Funnily enough, Dave Arthur is (probably) coming round to our house next week. I could put any specific questions to him.

Dave's book has been referred to several times in this thread without the details ever being mentioned, so here they are:-
Bert: the Life and Time of A.L.LLOYD (2102) Pluto Press ISBN 978-0-7453-3252-9
I have been a friend of Dave's since the 1960s and I know that the gestation period of this book must be the longest one on record. He has always been a very busy man who takes on all sorts of projects and I would say that his main motivation has been deadlines whether it was writing scripts for Roland Rat the TV-AM puppet show or the long years transforming and editing English Dance & Song.
This meant that his own projects were often put on the back burner. I would venture to suggest that one of Dave's problems - and I would say the same about Reg Hall - is that he does not know the point where research finishes and the writing process should begin.... but Dave did eventually complete the book and a publisher was found. There was a point where the publisher got cold feet and wanted to withdraw and there was a campaign by supporters of the project to inundate the publishers with assurances about how important this book was.
Looking at the book's dust cover, I see the EFDSS linked swords symbol which reminds me that I did hear that the quiet financial support from that organisation - much maligned in this thread - was the tipping point that ensured publication.