youth hostels, the history, people and ideas behind them
History’s a living thing. YHA archivist John Martin gets out and about a lot, researching the history of hostels, looking for old hostel sites and finding people with memories of hostels as they were. He gets to celebrate all that is rich in YHA’s history. As well as spending hours searching and cataloguing papers and... Continue Reading →
The journey to the Hebrides from the midlands of England is long. On a train travelling north I had plenty of time to think as, beyond the windows, the landscape changed from the flat yellow Vale of York to green slopes around Aviemore. I love the journey, the views, the company, the comings and goings... Continue Reading →
Democracy is coming to the YHA. Not as Leonard Cohen imagined, with a driving drum and a rousing chorus but democracy all the same. One-member-one-vote democracy. After the Youth Hostels Association's annual meeting in London on Saturday 30 June, from next year all members over-16 will be able to vote in elections to YHA’s Board... Continue Reading →
The original warehouse centre before modernisation. Photo courtesy YHA Archive at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham. On a visit to Bristol, last week I skipped past the youth hostel. I was late and didn’t have time to stop in what is still one of the my favourite city hostels. I’m as fond of... Continue Reading →
Back at Borrowdale in the Lake District a couple of weeks ago, I remembered I was last there about fifteen years ago. Lots has changed and lots has not, but that’s a bit like youth hostels too. Last time, I went to Borrowdale because the deputy prime minister, then John Prescott, wanted a visit. He... Continue Reading →
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