Frank lived over on the Birkenhead side of the Mersey and used to frequent Liverpool folk clubs some thirty years ago. He was something of a heavy drinker, but then I suspect that most of us were then too, and I feel sure that I had heard that he had died some time ago. If memory serves me rightly, Frank wrote this song for a competition organised by the English Folksong & Dance Society - it was one of two songs that he submitted, and he thought that the other was the better song. One of the judges in the competition was Ian Campbell, and while Frank also submitted a tune for the song, I think the one to which the words are sung has a lot of Ian in it. Frank once wrote a wonderful verse for the song Cosher Bailey's Engine, it went:
Cosher Bailey's sister Netta, performed light-operetta,
Sang in comedy and farce, 'Call Me Madam' and 'Kiss Me ...Kate'

Doesn't look so good written down though!