Wild Canal by Norma King Recorded by Pumpkin Pie Sunday morning bright and early All the fishermen are gathering Where the waters flow so slowly Down by the old canal Cast a line into the water Take a seat upon the towpath There they’ll sit for hours after Down by the old canal Down by the old canal Moorhens swim into the rushes Proud swan with her cygnets passes Blackbirds singing in the bushes Down by the old canal Water vole goes scuttling by Swallows skim down from the sky Chasing gnats and dragon flies Down by the old canal Down by the old canal Roach and perch swim in the water Watch the pike that follows after Hear the mallard’s throaty laughter Down by the old canal Heron flies up to the sky As a boat goes chuntering by Hear the children’s happy cries Down by the old canal Down by the old canal Now the sun is going down The fishermen return to town And leave behind the quiet sounds Down by the old canal Hear the frog on the lily leaf Hear the owl by a lock gate screech Where the lovers come for peace Down by the old canal Down by the old canal One of the attractions of canals, whether navigable or derelict, is the variety of wild-life which abounds in and around the water. With the decline of ponds and the pollution of many rivers, the canals have become important areas for the conservation of many species of aquatic plants and animals - Sleeve notes written by Pumpkin Pie (1976). It is interesting to think of how things have changed since then. Recorded on :