Double booked hostels

[manybikes]

[i]In these difficult times it would be nice if a few more CTC members had an odd overnight at a YHA hostel. It's a case of use them or lose them (i).

Malpas
What you are suggesting is exactly what want to do but find it difficult to achieve because of booking policies. I have been a member of YHA for over 25 years and have seen the network change adversely over that time. I do not see how investing in big inner city hostels is helping to get youngsters into and enjoying the countryside. In my humble opinion having the occasional tourist, walker or cyclist, in the common room to chat to would do more to encourage young persons to take hostelling up than extending the classroom into the hostel and excluding anyone else but the class, teacher, and assistant carers - some of whom I dare say may not have experienced what we like to do.
Perhaps the reason that people are not speaking up for YHA is because they have become unhappy with executive policies, and that letters to the executive elicit an "I know best" attitude.

[ferrit worrier]

[i]In these difficult times it would be nice if a few more CTC members had an odd overnight at a YHA hostel. It's a case of use them or lose them (i).

Malpas
What you are suggesting is exactly what want to do but find it difficult to achieve because of booking policies. I have been a member of YHA for over 25 years and have seen the network change adversely over that time. I do not see how investing in big inner city hostels is helping to get youngsters into and enjoying the countryside. In my humble opinion having the occasional tourist, walker or cyclist, in the common room to chat to would do more to encourage young persons to take hostelling up than extending the classroom into the hostel and excluding anyone else but the class, teacher, and assistant carers - some of whom I dare say may not have experienced what we like to do.
Perhaps the reason that people are not speaking up for YHA is because they have become unhappy with executive policies, and that letters to the executive elicit an "I know best" attitude.

Manybikes

That is just what I always thought the YHA was about!
Several years ago I took Rachel to Pen Y Pass for a trip up Snowdon, on the first night Rachel had been up in her dorm when she came down she seemed quite bewilderd, I enquireed if everthing was allright, she replied "Yes I've just had a conversation with a Polish girl who dosen't speak English I don't speak Polish but we've had a conversation" ( at the time there was severe flooding in Poland and this girls parents had shipped her off out of the way) a good lesson in life was learnt there. i.e. tolerance, patience, and an interest in a person in a strange country to them, They must have had a good "natter" as she was away for over an hour. On the way home a couple of days later I asked Rachel if she would go youth hosteling again again, after a few minutes she said "No, that was enough" Ok no problem, two weeks later just after tea she said "Where are we going next year" to which I replied "I thought you didn't like it" " Oh no it was brilliant, I can't get over talking to that Polish girl, but I want somewhere small " so we did, Honister Hawes, Ennerdale, and Eskdale (well I wanted somewhere posh). All that was some years ago.

I've planned a Le JoG trip using YHA, bunkhouses, and a Tavel lodge. I know my start and finnish so I have to fill in the gaps, I enjoy the varied company of the YHA, So I booked and I was told quite specificaly that it was fine. the main hostel was full, BUT the anex the "Filter House" had vacancies, so I booked 2 people for one night. that was in early January and then 7/8 weeks later I'm told It's cancelled. No sorry not impressed at all, I might have accepted it with good grace if it had been the following week. but not after this long. It leaves me thinking Ok I've booked, but, how secure is that booking.

[millimole]

Perhaps the reason that people are not speaking up for YHA is because they have become unhappy with executive policies, and that letters to the executive elicit an "I know best" attitude.

That's me - I've been a member for (maybe) 35 years - I really don't know why I continue to pay - I don't agree with the current policies, the last couple of times I've tried to do a cycle trip by hostelling (now there's an old fashioned word!) I was stymied at each turn and ended up in Travelodges - which may have been cheaper if there were two or more of us.
No - the YHA has completely lost direction.

[JACKBOBSON]

Quote
"I would suspect that they didn't actually double book by accident, especially in these days of computerised booking diaries etc. which make it very difficult to double book (it shouldn't happen even using old fashioned paper and pencil diaries either), what might have happened is that after they accepted your booking they subsequently received a large group booking enquiry and decided to boot you out, similar to what ".

I'm convinced this is exactly what has happened. Both friends and myself have had bad experiences with Oakhampton YH and now we won't use it. Unfortunately the YHA has now deviated a long way from its original ethos and should no longer be considered a charitable organisation, it is now a hard nosed business with profit its main concern. Its top executives pay themselves a fortune and seem to ignore any comments, suggestions or the needs of longstanding members like myself. So many of the really great little hostels have now been closed in favour of huge impersonal town hostels which have millions spent on them. Again probably to tap into profits from foreign travellers. It really is such a shame to see such a worthwhile organisation go down the tubes but that is exactly what's happened. I know 'health & safety' and similar issues have a lot to do with it but a large portion of the blame lays on the shoulders of these overpaid executives at the top of YHA. It's particularly annoying when you consider all of the unpaid time and effort many caring people have put into it over the years.
There you go, that my rant on that little subject.
Cheers,
Andy

[eileithyia]

I to despair of YHA. I know the world is changing but the needs and wants of solo travellers, by foot, cycle etc has not. We want some decent over night accommodation so we can complete a cycle tour in the sort of countryside we wish to visit.
We regualrly had hostel weekends through the winter months these are now impossible due to RAH, as the club to which I started cycling was far too small to fill a whole hostel for a weekend.
Also as a family i have used hostels to facilitate riding events (TTs or Audax) in other areas, this is now virtually impossible outside of the main summer months.

On the subject of interaction with other users, I well remember an incident where I was the only other female user sharing a dorm of school girls at the old Green's Norton hostel, they had a mid night feast, and were clearly being cared for by totally uninterested female staff. The male teachers were the enthusiastic ones and it showed. At some stage of the morning one of the girl's apologised for disturbing me, I said it was ok as I often did not sleep that well first night of a trip anyway, and she could've passed the sweets around. Her face lit up at the idea of an adult joining in and instead of then being insolent adolescent we started a conversation about what i was doing and what they were doing.

She may never have taken up hostelling herself, but hopefully she learnt something.

Another friend would also talk to school party members as if they were equals, asking them about their day/activities etc., it turned them into far more responsive and interesting people than usual grunts etc. from them and stopped the usual oh lord it's a school party attitude from us, it meant everyone had a pleasanter evening all round.

[meic]

In the present climate you would be accused of "grooming".