Youth Hostels

[Baldy]

I do wonder how long ago it is since some of you have actually stayed in a youth hostel? They've changed a lot since the bad old days of the sixties and seventies.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

Most have bike sheds, but a few don't. I chained my bike to a drainpipe at the back of Portland hostel, Hartington has Sheffield stands with a rain awning, but no shed, at Newcastle Jesmond Road I left the bike in the passageway with the wardens bike, but that's closed now anyway. There are a few others, like Bristol, where the bike lives indoors. Some sheds are bigger than others, but I've never run out of space.

At Exeter Globe independent hostel there was a stack of about 6 or 7 bikes in the lobby. A closer look showed that the weight of the whole pile was supported by the pedal on the bottom-but-one bike propped against the front derailleur of the bottom one.

Last month there was a shed at Hartington. It is an odd shape and I think that the Sheffield stands and awning roof were left in situ and walls and doors built around them.

 

[oldwheels]

I do wonder how long ago it is since some of you have actually stayed in a youth hostel? They've changed a lot since the bad old days of the sixties and seventies.

Quite a long time since I stayed in one but as {very} local politician we had a tour of our local one just after it had been "modernised". I was not impressed. In a past life I had been involved in the overall SYHA management as well as being a frequent user.

 

[a.twiddler]

I do wonder how long ago it is since some of you have actually stayed in a youth hostel? They've changed a lot since the bad old days of the sixties and seventies.

But were they the bad old days? I started in the late 70s but mostly Hostelled in the 80s. I was no teenager then. I did a bit in the early 21st century and was saddened to see how many had closed, reducing opportunities to link up cycleable routes between them. Fewer but better appointed may make economic sense and may be the only viable way forward when most families look for different things nowadays from what was the original intent to provide opportunities and accommodation for "young people, particularly those of limited means" to get out into the countryside.

No doubt increased awareness of child protection and safeguarding issues would prevent parents letting their 15 year olds loose with minimal supervision nowadays and organisations also have to comply with these rules but nevertheless, I can't help feeling something has been lost that could have been saved with a little more foresight..

 

[Aravis]

I came to Youth Hostelling quite late, in my early twenties. It would probably have done me a lot of good to have caught the bug a lot earlier, but here we are. I used them quite a lot over the next few years in most parts of the UK and Ireland, choosing the simple ones wherever possible. The charge for an overnight was still well under £2 in 1984 as I recall.

The really great thing about them at the time is that you would meet people. You would talk about where you'd been and where you were going, and about your grandiose plans for the future. You'd see what others were cooking and get ideas from that. Everyone always had something to learn from everyone else. And there was always the chance of a clandestine liaison outside hours if you got lucky. Next evening you'd start all over again with a different group.

In around 1988 the YHA experimented by keeping one of the remote Welsh hostels, Ty’n Cornel, in business by staffing it with volunteer wardens a week at a time. I think it was pretty successful and I was lucky enough to do that for six years. For at least part of that time my membership was lapsed, which was a bit naughty but no-one seemed to check! It wasn't a good place for a young baby, and once I had one of those it was time to pass the baton to someone else. That hostel is now run on traditional lines by an independent group, and a few years ago my wife and I called by and had a lovely chat with the current folks in charge, talking about old times and new.

There was always an extensive network of independent hostels in Ireland, which complemented the An Óige hostels very well. I'd be interested to know what the scene is like over there now.

 

[oldwheels]

I actually started hostelling sometime in the early to mid 1950’s. These really were the good old days. An expensive hostel night then was about 2 bob and most were less. We never booked either but never got turned away as if the beds were full you could get a spare mattress on the floor. That only happened twice so far as I remember.

 

[presta]

But were they the bad old days?

No. I don't care if they don't have the mod cons, I like the small, primitive hostels with some character, and an interesting history, in remote attractive locations.

I love Black Sail, a shepherd's bothy up in the Cumbrian mountains 5 miles from the nearest road, and the way the sheep wander into the dorm at night, even if the washing facilities are a jug of water and an enamel bowl on the table. I love Tanners Hatch, a 500 year old cottage like little red riding hood's buried in the middle of the Forest, even if the showers & toilets are at the bottom of the garden. I love the history of Perranporth, the top secret radio base that used to communicate with the submarines in the north Atlantic during the war. I love Tintagel, an old slate mine perched on the cliff edge with a view for miles along the coast. I love Rowan, a gut-busting climb 700 foot up a 1 in 4 to a little farmhouse with a aerial view of the Conwy valley. St Briavels, a 12th century castle in the Forest of Dean. Youlgeave, the village Co-op. High Cross Castle, a reinforced concrete folly with an aerial view of the sun setting over Crinkle Crags at the head of Langdale. Medway, an oast house. Winchester, Clun and Cynwyd, all water mills. Old schools at Blaxhall, Bridges, Thirlmere and Lockton. I even like the purpose built ones when they're like Eskdale, Holmbury, Truleigh, Longthwaite

I don't like the way the YHA is being turned into another Travelodge chain, but pains me to admit I mostly have to use that type of hostel now my health limits me to those in a large town/city accessible by train. Of its kind, I do quite like Oxford hostel, and I like the city a lot.

In around 1988 the YHA experimented by keeping one of the remote Welsh hostels, Ty’n Cornel, in business by staffing it with volunteer wardens

Most of the small hostels are run by volunteers, they'd get closed otherwise.

 

[lazybloke]

I used YHA around Kent, Sussex and Wye Valley areas on walking holidays when I was about 15/16 ish. Cars were a rarity for people staying. Almost frowned upon, if memory serves correctly.

I also stayed around Europe in the hostels when I was bumming around for a year. My two favourites were Grindelwald & Pizzo del Calabria.

Definitely worth looking further afield.
I once spent several nights in the Venice youth hostel. Very very cost effective, couldn't have afforded a hotel

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I went youth hostelling on a bike (in Ireland) when I was 15 and it was great! Fantastic locations, incredibly basic facilities, interesting and odd characters.
I'd love to do it again but most of the sites are gone or redeveloped. Some people willed their fine old houses to An Oige (the Irish organisation).

Modern hostels don't do it for me, especially not the dorms. I've stayed in a handful recently (in a very different part of the world) through necessity and some of the behaviour is just off the wall.

Having said that, I did the Camino a few years ago, staying in the hostels. I wanted to experience the whole thing. That was an interesting experience!

 

[sotkayak]

A private room or camping at the YHA with the gemutlicheid of the members lounge and kitchen gives one the best of both worlds.No dorms as a post above descibed them fairly accurately but left out the snoring...

 

[matticus]

The really great thing about them at the time is that you would meet people. You would talk about where you'd been and where you were going, and about your grandiose plans for the future. You'd see what others were cooking and get ideas from that. Everyone always had something to learn from everyone else. And there was always the chance of a clandestine liaison outside hours if you got lucky. Next evening you'd start all over again with a different group.

YES !!!

This doesn't get mentioned enough.
(perhaps because some travellers want the cocooned, jacked directly into smartphone all evening/night experience, I don't know ...)

I can understand that if you want to leave your fellow travellers behind at the hotel reception desk, then hostels don't seem very attractive. And a good deal at a Travelodge (2 sharing) will seem much better value than beds in a YHA.

 

[a.twiddler]

YES !!!

This doesn't get mentioned enough.
(perhaps because some travellers want the cocooned, jacked directly into smartphone all evening/night experience, I don't know ...)

I can understand that if you want to leave your fellow travellers behind at the hotel reception desk, then hostels don't seem very attractive. And a good deal at a Travelodge (2 sharing) will seem much better value than beds in a YHA.

This is one aspect which, especially when solo, made visits to some YHAs memorable. Because you were all either on foot or bike (particularly in more rural Hostels) even if you had some sort of language barrier, mostly you had some kind of rapport. A bunch of us were at a rural Hostel in Wales on a soaking wet evening when I got the coal fire going and we all sat round the fire with our clothes hanging and steaming while we warmed up. Among us was an American guy who'd never seen a coal fire before and he was just amazed that you could get rocks to burn. It probably made his holiday.
The warden turned up later and wasn't best pleased about us using some of his coal stock. Still, we and our clothes were warm and dry and the place had had an airing.

One fine summer evening I approached Holford YHA through the woods and could hear piano music drifting through the trees. It was magical. One of the Hostellers was an accomplished pianist and entertained us through the evening with various bits of classical and popular music.

On random occasions there were beery nights at pubs near Hostels. I fear that following such occasions I might have been one of the farty snorers.

One time a group of us tried to assemble enough schoolboy French to give directions to a French cyclist to the next YHA. He might still be looking for it.

I got a lecture in Shrewsbury YHA from an Australian dorm mate about the perils of eating salami when I made a sandwich for my tea. "Yer don't wanna eat that, mate. It'll do yer in!" He was horrified when I ate the rest of it. I think he might have lain awake all night waiting for me to stop breathing. It seems to be an Australian thing, as for a long time such meat products were not allowed to be imported.

I met a Dutch guy while doing a mini tour of North and Mid Wales and we followed the same route for a while, and stayed in a couple of Hostels. We even corresponded for a while. His English was impressively good.

At Ludlow YHA a young woman with an MG dragged me out to sample the night life. She was pretty forceful, it was hard to say no. I'd like to say that we got married and had 10 kids but no, we were just ships that passed in the night.

I could go on (and on, and frequently do) but just to say, yes, a lot of it was about the people you met as much as anything.

Don't forget, most YHAs didn't have a TV (very late adoption) let alone the things we have come to expect today, so people actually had to talk to each other! The very idea!

I can appreciate a good deal as much as anyone but I have just realised that it's even longer since I stayed in a Travelodge than it is since I last stayed at a YHA. I must put that right ASAP.

 

[byegad]

I used to go to Wooler YH on a semi organised BikeRite every October. Accommodation was in dorm's of anything up to 8 people. After coming home from the last three only to develop a shocking cold in the next week, I stopped going.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Funny, for all the solo hostelling I did, I don't really remember meeting anyone, apart from nutcase wardens. I guess have always been an unsociable git.

Are sheet sleeping bags still a thing? Something I only used when hostelling. I remember I got my mum to make one.

 

[fossyant]

Youth hosteling by Cycle Chat members. I assume the term 'youth' is used very loosely with us old codgers.

I was looking at hotels recently for last night and one in December, and the Deansgate YHA in Manchester was 3x more expensive than Premier Inn, and level with the 4 star hotels.