Bought, begged, borrowed or stolen
This week’s hostel is Tanners Hatch, close to London, in Surrey, one of those iconic, simple hostels that dominate memories for many hostellers.
The stories of Leatherhead and Tanners Hatch hostels are inextricably linked.
Leatherhead came first, a potent example of the will of embattled Londoners during and after the Blitz of 1940-41 to find a haven of peace for rest and recuperation no matter what the difficulties or personal sacrifices to them in setting up a wreck of a place.
For the story of “Tanners” and John Martin’s historical profiles of this remote but nearby hostel read on… https://duncanmsimpsonwriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/y950001-tanners-hatch-area-yhs-reduced-profile-rev-2020-03-01.pdf
Image above, by Noel Vincent, courtesy YHA Archive at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham.
SIMPLY HOSTELS 
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