YHAgroup.org.uk

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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It’s not exactly mass media, but the Borehamwood & Elstree Times has just published an article extolling the many virtues of YHA hostels. They make a pretty good job of pointing out the benefits of hostelling - the variety of buildings, the facilities available at today’s hostels, the fact that they welcome people of all ages.

I don’t know whether this article came from Matlock, or if some Borehamwood journalist just likes youth hostelling, but the good press is to be welcomed. Groups might find this article useful in their own publicity.

It’s just a shame they didn’t mention nearby YHA Local Groups in Barnet and St Albans…

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.

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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The furore surrounding YHA’s application for 24-hour drinks licences for 118 of its hostels has persisted into the new year. Last week stories appeared in The Guardian, The Times and on BBC News, together with a somewhat tongue-in-cheek leader in The Independent. Whilst the nationals have generally passed on message about YHA not actually wanting to set up 24-hour drinking dens, local papers have been less measured:

• Youth Hostels in Sussex given 24-hour Booze Licences
• 24-hour drinking at the last bastion of clean-living
• Hostel Licence Must be Fought

YHA have, at least, published a press release about its licensing plans. Curiously, it was issued the day after I posted my previous article on the subject on this website. I don’t think the two facts are related!

A short report in Thursday’s Guardian appears to be the first appearance in the national press of an issue that been showing up in local papers up and down the country. YHA’s application for 24-hour drink and entertainment licences for many of its hostels has made the news in…

• Alfriston
• Cambridge
• Cockermouth
• St Briavels
• Newcastle
• Saffron Walden

All have made some effort to obtain and express the YHA’s side of the story, but I suspect many readers will still be getting the wrong impression of the Association. Unfortunately, the YHA appears to operate a “good news only” policy on it’s news and press web pages - stories which aren’t 100% positive are left to third parties to explain, with whatever inaccuracies and distortions they introduce. So, in the absence of anything from Matlock, I’m going add to the ranks of those third parties (remember this is NOT an official YHA site) and give the story as I understand it, largely based on a briefing given to Central Regional Council last weekend.

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The YHA has been awarded fifth place in the Best UK Hotel category of the 2007 Observer Travel Awards (an improvement on seventh place last year). This is a tremendous achievement, especially when you consider that the other four nominees in the top five are luxury hotel chains charging three figure sums for a night’s accommodation.

The awards are made as a result of 13,500 questionnaires completed by Observer and Guardian readers who were asked to rate their holiday experiences. Clearly many of them loved their experience of the YHA, let’s hope the appearance of youth hostelling in a list dominated by five star luxury inspires other readers to give it a try.

You might no longer get a welcoming cup of tea, but if you’re after something stronger that won’t be a problem. Eastbourne Today reports that YHA has applied for a 24 hour entertainment and alcohol licence for Alfriston YH. They won’t be able to provide food after 5am though, so keep that dial-a-kebab leaflet handy.

Colin Rich, YHA’s food and beverage manager, deploys some impressive legalese to explain that YHA doesn’t really want to sell booze all night every night, but just wants to be legally in the clear for any special events that might be hosted at the hostel. At least I think that’s what he’s trying to say - whether it’s the message the the burghers of Eastbourne will get is another matter.