camping and YHA

[phil parker]

Not sure whether scrabble allows place names, if so I might win, I fished the names out of my memory.

Well, I'm impressed - I can't even remember the hostels I stayed at let alone the complicated names

First went hostelling 1973, cost about 37p to stay.

1977 for me, but walking in the Lakes even though I had started 'distance' cycling by then.

High Cross Castle =Windermere (Troutbeck). It is a lovely building like a real castle with views to the Langdale Pikes.

I definitely stayed at that one - and very nice it was too; in 1977!

[Cyril Haearn]

Not sure whether scrabble allows place names, if so I might win, I fished the names out of my memory.

Well, I'm impressed - I can't even remember the hostels I stayed at let alone the complicated names

First went hostelling 1973, cost about 37p to stay.

1977 for me, but walking in the Lakes even though I had started 'distance' cycling by then.

High Cross Castle =Windermere (Troutbeck). It is a lovely building like a real castle with views to the Langdale Pikes.

I definitely stayed at that one - and very nice it was too; in 1977!

Gorau llyfr, cof: Welsh, the best book is ones memories. That is true, we forget the times the hostels were booked out, the damp blankets, the snorers. I have never been downunder or to the US but one met so many people from those distant countries when hostelling, almost as good as travelling oneself.

[jgurney]

Where it falls down is probably in allowing itself to be taken over by the motorcar - the plan is you get there by coach or car. That doesn't help young people, it just reinforces their lack of independence and mobility.

It has now got harder for young people to go at all. YHA barred unaccompanied under -16's some time ago. It has now added a ban on solo under-18's. 16 & 17 year olds can only go without an adult if they are in a group of two or more.

By the time I turned 16 I had been without an adult to: Overton, Henley, Salisbury, Holmbury St Mary, Streetley, Inglesham.
Aged 16 or 17 I went alone to: Tanners Hatch, Street, Swanage, Litton Cheney, Lulworth Cove, Cranbourne, Bigbury, Salcombe.

Others visited: Ewhurst Green, Hindhead, Arundel, Patcham, Brighton, Telscombe, Alfriston, Canterbury, Burley (r), Duntisbourne Abbots, Jordans, Bridport, Beer, Cheddar, Exeter, Penzance, Bristol, St Briavels, Knighton, Ironbridge, Bradwell, Ivinghoe, Boggle Hole, Wheeldale, Whitby, York, Llanberis, Snowdon Ranger, Wasdale Hall, Black Sail, Honister Hause, Conniston Holly Howe, Ambleside, Greensides (r), Keswick, Skiddaw House, Steps Bridge*, Hunstanton, Sheringham,

Italics - closed. * - gone independent. (r) - now renamed.

19 closed out of 53 = 36%

[millimole]

4th August 1970 I cycled to my first hostel overnight, 30 miles on my own from Tottenham to Goudhurst, from there I went on to Alfriston, the cycled 67 miles home. Later in the month I visited Greens Norton, Stow-on-the-wold, Oxford, and Streatley.
All at the ridiculously tender age of 15.
I only had two 'odd' experiences at Youth Hostels - both in France, both in '73 - both related to very peculiar wardens.


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[mercalia]

Where it falls down is probably in allowing itself to be taken over by the motorcar - the plan is you get there by coach or car. That doesn't help young people, it just reinforces their lack of independence and mobility.

It has now got harder for young people to go at all. YHA barred unaccompanied under -16's some time ago. It has now added a ban on solo under-18's. 16 & 17 year olds can only go without an adult if they are in a group of two or more.

By the time I turned 16 I had been without an adult to: Overton, Henley, Salisbury, Holmbury St Mary, Streetley, Inglesham.
Aged 16 or 17 I went alone to: Tanners Hatch, Street, Swanage, Litton Cheney, Lulworth Cove, Cranbourne, Bigbury, Salcombe.

Others visited: Ewhurst Green, Hindhead, Arundel, Patcham, Brighton, Telscombe, Alfriston, Canterbury, Burley (r), Duntisbourne Abbots, Jordans, Bridport, Beer, Cheddar, Exeter, Penzance, Bristol, St Briavels, Knighton, Ironbridge, Bradwell, Ivinghoe, Boggle Hole, Wheeldale, Whitby, York, Llanberis, Snowdon Ranger, Wasdale Hall, Black Sail, Honister Hause, Conniston Holly Howe, Ambleside, Greensides (r), Keswick, Skiddaw House, Steps Bridge*, Hunstanton, Sheringham,

Italics - closed. * - gone independent. (r) - now renamed.

19 closed out of 53 = 36%

didnt know that. I suppose the YHA dont want the responsibility in these times of bad people. I thought Exeter had closed?

[axel_knutt]

Dimmingsdale and Ninebanks have gone. I have never heard of High Cross castle.

They were still open when I checked as recently as summer last year, they're going so fast now it's a hard job keeping up.

19 closed out of 53 = 36%

There are at least 90 of the hostels I've stayed at closed now.

[robing]

seems like they want to kill off camping on their sites. The seem to have increased the prices so that the price differential is now only about £2 from a bed inside. Goodbye YHA, Sorry I know when I am not wanted - or rather I know when you want my money

Camped at the Clun YHA last year for £6.50 a night, gone up to £10 this year. No thanks.

[jgurney]

It has now got harder for young people to go at all. YHA barred unaccompanied under -16's some time ago. It has now added a ban on solo under-18's. 16 & 17 year olds can only go without an adult if they are in a group of two or more.

didnt know that. I suppose the YHA dont want the responsibility in these times of bad people. I thought Exeter had closed?

You are right about Exeter. 20/53 = 38%
I doubt that there are any more "bad people" now than there were 40 years ago.

[axel_knutt]

There's an independent in Exeter that's OK, no camping though, it's a town-house.

[hamster]

I doubt that there are any more "bad people" now than there were 40 years ago.

Quite. The rate of child abduction nowadays is below the (allegedly) halcyon days of the 1950s.
The difference is the screaming of certain newspapers that suggests we will all be gang-raped the moment we open our front doors.

[mercalia]

I doubt that there are any more "bad people" now than there were 40 years ago.

Quite. The rate of child abduction nowadays is below the (allegedly) halcyon days of the 1950s.
The difference is the screaming of certain newspapers that suggests we will all be gang-raped the moment we open our front doors.

Maybe more a matter of awareness of the risks? - now if little johnny stubs his toe the parents will sue, the health and safety people close you down - in the good olde days you would give the kid a clip around the lug holes for being careless?

[millimole]

I doubt that there are any more "bad people" now than there were 40 years ago.

Quite. The rate of child abduction nowadays is below the (allegedly) halcyon days of the 1950s.
The difference is the screaming of certain newspapers that suggests we will all be gang-raped the moment we open our front doors.

To go completely off topic here - folk say how dangerous the roads are, and how death-defying it is to ride a bike these days. Look at the KSI rates of the halcyon days compared to today! We know about road deaths much more now simply because we have so much more exposure to 'media' and road deaths & injuries are becoming (slightly) less common.
Same argument


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[Cyril Haearn]

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.

[mercalia]

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.

there used to be a useful one - part of a local school i remember in the Yorkshire Wolds at Thixendale near Wharram Percy medieval village. nice out of the way place to stop for a night

[Cyril Haearn]

Wheathill Shropshire

Sign on the stairs: duck or grouse!

Sign on the door: keep the cats out. Or clean up after them