Alan London has published his debut short story collection, The Days of Wine and Horses, a work of fiction set in the Yorkshire Dales that offers a warm and often humorous glimpse into the world of a small country riding school. Independently published on June 5, 2026, in both hardcover and paperback, the book draws on London's childhood familiarity with stable life but is not autobiographical, as he emphasizes that its characters and events are invented.
London was born in the south of England and moved to Yorkshire as a child when his father's work brought the family north. There, he grew up around riding yards and stables. Family expectations and economic necessity later led him into a settled profession, and for much of that time he held down two jobs at once. The routines, difficult horses, and rhythms of a small rural economy he observed during those years inform the collection, though the stories themselves are fictional.
Readers have compared the book to James Herriot's beloved Yorkshire novels, a comparison London did not set out to invite but has been glad to see. Like Herriot's work, the collection finds warmth in ordinary rural life, capturing a nostalgia for a slower, gentler way of living. The title is taken from Ernest Dowson's 1896 poem "Vitae Summa Brevis," known for its opening phrase "the days of wine and roses," and reflects on the fleeting nature of cherished moments with horses.
The collection presents a fond, often humorous look at daily stable life, yard routines, animal management challenges, and the small rural economy that sustains this way of living. It is less a plotted narrative than a stroll back through a Yorkshire country life many readers will recognize or wish they had known. A preview of the book is available at https://read.amazon.com/sample/B0H4S9DFR7?clientId=share.
All proceeds from the book will support Cancer Research, a cause of personal significance to London and his late wife, Maureen. The book is available through major retailers, and its publisher is Cambridge Publishing House. With its blend of nostalgia, humor, and philanthropy, The Days of Wine and Horses offers readers a charming escape into a rural world while contributing to a vital cause.
