youth hostels, the history, people and ideas behind them
The impact of tourism captures headlines. Overtourism. Too many visitors destroying the places they come to see. Reports of changes in places we love to visit. And tourism still remains the pursuit of the wealthy, despite the efforts of Thomas Cook, Billy Butlin and TA Leonard to bring travel within the reach of millions. Their... Continue Reading →
Continuing the story of Hilary Hughes, based on the log book of her cycle tour in the South of England in August 1936, a fascinating glimpse into the lives of two young women in 1936, when they were alone in the world, unaided, for a week. Breakfast was nothing, Hilary declared to her diary; a... Continue Reading →
Youth hostels are about travel and, at their start, that was travelling on foot, from place to place, from one hostel to the next. A chain or chains of youth hostels had been the dream of many when they first entertained the idea of hostels; the dream of leaving the place where you lived and... 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 →
SIMPLY HOSTELS 