A L Lloyd as Storyteller

Subject: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Brian Grayson
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 02:29 AM

I was trawling the 'Bertsongs' thread, and it occurred to me that nobody seems to have touched on his skills in telling long stories, often of the Shaggy Dog variety.

I recorded an evening on 23 January 1973 at the Friday Folk Club in London, where he told two stories, 'The Cushmaker' and 'The Sleeve Job', which I would be delighted to pass on to anyone who's interested.

If anyone knows of any other stories he told, I'd be grateful for the information on here or at

[e-mail]

Thank you!

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Reinhard
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 03:27 AM

Brian, "The Kush Maker" is also on Lloyd's Fellside CD An Evening with A.L. Lloyd, which was recorded live at the Top Lock Folk Club, Runcorn, Borough of Halton, on November 5, 1972.

But I'd love to get a copy of that 1973 evening, too.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 03:49 AM

Hi Brian
Me too
We have a number of live performances of Bert including some of him telling stories (I think they include his 'Spiwah tales)
We also have most of his radio broadcasts and a few lectures, if anybody is interested
Good to know still of the old crowd are still alive and kicking
Will be in touch
Jim

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Raedwulf
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 04:06 AM

Is there any way someone could perhaps digitise & upload them somewhere (if there are no copyright issues)?

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 06:12 AM

I have recordings of several of Bert's radio programmes, which I probably should not make available for copyright reasons, and just one recording from a folk club. That does include one tale, about Adam and Eve, which Bert told by way of a not very relevant introduction to his song of Adam, Eve and the Wang. I could make that tale available.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 06:22 AM

Arthur's biography repeats the one about three sailors who raped a woman. Arthur comments that Lloyd appeared to find this funny.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 06:41 AM

I once drove Bert from his home in Greenwich, south London, to Snape Maltings in Suffolk, where we were running a study weekend. (Walter Pardon came down to sing in the final Sunday afternoon concert.) We hadn't been long on the road before Bert started telling me about his time in Australia. I now suspect that some of the stories might have been slightly exaggerated, but, boy, could he tell a tale! He really was a natural storyteller.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 07:00 AM

"Arthur's biography repeats the one about three sailors who raped a woman."
I think this might be 'The Sleeve Job' (not sure it was actually about rape)
I think Orson Welles made a film about it 'The Lady from Shanghai'
Bert had a cate-fable about an Australian farmer who, when asked to provide a bed for a visitor, told he him he has=d to share a bed with his daughter
To ascertain there was no impropriety he hung a carrot from the bredsprings suspended over a bowl of milk
The next morning the bowl was full of cream
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 07:26 AM

I actually have two tales from Bert from that evening, now available to all (for as long as my website lasts - there is a possibility that one of the many disasters resulting from Brexit will be the disappearance of all .eu domains belonging to people or organisations in the UK).
Adam and Eve
Aussie dreams story

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Raedwulf
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 08:21 AM

"And when the horseshoe is soft, give it another 10 mins!" By coincidence, I am currently being told off for polluting the "Cocky" thread with irrelevancies, even though I didn't start 'em!

Thank you for sharing, Richard.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Nick Dow (at Sidmouth)
Date: 05 Aug 18 - 07:04 PM

I thought I would just take time out in me hotel room, to let you know that I learned the 'Sleeve Job' (a story with no ending) from Bert. I told it in Kenny Goldsteins folk life tutorial in Philadelphia. I also learned The Carrot and cream, which was nothing to do with a daughter, but an errant wife with her husband away from home.
While we're on the subject I've got two belting stories from the Gypsy Folk told to me a few years ago. One is 'Ghadjee the canary' and the other the old tramp. You are welcome to them if you want. Pat(rick) Ryan has asked for them, and I'm seeing him tomorrow. Ask and you will receive, somehow.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Aug 18 - 01:24 AM

Nick?Brian if you can contact me I would be interested, dickmiles77at gmail.com

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 06 Aug 18 - 04:36 AM

It was a story about whaler men in some South African port, and the girl who was raped was from the Salvation Army.

It was not about a sleeve job and it was about rape.

But there may only have been two of them, not three.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 06 Aug 18 - 11:47 AM

While this is up
MacColl was a good storyteller - I remember hearing him tell 'Chairlie Plenderleith stories regularly at The Singers Club
Wonder if anybody ever recorded any
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Brian Grayson
Date: 06 Aug 18 - 10:57 PM

Jim - I'd love to hear what you have. I have a full list of all the stuff from Friday Folk - drop me an email and I'll send it to you.

Brian

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Anglo
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 04:27 PM

I see you do have the Worcestershire Sauce story, Richard. That's the one I particularly remember. I did hear the Sleeve Job too. Thanks for the memories.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,LJ
Date: 08 Aug 18 - 12:24 PM

Thanks for posting those audio links, Richard. When were they recorded?

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 09 Aug 18 - 04:59 AM

> Thanks for posting those audio links, Richard. When were they recorded?

4th April 1973 at Dingle's Folk Club in London.

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Jehane
Date: 10 Aug 18 - 05:37 PM

Bert Lloyd as a storyteller by Dave Arthur article here -

http://www.warrenfahey.com.au/bush-humour-yarn-telling/

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Brian Grayson
Date: 12 Aug 18 - 07:41 AM

I've uploaded all the Bert songs/stories from Friday Folk to Soundcloud.

Brian

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 12 Aug 18 - 07:46 AM

Sorry for not sending the list Brian - have been a bit busy
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Aug 18 - 04:25 PM

Ha! I sing "Little Piece of Wang" which I learned from a recording by Debbie McClatchy.

For years it was my token "religious" song.

Linn

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 14 Aug 18 - 05:06 PM

I too sing "Little Piece of Wang" which I got directly from Bert. I also sing North Sea Oil, which I suspect was his creation, albeit as a variation of an old theme.

Brian said
> I've uploaded all the Bert songs/stories from Friday Folk to Soundcloud.

How do we find them?

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Jehane
Date: 20 Aug 18 - 04:44 AM

Richard - I sent you PMs!

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Brian Grayson
Date: 21 Aug 18 - 10:20 AM

Richard - As far as I can figure out, go to soundcloud.com and search 'Brian Grayson'. Do let me know if you find the Lloyd tracks - I'm new to the Soundcloud stuff...

Brian

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,LJ
Date: 24 Aug 18 - 05:12 AM

>>4th April 1973 at Dingle's Folk Club in London.

Thanks.
I'd love to hear the whole gig. Would you mind uploading the rest?

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 24 Aug 18 - 05:15 PM

> I'd love to hear the whole gig. Would you mind uploading the rest?

Here you go:
The Old Batchelor
The Widow of Westmorland's Daughter
The Lover's Ghost
The Proud Girl
Nine Times a Night
Musherooms
Adam, Eve and the Wang
Tam Lin
The Jolly Bold Robber
North Sea Oil
Bluey Brink
The Shearer's Dream

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Brian Grayson
Date: 25 Aug 18 - 09:01 AM

No - it was the Friday Folk Club in Croydon, on November 9th 1973, NOT Dingle's. Sorry...

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 25 Aug 18 - 01:08 PM

Brian said
> No - it was the Friday Folk Club in Croydon, on November 9th 1973, NOT Dingle's. Sorry...

Not sure who that was addressed to. Who was confused about which recordings were from where?

I have made the rest of my recordings of the Dingles evening available (though they are all songs, not strictly relevant to this thread, as I had already made the two stories available); and I have successfully downloaded Brian's Friday Folk Club tracks from Soundcloud - thank you for those. "The Sleeve Job" is a very well told shaggy dog story.

Jim, have you made your recordings available yet? If not, could you please?

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: Jehane
Date: 26 Aug 18 - 02:09 PM

I just want to thank everyone for making these recordings available, I'm enjoying them tremendously!

Brian, you have mentioned 2 dates for the Friday Folk Club.
At the top - "23 January 1973 at the Friday Folk Club in London" &
lately "Croydon, on November 9th 1973".
Are there 2 dates or is one a mistake?

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Brian Grayson
Date: 10 Sep 18 - 09:23 AM

I'm working on getting all the Friday Folk stuff onto Soundcloud. Please be patient...

Subject: RE: A L Lloyd as Storyteller
From: GUEST,Dave G
Date: 21 Oct 18 - 01:46 PM

Hello All
Just found this thread, great stuff!! Thanks for the above tracks and soundcloud ones. Would love to hear more, if anyone else has any recordings they could share.
regards
DSG