STEEPLEJACK, steam engine fanatic and industrial history broadcaster Fred Dibnah will be in Atherton on August 10 filming for his last television series.

Atherton is one of a number of northern locations that Fred will visit to illustrate industrial innovations and also engineering history in his BBC 2 series "Made in Britain".

Fred will be filming at Garton's factory -- Thomas Smith's Victoria nut and bolt works which holds a special place in Fred's heart.

He bought one of his first steam engines from there, and is still a regular visitor there where he can still buy fasteners in Imperial sizes.

And Victoria Works in Thomas Street was chosen to illustrate Britain's proud engineering heritage and Atherton's history as a centre of nail making and nut and bolt manufacture.

Fred, who is terminally ill with cancer, is currently filming 12 programmes as he tours Britain on his newly restored Aveling & Porter 1912 Steam Tractor.

And the 66-year-old is determined to reach the end of filming in September.

After being diagnosed with bladder cancer three years ago, Fred had a kidney removed and several courses of chemotherapy.

But he gave up on his treatment saying that he would rather enjoy what time he has left at full fitness while enjoying a diet of Guinness and coffee!

Fred said: "I'm not so bad, I'm not in any pain though I am taking a few pills. The worst I've got at the moment is a cold!

"I've tried the conventional treatment but the only other treatment they have offered me has only been tested on monkeys before and I'm not having that!

"Why should I make myself any more ill than when I had the chemotherapy?

"I'm reasonably active, not as active as I was before, but I'm still getting around.

"I've got until September to finish the filming so I'll have to be alright until then."

After his trip to see the Queen for his MBE and showing his engine off to bemused tourists, Fred visited various railway centres and coal mines in Staffordshire and then went on to Sheffield.

Fred has just returned from filming in North Wales, where he has left his steam engine for a short time. This week he travels back there, to the slate museum at Blaenau Festiniog, as part of his BBC filming and to talk to visitors. A trip to South Wales and possibly Cornwall will follow.

In between his busy filming schedule, the steam enthusiast received an honorary degree for his services to engineering from Birmingham University last week.

Fred added: "It's funny that they call me an engineer, I'm only a back street mechanic - that's what I'll always call myself."

Filming is not the only thing on Fred's mind.

He is re-submitting his planning appliation to Bolton Council to build a mineshaft in his back garden in The Haulgh.

His programmes will be shown later in the year on BBC2 and show how companies across the nation contributed to the engineering developments of the past which helped industrially to put the great into Great Britain.