Today
The Dogs are a group of boats on the Thames in central London. They watch the beaches at low tide and make sure the tourists don't drown each other, and escort boats up and down the river. Guard Dog, Watch Dog, Hound Dog...you get the drift. Little pilot boats have been performing this service for a thousand years, perhaps more.
Our 21C river guardians wear t-shirts emblazoned with 'The Dogs' across the shoulders, sit in the stern, play their radio, drink tea, and give me a wave every day when I walk the dog along the beaches at low tide. I loathe all that 'village in the city' garbage, but the river is a community nonetheless and I like to see these boats puffing up and down with great industry, leading smart newcomers upstream, or nipping the heels of rusting hulks on their final journey to some knacker's yard. And waving, I like that too.
