This is a portrait of my old collie Joe in his prime - now gone but not forgotten, especially here at the Grindley Brook Locks on the Llangollen Canal.  He was a real canal character!  In his distinctive red and white spotty scarf, he would 'work' the locks all day, getting people to throw sticks, balls, even blades of grass, which he would bring back to them.  He'd come in for his tea at 6 when he would have his scarf taken off,  a sign he had finished 'work' for the day.   He was a great hit with the kids on holiday on hire boats.  He could teach people the rules of his games in any language and once he even had a postcard from a little girl in Sweden addressed to 'Joe the Canal Dog, Grindley Brook Locks' and the postman brought it straight here!