Cyril Haearn wrote:What was great about hostelling back then, I see now even more clearly decades later. For a pocket-money price one had the run of a wonderful huge old interesting building, just the thought of the main door at Plas Rhiwaedog Bala, a huge creaking oak thing.
Or St Briavels, High Cross Castle, Gerddi Bluog, Grinton Lodge, Ninebanks, Clun, and the old slate schools in Wales: Corris, Dinas Mawddwy, Ystumtuen, Glascwm. The wardens who were usually retired people or farmers were often very kind.
I was going camping over at Wye Valley YHA ( Welsh Bicknor) this week but the rather unsettled weather meant I cancelled. I was looking at later dates and saw that the first week of September the camping rate is just £5 per person from the normal £12 - these are non members prices.
NO KIDS AS THIS IS RETURN TO SCHOOL WEEK?
So if you have a spare week start of September and the weather is fine it might be worth a look at as Wye Valley YHA is a great place to camp - flat grass by the side of the river Wye on the Wye Valley Walk
PH wrote:They're doing well, mainly out of school parties and though a part of me misses that I can't turn up and expect to get a bed, they are fulfilling the original objective of introducing the countryside to the youth who wouldn't otherwise get the chance. I might not like the changes, but I've stayed in enough three quarter empty hostels to see that it had to.
They're not really fulfilling that objective in any meaningful way now (not the way it was originally thought out). The last YHA I stayed in (Cardiff) had air-conditioned rooms, large screen TV in every dorm, a bar promoting (not just selling) alcohol, it's located on an awkward-to-get-to business park and I was the only cyclist/walker - everyone else was getting ready for late night clubbing in the city centre. The founding fathers must be turning in their graves.
But, yes, I've picked a city centre hostel that used to be a chain hotel ...
I've stayed in several hostels like that and made use of all the city centre life (not that I've ever been one for clubbing). Even stayed in some for a month or more while working. And most of the people in them were doing the same as I was. That was back in the '90s. They weren't YHAs and it wasn't in the UK, so talk of objectives or missions is not really applicable, but I feel it's worth pointing out that this aspect also promotes independent travel and generally independent living. There's a role for that and for the rural hostels. At least I'd hope there was room for both.
PH wrote:They're doing well, mainly out of school parties and though a part of me misses that I can't turn up and expect to get a bed, they are fulfilling the original objective of introducing the countryside to the youth who wouldn't otherwise get the chance. I might not like the changes, but I've stayed in enough three quarter empty hostels to see that it had to.
They're not really fulfilling that objective in any meaningful way now (not the way it was originally thought out). The last YHA I stayed in (Cardiff) had air-conditioned rooms, large screen TV in every dorm, a bar promoting (not just selling) alcohol, it's located on an awkward-to-get-to business park and I was the only cyclist/walker - everyone else was getting ready for late night clubbing in the city centre. The founding fathers must be turning in their graves.
But, yes, I've picked a city centre hostel that used to be a chain hotel ...
I've stayed in several hostels like that and made use of all the city centre life (not that I've ever been one for clubbing). Even stayed in some for a month or more while working. And most of the people in them were doing the same as I was. That was back in the '90s. They weren't YHAs and it wasn't in the UK, so talk of objectives or missions is not really applicable, but I feel it's worth pointing out that this aspect also promotes independent travel and generally independent living. There's a role for that and for the rural hostels. At least I'd hope there was room for both.
If you stay in the Wye Valley the city centre life is one pub. BTW if anyone has previous accessed the YHA from the south on the old railway bridge it was closed but may now be reopened. I was closed last April when I took a look at it but according to the article below they have made some temporary repairs in June 2018. Anyone got a more up to date assessment?
Thinking about it, the only YHAs I've stayed at in the UK have been Malvern, Lincoln and Cambridge. The first two back in the '90s, Malvern for the most beautiful hills, Lincoln just because. Cambridge was more recently for ~business (training), so although that one obviously is city centre, I didn't treat it as such.
Bmblbzzz wrote:Thinking about it, the only YHAs I've stayed at in the UK have been Malvern, Lincoln and Cambridge. The first two back in the '90s, Malvern for the most beautiful hills, Lincoln just because. Cambridge was more recently for ~business (training), so although that one obviously is city centre, I didn't treat it as such.
I don't stay in that many but I do seem to be the kiss of death to them. Shortly after staying in Stow on the Wold and Salisbury both announced they were closing. I did camp at Street YHA a couple of years ago for an Audax the following day but didn't get a lot of sleep as youths gathered in a nearby car park and played loud music into the small hours, the booming type with very low frequency that penetrates ear plugs really efficiently. The following year I 'wild' camped, attaching a tarp to an abandoned hay bail off a cycle path near Langport and had a far more peaceful night.
horizon wrote: They're not really fulfilling that objective in any meaningful way now (not the way it was originally thought out). The last YHA I stayed in (Cardiff) had air-conditioned rooms, large screen TV in every dorm, a bar promoting (not just selling) alcohol, it's located on an awkward-to-get-to business park and I was the only cyclist/walker - everyone else was getting ready for late night clubbing in the city centre. The founding fathers must be turning in their graves.
But, yes, I've picked a city centre hostel that used to be a chain hotel ...
I've stayed in several hostels like that and made use of all the city centre life (not that I've ever been one for clubbing). Even stayed in some for a month or more while working. And most of the people in them were doing the same as I was. That was back in the '90s. They weren't YHAs and it wasn't in the UK, so talk of objectives or missions is not really applicable, but I feel it's worth pointing out that this aspect also promotes independent travel and generally independent living. There's a role for that and for the rural hostels. At least I'd hope there was room for both.
If you stay in the Wye Valley the city centre life is one pub. BTW if anyone has previous accessed the YHA from the south on the old railway bridge it was closed but may now be reopened. I was closed last April when I took a look at it but according to the article below they have made some temporary repairs in June 2018. Anyone got a more up to date assessment?
when I asked a few months ago they said the foot bridge are still active. I may enquire again, or any interested might also - the YHA direct. You dont go to WYE Valley YHA for night life ANy way Ross on Wye is some distance away.
In terms of the 'traditional' 'objective' or one might even say 'mission' of the YHA, has this role perhaps migrated to bothies, bunkhouses and camping barns nowadays?