youth hostels, the history, people and ideas behind them
Trustees of the oldest building in Portsmouth want to hear from any YHA members who stayed there. Wymering Manor was a youth hostel from 1961 for more than 40 years. Despite the long history of the building the trustees have no records for the period when the building was a youth hostel. They now want... Continue Reading →
From its founding, the Youth Hostels Association (YHA) of England and Wales made great use of individuals and communities to open and run hostels on its behalf. These hostels, often known as adopted hostels, created vital links with local communities and rural life for hostels and their visitors. It's an approach that helps make YHA... Continue Reading →
People were impatient for youth hostels in Britain by 1930. Germany had started its hostel movement in 1909. But in Britain, it was unclear how youth hostels would open, as different people in different areas took different approaches. A group on Merseyside was looking for hostels in North Wales while from London, the first secretary... Continue Reading →
Three cyclists set off from Glasgow in October, recreating the journey taken by three sisters in 1936. Along the way the sisters encountered friendliness and hospitality, met and made new friends, had punctures and accidents, and the sun burned them until they were red as lobsters. Many others took similar journeys and some, like Mary... Continue Reading →
YHA’s archive recently received the kind donation of a rare membership card from 1931 along with valuable information about an early youth hostel in Devon. The Plymouth and District Regional group issued its card no 5 to Blyth Palk, one of 78 who joined YHA in 1931 in that region. Palk went on to marry... Continue Reading →
SIMPLY HOSTELS 