youth hostels, the history, people and ideas behind them
GM Trevelyan, historian and author, was the first president and great spokesman for the Youth Hostels Association. He epitomised the spartan in youth hostels. He also gave land and money for youth hostels including Black Sail, Castle Hedingham, and Once Brewed. YHA could have chosen his brother, Sir Charles Trevelyan, for their president but instead... Continue Reading →
<p value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">Eighty years of youth hostelling portrays eight decades of YHA up to 2010 through nearly 450 photographs.Eighty years of youth hostelling portrays eight decades of YHA up to 2010 through nearly 450 photographs. The writers examined more than 2000 images when they were compiling the book. Personal reminiscence and extracts... Continue Reading →
August and a visit to the Albert Hall for a prom is becoming a habit. Sitting in the hall, waiting for Clemency Burton-Hill to introduce The Sixteen, I counted chairs and wondered how much space 5000 people took. That number of people turned up in August 1950 for YHA's 21st birthday. The celebrations were lavish.... Continue Reading →
YHA made history in Cardiff in July. It stopped being the representative democracy, like parliament, that it has always been. Former MP, cabinet member and YHA president, Richard Caborn, recognised the moment and praised YHA for the way it had embraced change. Caborn, speaking at YHA's annual general meeting in Cardiff, the first such meeting... Continue Reading →
To Willersley Castle for a meeting today. I can't help but remember that Richard Schirrmann was here in 1934. He came with delegates from across Europe, from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Danzig, England and Wales, France, Germany, Holland, the Irish Republic, Luxembourg, Northern Ireland, Poland, Scotland and Switzerland. They met here for four days. They pooled their... Continue Reading →
