It certainly was the folk process at work as the song is based on an old joke which I remember hearing as far back as 1958/59 when I only just understood it. It concerns a guy who claims that he knows everybody and his boast is put to the test as a series of people in ascending order of importance and fame come up to greet him culminating in the punch line when he appears on the balcony with the Pope. I still maintain that Ed Pickford wrote the song as I remember his performances of it pre - date The Northern Front by a number of years.