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Whatever happened to Youth Hostels? asks an article in monday’s Times. One of their reporters has visited the new London Central hostel and found, instead of the drafty dormitories and cold showers that she appears to have expected, something more suitable for the 21st century:

While YHA hasn’t abandoned it’s principles of dorm bedrooms, bunk beds, a kitchen, and long tables for communal dining; it’s the internet cafe and bar that’s now the hub of the hostel, not the stove and the kitchen sink.

Bright furniture, bold artwork, big screens playing music videos and a vast back-lit map of the Underground decorate the walls of the open-plan reception and cafe.

I’m sure there are readers of this site who will blanch at the thought of music videos blasting away full time, but this is supposed to be a youth organisation, and I don’t think it’s inappropriate in this type of hostel. I wouldn’t expect to see such things in a countryside hostel (not great for our carbon footprint, is it?) .

It’s only a short article, but more postive press for the Association can’t be bad. Anybody here stayed at London Central?

Saffron Walden YH is the oldest inhabited building in the picturesque Essex town, but also (apparently) its most haunted one. Just what form this haunting might take is unclear, but hostellers have been offered the chance to find out.

According to a story in the Saffron Walden Reporter, an outfit called London Paranormal will be investigating spooky goings on at the hostel, and inviting members of the public to join them - provided they can materialise a fee of £59 each!

The succession of horrific news stories from Jersey have been giving YHA’s name some unwanted exposure in recent weeks, so it’s good to see some more positive associations. A double review of Whitby and Hartington has appeared in the Daily Telegraph, assessing the hostels’ potential for family holidays.

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Coldingham Sands YH, one of the seven earmaked for closure by the SYHA last year, could be saved if the local community have their way. According to a report in the Berwickshire News, the sale of the hostel has been suspended whilst local people attempt a buy-out under Community Right to Buy legislation. Residents have 21 days to convince Scottish ministers of their case.

If given the go-ahead, they’ll then have about six months to fully develop their business case and raise the necessary funding. Either way, the hostel will be closed for the 2008 season.

Leading the new community company is Ged Hearn, who already has big plans:

The hostel is already heavily used in summer and we know that with careful adaptation its use can be extended throughout the year […] The plan is to run it as a hostel and we hope to affiliate to the YHA and advertise with them.

Mr Hearn doesn’t have to look far across the border for inspiration. Both Wooler and Greenhead are thriving under private ownership after having been written off by the YHA. Let’s see if Coldingham can follow suit.

Up at Black Sail YH, the current hostel managers are putting together a history of the hostel and a list of its previous wardens. If you’re a former staff member, volunteer or visitor to the hostel able to contribute names, dates, photos or other information, they’d like to hear from you at blacksailmanager@yha.org.uk

Meanwhile, at the other end of the country, the new owners of what was once Steps Bridge YH (now known as Blytheswood) have a similar request:

Hello,

We are the new owners of Blytheswood and are interested in finding out more about its history. We are keen to contact anyone who knows it, visited it or lived there as warden or volunteer. It would be fanatastic to see any old photos, hear stories etc.

Thanks

Tracey and Patrick,

PS: We intend to carry on running it as a hostel after a little upgrading.

Send any info you have to blytheswood@blueyonder.co.uk (I’m sure many will be pleased to hear they’re keeping it as a hostel).

I think it’s a good thing that hostels are looking to their history. An appreciation of times past, perhaps illustrated with some well presented wall displays, can add to the character of a hostel. If room can be found amongst the wooden moose heads that is…

Independent hostelling website Hostelworld announced the winners of their annual “Hoscar” awards in a ceremony held in Dublin last week. Based on the votes of visitors to their site, these awards pick out the best of the more than 15,000 hostels that they list.

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As part of the £13.5 million plans announced last week, YHA have appointed design consultancy Blacksheep to develop “interior concepts” for up to 37 of it properties, according to a report in Design Week.

These concepts will be based around five themes: city, coastal, country, activities and heritage. In addition, finished designs will need to push the YHA brand whilst reflecting the individual character of each property. No simple task then!

We looked at part of the YHA’s mission statement,’ says Blacksheep senior designer Kylie Holton, ‘and have drawn out four things that we will apply – integrity, inclusivity, a useful element and a sense of value. There are different ways we can go about these things. There must be longevity in the design, with a natural look which can be reflected in the graphics. County schemes will be featured, such as moose heads made out of timber. We are looking towards a kind of “budget chic”.

Tempting though it is to snigger about wooden moose heads, I think that it’s good to see YHA investing in the design of its hostels - maybe it will tackle issues like the lack of ambience The Guardian found at National Forest last month. I just hope they don’t allow form to override function, members’ kitchens and drying rooms may not be chic but they’re vital to what hostelling is about.

YHA announced today a £13.5 million spending plan for hostels across the country.

Work is already nearing completion on improvements to eleven hostels, including Manchester, St Pancras and Pwll Deri, whilst next month will see the opening of a new £4.3 million hostel in central London. Brand new hostels are scheduled to open next year in Eastbourne and Lewes.

A wide range of improvements will be made to hostels across the country:

Major schemes approved include a £2million revamp at YHA Ilam in the Peak District, £1million at YHA Bristol and almost another £1million to be spent at YHA Pen y Pass, in Snowdonia.

There will be £820,000 spent at YHA Penzance, in Cornwall, nearly £730,000 at YHA Conwy, in north Wales and £600,000 at YHA Ambleside in the Lake District.

YHA St David’s, in South Wales, YHA Grinton, in North Yorkshire, YHA Treyarnon Bay, in Cornwall, YHA Windermere, in the Lake District and YHA Exeter, in Devon, will each benefit from improvement projects costing around £½ million.

While schemes in excess of £250,000 are scheduled for YHA Arundel, in Sussex, YHA Coalport, in Shropshire, YHA Coverack, in Cornwall, YHA Haworth, in West Yorkshire, YHA Port Eynon, in South Wales, YHA Salcombe, in Devon and YHA St Briavel’s Castle, in Gloucesterhire.

A total of 37 building improvement schemes have been approved for this year, with a further 77 to follow over the next two years.

The announcement does include some bad news too: the hostels at Bangor, Great Yarmouth and Slimbridge will close at the end of the year.

Coming pretty much on the second anniversary of the announcement of the closure of 39 hostels, it’s nice to be able to report (mostly) good news coming from Matlock this time!

A new youth hostel has opened in the welsh town of Abergavenny. According to the South Wales Argus it’s the first YHA hostel to open in Gwent. If true, that’s a most surprising fact - given the (former) county encompasses the eastern edge of the Brecons and the lower reaches of the Wye valley. Surely there used to be a hostel in Chepstow?

Maybe they mean it’s the first affiliated hostel, rather than a fully in-house YHA one. The hostel’s been hosting school parties for thirty years under the name of the Mulberry House Environmental Studies Centre. A deal with the YHA has made it available to the rest of us.

First in the county or not, Abergavenny’s a great place for a hostel. Good road and rail links make it relatively easy to get to, and the town is surrounded with mountains and other things to do. The opening of this hostel also goes some way to make up for the closing of nearby (but next county!) Capel-y-Ffin last year.

You can find out more about Abergavenny YH on the YHA’s hostel page or from the Mulberry House website.

Taking a welcome break from the licensing saga, The Guardian published a lengthy review of National Forest YH in Saturday’s travel section. The reporter, who visited the hostel with her teenage children, makes some interesting points about the experience.

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