Yes, a terrific storyteller, if an idiosyncratic singer. I once sat up through the wee hours chatting and imbibing with the editor of a leading folk music publication, while 'An Evening With A. L. Lloyd was playing in the background. When he began 'Tamlyn' the conversation stopped, and not another word was uttered until the end of the ballad. We looked at one another and said "How the f*** did he do that??" Utterly transfixing.

In the (very extensive and interesting) liner notes to the double CD 'Bramble Briars and Beams of the Sun' on Fellside, Vic Gammon discusses Bert's singing style, suggesting that his two main tradiional influences were Phil Tanner and Harry Cox.