you ever looked at one of our great historical buildings & wondered how on earth it was built? Well now you can get the answer from a man who devoted his life to that question Fred Dibnah. Fred takes us to some of the country's most famous castles cathedrals abbeys great houses & bridges & gives precise explanations of how they were constructed at a time when technology was limited & there were no power tools no concrete no steel no engines & no heavy machinery. Illustrated with Fred's own beautifully executed drawings published here for the first time we explore engineering marvels such as St Paul's Cathedral the Humber Bridge & Blackpool Tower. Fred's passion for the traditional skills of builders carpenters stonemasons & structural engineers shines through on every page. Fred Dibnah's Buildings of Britain" is a celebration of the architectural & engineering feats that made Britain great." ...

Mark Sanborn met his postman Fred just after he moved to Denver. Fred knocked on his door introduced himself & welcomed him to the neighbourhood. He also asked Sanborn about himself & how he wanted his mail handled while he was away. Needless to say Sanborn was shocked. He asked Fred more about his job & how he approached it. Fred's answers inspired him to develop motivational seminars promoting Fred's attitude & approach to life. To embody the Fred philosophy is to realise & practise that: * Everyone can make a difference * Success is built on good relationships * You must continually create value for others & it doesn't have to cost anything * You can reinvent yourself whenever you want. In this succinct & inspiring guide Sanborn shows us how we can all truly make a difference everyday & become a ' Fred' as well as how to recognise reward & attract Freds into our lives. ...

Fred Trueman was so much more than a cricketing legend. The greatest living Yorkshireman according to Prime Minister Harold Wilson he couldnt help excelling at everything he did whether it was as a hostile fast bowler for Yorkshire & England & the first man to take 300 Test wickets in a career or as a fearlessly outspoken radio summariser for Test Match Special. He was famous for regularly spluttering that I dont know whats going off out there as well as for the amount of swearing he managed to incorporate into everyday speech. Beloved of cricket crowds who filled grounds to witness his belligerent way of playing the game & nothing but trouble to the cricket authorities Fiery Fred was the epitome of a full-blooded Englishman. But as Chris Waters reveals in this first full biography behind the charismatic exuberant mask lay a far less self-assured man
- terrified even that his new dog wouldnt like him
- & whose bucolic version of his upbringing bore no relation to the gritty & impoverished South Yorkshire mining community where he actually grew up. Drawing on dozens of new interviews with his Yorkshire colleagues family & friends this life of Fred Trueman will surprise & even shock but also confirm the status of an English folk hero.

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Fred Trueman was so much more than a cricketing legend. ' The greatest living Yorkshireman' according to Prime Minister Harold Wilson he couldn't help excelling at everything he did whether it was as a hostile fast bowler for Yorkshire & England & the first man to take 300 Test wickets in a career or as a fearlessly outspoken radio summariser for Test Match Special. He was famous for regularly spluttering that 'I don't know what's going off out there ' as well as for the amount of swearing he managed to incorporate into everyday speech. Beloved of cricket crowds who filled grounds to witness his belligerent way of playing the game & nothing but trouble to the cricket authorities ' Fiery Fred' was the epitome of a full-blooded Englishman. But as Chris Waters reveals in this first full biography behind the charismatic exuberant mask lay a far less self-assured man
- terrified even that his new dog wouldn't like him
- & whose bucolic version of his upbringing bore no relation to the gritty & impoverished South Yorkshire mining community where he actually grew up. Drawing on dozens of new interviews with his Yorkshire colleagues family & friends this life of Fred Trueman will surprise & even shock but also confirm the status of an English folk hero.

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Freddie is desperate for a pet so when he rescues Bessie-Belle & she offers to grant his wishes he knows just what to ask for. The only problem is that Bessie-Belle can't hear very well & Freddie tends to mumble. Whatever can they do? Luckily the Fairy Queen is on hand to explain... This is a delightful tale full of Julia Donaldson's trademark rhyme & wit with a subtle message about hearing impairments. ...