youth hostels, the history, people and ideas behind them
At the end of my research, when I came to write Open to All – how youth hostels changed the world, the story of Richard Schirrmann would not fit. I loved the story of the man who invented youth hostels but early readers commented that the story was too much in what was a history... Continue Reading →
History, books, sustainability and profiles of the hostels themselves.
Len Clark was a young Londoner in 1939. When Europe lost all reason and lurched into war in September he had drifted into the pacifist camp. He debated the rights and wrongs of war, took long walks in the countryside and listened to his gramophone for solace. I love diaries. Diaries and letters offer the... Continue Reading →
If you see the funny side of youth hostels, Best Foot Forward is for you: acute, astute, astoundingly funny and well put together. Maeve Larkin, the writer, knows youth hostels and because she knows her duties, her sausages and her members, she gets it just right. The cast is wonderful and the story charts the... Continue Reading →
"A fascinating account of the history of the YHA, beautifully written..." "enjoyable, accessible... a "must have" for anyone with more than a passing interest in YHA..." "a truly impressive piece of research with detailed biographies of the key players involved in this fabulous institution that has given so much pleasure to so many of us."... Continue Reading →
SIMPLY HOSTELS 