YHAgroup.org.uk

Inspired by doings up the road in Wooler and Berwick, a community group is seeking to open a youth hostel in Alnwick. The Alnwick Community Development Trust have their eyes on a Grade II listed former Social Services office for conversion into a 60-bed hostel, according to the Northumberland Gazette.

Country Life once described Alnwick as the best place to live in Britain, noting “its location between some of England’s finest open hill-country to the west, and most impressive coastline to the east”. The town is dominated by Alnwick Castle which featured as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter movies. If you have other literary tastes, the town’s also home to one of Britain’s biggest second hand bookshops.

All in all a promising place for a youth hostel. Grant applications are being considered over the next few weeks, to be followed by talks with YHA about operating the place. It could be a wizard place to stay!

Anybody who has been watching the news this weekend will be aware of the extraordinary floods that have struck Cumbria this weekend.

Whilst the greatest amount of sympathy must be reserved for those whose homes have fallen victim to the waters, hostellers will be concerned about the fate of the many well-loved hostels located around the region.

Official news from the YHA is slow in appearing, but this note has been published on the Lake District hostels page:

Severe weather and flooding has affected the Lake District. Due to the flooding the services offered at YHA Ambleside, YHA Buttermere, YHA Cockermouth, and YHA Coniston Coppermines have unfortunately been disrupted. Guests with bookings for these Youth Hostels have been contacted.

Police are asking people not to travel to some parts of the Lake District unless absolutely necessary. Please check with the police and local authorities before travelling to affected areas. YHA is really grateful to guests and members for their continuing support.

The situation is changing rapidly and guests with bookings are advised to call 01629 592700 for more information.

Of the four hostels mentioned, Buttermere and Coniston Coppermines both seem high above any likely source of flood damage. Presumably it is approach roads and suspect bridges that are the problem here.

According to a post from a staffer in the YHA forum, Ambleside’s basement has flooded, leading to a loss of power and heating in the hostel. Once the level of the lake has fallen again, it should be possible to re-open the hostel pretty swiftly.

Which just leaves Cockermouth YH. Sitting as it does on the banks of the River Cocker (it’s a converted water mill), it must have been very severely damaged in the record floods which have devastated the town. It may take a fundraising appeal similar to the one for Boscastle to get it going again.

Elsewhere in the district, the BBC have a picture of flood waters just inches from the door of Keswick YH, but the hostel remains open.

More news will be published here as I hear of it.

According to The Guardian this weekend, SYHA’s Lochranza YH, on the isle of Arran is due to reopen early next year after a half million pound makeover. New features include rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting and heating, new kitchen and shower facilities and six en suite family/group rooms (as well as five regular dorms).

Last month the Board of Trustees decided to switch a further nine hostels from compulsory bed and breakfast to normal operation, as reported in Karl’s latest blog post.

This move will be welcomed by hostellers who have special dietary needs, need to get away early in the morning, or just prefer to skip breakfast in the morning. It should also be good news for people of limited means, for whom the cost saving of not having to pay for a breakfast could be significant.

Or so you would think, but when I asked YHA Assistant Treasurer Helen Maurice-Jones whether prices would be brought down in line with a return to self catering, the best she could offer was: “We’re looking at that”. No commitment has been made to any price reduction as a result of this decision.

The removal of compulsory B&B is described as a “trial” rather than a decisive change in policy. If prices aren’t changed, it’ll just be a trial of whether YHA can squeeze an extra fiver a night out of people without delivering anything extra for the money.

Surely YHA aren’t going to turn a popular decision into a massive own goal?

The 2009 AGM of the YHA Wales Council will take place at Conwy YH, Larkhill, Sychnant Pass Road, CONWY LL32 8AJ (see map below). All members of YHA are entitled to attend, be sure to bring your membership card along if you want to vote.

The meeting will start at 2pm.

The 2009 AGM of the YHA Southern Regional Council will take place at the Broadmead Baptist Church, 1 Whippington Court, BRISTOL, BS1 3HY (see map below, the church entrance is in Broad Street). All members of YHA are entitled to attend, be sure to bring your membership card along if you want to vote.

The meeting will start at 1pm.

The 2009 AGM of the YHA Central Regional Council will take place at the West Oxford Community Centre, Botley Road, OXFORD, OX2 0BT (see map below). All members of YHA are entitled to attend, be sure to bring your membership card along if you want to vote.

Parking spaces at the community centre are apparently very limited, but there are a range of public transport options identified by the local community association.

The meeting will start at 1:30pm, but be preceded by an open forum in the morning.

Rodings Rally is an all night orienteering cum map reading competition that takes place in Epping Forest and is organised by Epping Forest Outdoor Group. Full details can be found on their website.