YHAgroup.org.uk

Since this is a day for looking back, I’ve fed the recent output of this site into a nifty tool called Wordle to produce a graphic representation of its content. I think it looks kinda cool (click on the image for a bigger version):

By way of contrast, here’s what it produces for Karl’s YHA Blog:

Wordle will build a graphic for any block of text, or any website with an RSS feed. It’s great fun, but be warned – you can spend hours playing with it!

Here’s to plenty more interesting words in 2009, Happy new year!

Here’s the latest rumour to emerge from Matlock: YHA are considering returning to the Simple – Standard – Superior – Special classification scheme for hostels last used in 1988.

The 21st century marketing term for this is “segmentation”, but the purpose is the same: helping hostellers know what to expect at any particular hostel. Is it a plush place full of private rooms and en-suite facilities, or a cottage with toilets and showers at the bottom of the garden? Since the  YHA network includes both extremes and everything in between, it makes sense to have some way to identify which is which.

Plans to reintroduce frizzy perms, acid-washed jeans and Bros have been denied…

The “Crunch Buster” sale started in December is to continue into the new year. There are 35 hostels where you can stay for £12 a night, and a further 33 where the overnight price is just £8!

Of course, the scheme is beset by YHA marketing’s beloved “from” prices, so you’ll need to stay midweek to take advantage of the lowest rates. Still, even at weekends the prices are pretty low. So why not take the opportunity to blow out some post-Christmas cobwebs? Just remember to stay safe out there.

An important milestone has been reached in the Berwick Preservation Trust‘s efforts to convert the Dewar’s Lane Granary building into an arts centre and youth hostel. Sufficient funds have now been collected to begin the construction phase of the project – a process expected to take two years.

According to a report in the Berwick Advertiser, YHA’s involvement has been critical:

A key element in the project’s credibility has been the relationship developed between the trust and Youth Hostel Association (YHA).

Trust vice-chairman, Ian Douglas, who is chairman of the project team, explained:

“We’ve negotiated a deal whereby the YHA take a long lease on the granary and this effectively underwrites its long-term future as a sustainable operation. So it’s not a case of restoration for restoration’s sake, but rather the creation of a viable commercial entity on the back of the preservation of a valuable piece of Berwick’s heritage.”

So, groups who like to work out their events programme well in advance should pencil in a trip to Berwick YH some time in 2011…

Some exciting new features have been added to the YHA web site today, adding some much needed interactivity with its members to an otherwise one-way channel of communication.

Firstly, Karl Sheperdson’s Diary of a Trustee has morphed into the YHA Blog, and it’s a proper blog too! Unlike some previous efforts this is the real thing, complete with RSS feeds and comments enabled. All Karl’s trustee posts have been ported across, but there’s no new content just yet. Keep your eyes peeled for new posts and (who knows) maybe some other authors too.

But that’s not all. Not only can members post comments on the subjects Karl wants to talk about, they can also raise their own issues on the new YHA discussion forum. It’s early days, and there’s only a handful of cheerleading topics under discussion so far, but this is a breath of fresh air. I hope to see plenty of people posting what they love about YHA, but also where they’re falling short. Some robust and open discussion of the issues facing the Association could be a good way to reconnect with their members.

Elsewhere the accommodation pages have been given an overhaul. There’s a new look to the maps, but I can’t say anything more about them because they don’t work on my PC. Why don’t they just use Google Maps like everyone else? Also, when you view a particular hostel’s page, that hostel is pre-selected in the “Find Accommodation” section on the right hand side. Previously, once you’d found the page of the hostel you wanted, you had to find it again in the drop-down lists before you could book it. It’s good to see that mistake corrected.

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening… At this time of year many of us yearn to be out walking in a winter wonderland, instead of trudging round the shops listening to naff Christmas songs. But how can we stop a snowy day out in the hills ending with a less than festive call to mountain rescue?

Outdoor news site Grough has a lengthy article detailing how to stay safe this winter, covering everything from how to plan and pace your route to what kind of crampons to wear. They even extoll the virtues of a regular communal faff! It’s well worth a look if you’re heading for the hills over the next few months.

Local communities are still struggling to save Kyleakin and Coldingham hostels, but another of the hostels marked for closure by SYHA last year appears to be thriving.

The former Loch Lochy YH is now operating independently as The Great Glen Hostel, having been refurbished to include such 21st century essentials as free wifi internet access alongside the usual hostel facilities. Prices are on a par with the nearest SYHA alternatives, though discounts for under-18s are less generous (not that SYHA always have one!).

All in all, if you’re planning on doing the Great Glen Way, or just heading for that part of the highlands, it looks well worth considering.

What is it about the Western Lakes hostels and the environment? Over the last couple of years we’ve reported on a number of green initiatives in that part of the world, most recently an eco-boiler at Eskdale and exciting plans for Black Sail.

Now Eskdale are in the news again. According to the Green Building Press, they’ve been installing new insulation in their loft that’s made from sheep’s wool instead of the usual, but less planet-friendly fibreglass.

Thermafleece insulation is made by Penrith company Second Nature, and can be bought from specialist stockists all over the country if you fancy doing something similar in your own loft.

Following on from their Christmas promotion , the Court Hill Centre (formerly known as The Ridgeway Youth Hostel) has another offer for the new year:

The Court Hill Centre would like to offer all affiliated groups a winter warming offer of overnights for just £10 during February and March, and just £12 in April (and yes Easter is included!).

There must be at least 5 in your group but otherwise no strings.

Two years have passed since the publication of the last YHA handbook, so you might be expecting to see a new one hitting your doormat amidst all the other Christmas post. Well, you’re going to be disappointed as YHA have decided not to issue a new guide, at least not yet, as they deem it too expensive.

Hostellers will have to make do with the website (due for an overhaul in the near future) or with old copies of the book. That’ll be no change for many seasoned members, who use old handbooks for bits of information dropped in more recent editions – such as maps to help you find each hostel.

It has not yet been decided whether to permanently abandon paper in favour of electronic publication. It would be a brave decision. The internet is a marvellous thing, but it’s a lot less convenient to shove into a rucksack, pannier or glove compartment.

Does a paper hostel guide have to be a glossy, full-colour, perfect bound behemoth? Scotland get by with a 36-page booklet (pictured left), some countries just issue a road map with the hostels marked on it and with their addresses on the back. Admittedly, YHA has a big network to publicise, but could this be a way forward?

Just this week, an email was sent to this website asking:

Is there a book which lists all the youth hostels in the UK, so that I know where to go when I get to town?

Setting aside the issue of the UK being covered by three HI associations, is that really a ridiculous thing to ask for?