chris French wrote:
>
> In message <[email protected]>, JohnB <[email protected]> writes
> >vernon levy wrote:
> >>
> >> >
> >> > You say that people who drive to YHs annoy you. I was reading
> >> > somewhere (C+ ?) that the YHA used to forbid arriving by car.
> >>
> >> It's probably quite difficult to get from one hostel to another within a day
> >> in some parts of the country now that many of them have been closed in the
> >> YHA's rationalisation programme.
> >
> >They seem to want to cater for those looking for 'cheap' accommodation
> >in the cities on the 'Do Britain in 7 Days' Tourist Trail'.
>
> Hmm, most hostels are still either country or small town ones. I would
> expect that the big city hostels are significant money earners for the
> YHA, if that helps keep the rest of the network open then all well and
> good.
When I started using YHs, about 25 years ago, there were many small
hostels within easy reach of me for a weekend cycle ride.
Now they are few and far between.
Gone are Norleywood, Cranborne, Overton, Marnhull, Whitwell (IOW)
Goodings, Inglesham, Henley, Duntisbourne, Charlbury, Lee Gate and
Milford. Southampton and Windsor, larger town hostels, also closed.
Additions are far and few between. Ridgeway opened several years back as
did Totland (IOW), Lulworth and more recently Portland. Two large town
YHs opened - Bristol (sometimes described as a prison barracks) and the
new replacement Oxford hostel from £20 per night.
I may have missed one or two but that makes quite a deficit and mainly
from the smaller rural and small town ones.
One very welcome initiative has been the leasing out of the YHA branding
name to small private owners and one opened near me this year at the
Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm, a great place where for just £10.60 you
stay on the farm and have 'free' entry to the attraction too.
But that's about it.
Given some of the decisions on closures made by the YHA in the last 25
years, I am very sceptical that the intention is for the larger hostels
to support the smaller ones. I foresee the YHA ending up only running
large backpacker city hostels plus outdoor centres catering for the
group market, while smaller ones are provided by private owners using
the YHA name.
John B