Wrong end of the stick again, I'm afraid. No-one is having a go at anyone; well, I'm certainly not.
It happens that Ewan MacColl was able to enjoy a good life style and standard of living at that time and a good proportion of his income came from royalties from some of his excellent compositions being taken up by very popular artists who shifted a lot of vinyl. He didn't keep this a secret; he saw to it that all his songs were properly documented and published so that royalties would be properly and easily paid. It has been pointed out that he didn't always like the way these artists treated his songs - and if you listen to some of these recordings, you can but agree with him.
And does anyone really believe that the houses in the better outer suburbs of London within walking distance of a railway station were not beyond the affordability of the person on an average working salary?