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YHA announced today that YHA Salcombe would close at the end of the 2013 season.

Unlike the other six closures announced recently, Salcombe is not being sold off to fund the ongoing capital strategy. It belongs to the National Trust and YHA merely lease the building for use as a hostel. That lease comes up for renewal early next year, and YHA have been unable to negotiate a new rent that will enable them to make a profit on the site. Consequently – and reluctantly – the decision has been taken to close the hostel.

That makes three stories on the trot that deal with hostels closing – I’ll try and find something more cheerful to report next time!

News has emerged that two SYHA youth hostels – Inveraray and Tobermory – have been put on the property market and are expected to close at the end of this season. The hostels are being sold through Savills estate agents (sale details are available here and here respectively).

What is unusual about these sales is that SYHA appears to have made no announcement themselves of the decision to close these hostels – not on their News page, not in their latest e-newsletter nor in their members’ magazine. The first time most people will have heard of it (if at all) is when the virtual “for sale” signs went up. I can only hope that they remembered to tell the hostel staff first.

This leads to the natural concern that there might be other Scottish hostels that have been quietly put on the market. In particular, Broadmeadows, which was scheduled for closure last year, only to win an uncertain reprieve a few months later. Seeking for further information, I wrote to SYHA and received this response from Marketing Manager Wendy Grindle:

The Board of SYHA Hostelling Scotland continues to review our current network and like our sister organisations in the rest of Britain and Ireland, who have a number of Youth Hostels ear-marked for closure, SYHA has had to make the difficult decision to place properties on the market. As part of the review we have listened to our customers’ comments, in our some 8000 annual feedback reviews and member surveys, in terms of what they are looking for in locations and facilities and we are working hard to exceed these expectations to ensure the future sustainability of the network. Both Tobermory and Inveraray hostels although on the market, remain fully operational this season and we are hopeful that the properties may be purchased as going concerns and remain within the SYHA network as Affiliate Hostels, as was achieved successfully last year at Kirk Yetholm. Broadmeadows remains open through 2013, however, as part of the ongoing review process we will be considering the future of all Youth Hostels. Maintaining a sustainable, fit for purpose Hostelling network in Scotland is SYHA’s highest priority and any changes to its structure will be communicated directly to SYHA members at the appropriate time.

We continue to invest in the network with Glenbrittle Youth Hostel on Skye being our latest significant refurbishment, which was re-opened two weeks ago to a busy start to the season. This follows on from other more recent substantial refurbishments at Lochranza, Oban and Torridon. We also hope to start on modernisation works at Glen Nevis in the near future. Additionally, SYHA Hostelling Scotland is endeavouring, resources permitting, to establish new Youth Hostels in Kirkwall in Orkney, Portree on Skye, Thurso in Caithness, Glentress in the Borders, Derry Lodge in the eastern Cairngorms and in Aberdeen.

Thank you for your continued interest and support for SYHA Hostelling Scotland.

She didn’t comment on the apparent lack of an announcement, so I’ve written back to query the point. I’ll let you know what response I receive.

Always a believer in cock-up over conspiracy, I’m sure the way this sale has been handled represents an accidental oversight rather than a policy of keeping members in the dark about such important news. Anybody attended the SYHA AGM in July (you still have about a month to register) might want to ask that question in person.

My thanks to regular commenter “hostelman” for bringing this story to my attention.

Last week, YHA announced their investment plans for 2013. As usual, it contained some elements that will be widely welcomed, and others that won’t. To begin with the good news, investments will be made in the following hostels:

• YHA Cambridge
• YHA Edale
• YHA Pen-y-Pass

In addition, the much-heralded refurbishment of YHA Black Sail will begin this autumn, and a host of more minor works will take place across the network. Of interest to groups will be the addition of a new property – Pinkery Bunkhouse – located on Exmoor some 11 miles west of YHA Exford. The timing of the announcement coincided with the reopening of five hostels which were refurbished over the winter: Ambleside, Canterbury, Malham, Stratford and York (you can take a “sneak peak” at the work done on the YHA website).

On the minus side of the equation, the following hostels were scheduled for closure:

• YHA Arnside
• YHA Borth
• YHA Elterwater
• YHA Golant
• YHA Gradbach
• YHA Ingleton

Each of these will remain open – at least – for the remainder of the 2013 season, and could remain open for longer if no buyer can be found. While the news will no doubt be greeted with dismay, I want to stress a couple of points:

Firstly, the money raised by the sale of these hostels will be used to invest in the rest of the network. We are not having to sell hostels in order to balance the books on YHA’s day-to-day business. The idea is to end up with a smaller, stronger network of high quality hostels, rather than a large but steadily decaying one.

Secondly, sale by the YHA doesn’t necessarily mean that the building will close as a hostel, or even leave the YHA network – as we’ve seen most recently at Scarborough. Many of the hostels sold so far have remained open, either as independents or as part of YHA’s enterprise scheme. So don’t despair if your favourite hostel is on the list above.

Press reaction to the announcement has so far been muted, perhaps due to the rather tangled wording of the YHA press release. So far a single article in the Westmorland Gazette (with a follow-up ringing the praises of ex-YHA independents) is the only media coverage the story has received. No doubt there’ll be more interest as the news begins to spread.

Having got this site up and running again, I though it was about time to upgrade it to run the latest and greatest version of WordPress, the blogging software that powers the site.

Big mistake.

The new version took against some of the plug-ins used to provide some features, with the result that the site was down for five days, and could only be got working again by disabling the old event calendar and google map functions. As a result, you’ll see old event listings showing up in the main story list. I’ve not found any other problems (yet),  but it’s early days!

I’ve found a new way of displaying events which I’m going to try for a while. Let me know if you find any other problems.

Paul Wright, my colleague on the board whose preparations I drew attention to last week, was one of the 34,278 runners to complete the London Marathon yesterday. Here’s his take on the event:

Hi Everyone,

Well the London Marathon is now over and I completed it in 4:56:03! It’s an incredible experience to have taken part and now be able to call myself a marathoner and I’m so happy I did it in less than my 5 hour target time. Although I feel I could have gone a bit faster, the heat on the day (and no training in those temperatures) meant I was a bit slower in the second half than the first but a lot of people felt the same way. Although a little sore and tired the day after and actually back at work today, I think I have come through it without any injuries which is a relief.

It’s a pretty emotional day for the runners, from a mixture of nerves and excitement in the days leading up to the race and then that feeling of just wanting to get going before the start, then settling down, getting into a stride and actually (although it’s hard to believe) enjoying the run itself. Finally the elation when you cross the finish line! Highlights on the route were coming up to the 11 mile point and seeing the sea of green of the YHA supporters outside Thameside hostel, crossing Tower Bridge and the final few miles down Embankment where complete strangers are shouting your name and willing you to keep going to the finish line. The crowd is amazing all the way round the course and it really helps at times when you need that extra boost of motivation to continue.

At around this time last year when I said that I wanted to run the London Marathon for the YHA, I hadn’t done any running previously and never run more than a mile before so to get to this stage when I have run for 26.2 miles is unbelievable. It’s definitely changed my life from the weight loss throughout the year having now lost 28kg (or four and half stone) in the end and just generally feeling much fitter now. I’m planning to keep the running going, but probably more 10k and half-marathon distances for the moment and perhaps a marathon again in a few years’ time.

Plus I’ve now raised over £1850 for the Breaks for Kids fund which is great news! The sponsorship page is still available if you still want to make a donation.

Finally thank you for all your support, encouragement and donations over the past year and to all those that were thinking of me, keeping track of me round the course or standing on side of the course cheering me on – I have really appreciated it and couldn’t of done it without you.

Thanks,
Paul

Congratulations to Paul, and to the other runners who ran to raise money for Breaks for Kids yesterday – and for so many other good causes too.

The Express took some time out from worrying about Britain’s weather to give a plug to youth hostelling last month. A visit to YHA Wilderhope Manor left their reporter enthusing about “hostelling reinvented for a new era“, noting the absence of chores and the upgraded accommodation. Great stuff – anything to get the news out about the joys of youth hostelling – but I worry that they may just be setting their readers’ expectations a little high:

The Cadbury Suite has a four-poster bed and a roll-top bath and is situated at the top of the magnificent Elizabethan spiral staircase

As well as Wilderhope; Back Sail, Stratford, Penzance, St Briavels Castle and Port Eynon get favourable mentions in the piece.

It’s six years since I first reported on the hostel taking shape at Itford Farm, a few miles south of Lewes. The hostel’s name has changed twice since then, and that’s been the least of the upheavals in a very bumpy development process. As recently as 2011, the Board was considering whether to walk away from the project altogether. Maybe one day the whole torrid tale can be told, but today I’m going to jump straight to the happy ending.

YHA South Downs has opened its doors to paying guests.

The media have already had the chance to look around, with coverage in the Sussex Express and on BBC News. Simon Calder, writing in The Independent, was fulsome in his praise, describing it as “the most impressive hostel to open in England so far this century“. He goes on to write in glowing terms of both the hostel and the surrounding area, even suggesting a suitable local walk:

For the best of country and city, take the South Downs Way across the Ouse to the lovely village of Southease. Admire the 1,000-year-old church, cross the main road and head uphill, passing the splendidly named Cricketing Bottom – the valley to the right.

You dip down to Telscombe, and pass its own youth hostel, but then climb again on a road that dwindles to a track. Follow it to the English Channel – just before you reach the cliffs, the A259 intervenes, with buses every few minutes into Brighton.

I said we’d reached the happy ending of this hostel’s story, but actually we haven’t. There are further farm buildings on the site that can be developed into more accommodation, as well as room for camping and (maybe) pods. There’s a lot of scope for further development on this site over the coming years, with the intention of creating a southern version of Losehill Hall – offering a wide range of outdoor activities to the children of London and the south east.

Paul Wright, my colleague on the Board of Trustees, Chairman of Southern Regional Council and stalwart of Ipswich Outdoor Group, will be running in this year’s London Marathon to raise money for Breaks for Kids. With just a few days to go until the big day he writes with news of his progress:

Hi Everyone,

After 42 hours of training in 2013, running 245 miles (roughly the distance between our two latest openings at York and South Downs) through snow, wind, rain and the occasional bit of sunshine during one of the coldest winters, the bulk of my training for this year’s London Marathon is now complete! My longest run was 20 miles over the Easter weekend in the Lake District and with now just under a fortnight left to go, my training is gradually decreasing to help recover my strength for the 26.2 miles on the 21st April.

Thank you for all those that have sponsored me and offered support and encouragement during my training phase. The fantastic news is that I have now broken through my initial sponsorship goal and have currently raised almost £1600 (or almost £1900 with gift aid) for the Breaks for Kids fund and it is still increasing!

It has been a tough few months training and I’m now at that stage where the end is in sight and feel excitement and anticipation for the day itself and getting to the finish line. I know I will see some of you on the Marathon weekend itself, but will let you all know how I get on once it is complete!

Many thanks,

Paul

If you want to support Paul and his worthy cause, visit his fundraising page.

News from the intrepid hostellers of West Yorkshire…

TRAC, the Yorkshire outdoor and walking group celebrates its silver jubilee in 2013. Starting life in Wakefield 25 years ago the group now has members in many areas from Huddersfield in the West to Goole in the East.

To celebrate this significant milestone the group has a monthly programme of short walks (5-7 miles) over familiar routes used during the last 25 years. The programme got under way with a walk along the Calder Valley (West Yorkshire) in January, at Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire in February and Farnley Tyas (near Huddersfield) in March.

After Easter we’ll be walking near Cannon Hall Farm on April 21, Bolton Abbey on 19th of May and at Newmillerdam on 15th June. This programme of nostalgic walks is part of the usual TRAC programme of weekly events, longer walks and weekends away as we live up to our promise to be “The Group That Doesn’t Just Walk.”

In September we are planning a celebratory ceilidh and reunion for members who have moved away from the area, more details will be posted on the website nearer the time.

Members new and old are always welcome at any event and it would be lovely to catch up with some of the past members at some point during our Silver Jubilee year, share some great memories and make a few new ones.

You can find out more by consulting the TRAC website or by visiting their Facebook page.

Back in 2010, YHA Scarborough was one of the first eight hostels scheduled to close in pursuit of the capital strategy. However, the hostel has remained open every year since then as YHA have struggled to find somebody willing to buy the hostel at an acceptable price.

Finally, after three years of trying, a buyer has been found – and they’re going to keep it running as a youth hostel. According to a report in the Scarborough News last week, former teachers Elise Armitage and Rob Fletcher are to buy the hostel and operate it under YHA’s enterprise scheme.

The new owners will take control on 3rd June, when one of their first challenges will be to get it ready to act as the venue for their own wedding later the same month. Clearly they’re people that like to be kept busy! You can follow the progress of the new venture on their website or their twitter feed.

I wish Elise and Rob all the best, both in their new business and their marriage.