Operation Working Party by Ann Penny Recorded by Pumpkin Pie Each Saturday and Sunday Come sunshine rain or snow They turn up with their shovels And find out where to go Now once they’ve got a task to do They work at it all day Seldom stopping for a break And working without pay They tidy up the towpath So’s it will be one day A place a horse could walk on Without tripping on his way Lift tree trunks from the cutting Dig out the sludge and silt To try and make this old canal As good as when t’was built A lot more willing helpers Are what we really need If we want to try and open Our canal with any speed So if anyone can spare the time Please come and join the crowd And soon the Thames and Severn Will really do us proud This was originally a poem by Ann Penny of the Stroudwater, Thames and Severn Canal Trust. It is sung to the hymn tune 'Aurelia' (The Church's One Foundation) on the Pumpkin Pie recording. Volunteer labour has made a significant contribution to the restoration of the inland waterways with the Waterways Recovery Group (WRG) at the forefront. Its volunteers have made their canal song contributions; some of which can be found in a WRG Songbook. Recorded on :