At a mere 96 pages long, author J.A.S. Rees has crammed about as much love for his Welsh upbringing as you are ever likely to read. The Boy From The Coach is an adorable ode to a time long past, where Rees spent endless summers at the Coach And Horses pub in Llangynidr, located at the border of the Brecon Beacons and just outside Crickhowell.

As you read about the characters that both ran and graced the pub, including cooks, cousins and friendly locals, you find yourself longing to visit the beautiful old building, which still stands today, as every nook and cranny is remembered in such vivid detail. As much as it’s a love letter to his upbringing, The Boy From The Coach also represents a delve into the area’s history with photographs from his personal collection, blending perfectly with the usual local tales, to create a vast overview of what the landscape had to offer through the years, with Rees himself discovering that he had ties to the old place going back as far as the early 1800s.

Originally published privately in 2021 and distributed to family and friends, but now made available for purchase, when books are written with such passion, they are a delight to read. The Boy From The Coach comes straight from the depths of Rees’ heart.