YHA Blog
We're celebrating 90 years of adventure for all. Take a look at then and now – our trip back in time offers a taste of how life has changed during YHA's history. 1930 Price of a pint of beer: Approximately 5p Take in the view: Blackpool Tower (158m/518ft) UK...
We speak to Ray Mears – TV presenter, author and Fjallraven’s bushcraft ambassador – on why now is the perfect time to be focusing on the small details of nature, and what we can learn from other cultures and their relationship with the land. How did you get your...
Lord John Bird MBE is a campaigner, social entrepreneur and life peer. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Big Issue, and a lifelong advocate of YHA. He spoke to The Journey while at a critical point in helping to push through the Ride Out Recession...
Set yourself a challenge for 2021 and tick 21 amazing adventures off your list...1. Find the county’s highest pointWherever you find yourself this year, turn it into a little treasure hunt by reaching the highest point of the county you’re in. If you’re in Cumbria,...
On our 90th anniversary, we thought it would be the perfect time to list 90 of our favourite things to do. 1. Climbing a tree 2. Baking a cake 3. Listening for woodpeckers 4. Playing an instrument 5. Learning a new language 6. Eating something you’ve cooked...
This magazine is called The Journey. We gave it that name because staying with YHA is all about discovering new places and having new experiences. But we humans aren’t the only ones to make special journeys. Here are four extraordinary animals who make incredible...
The YHA Songbook was first published in 1952, and it remains a fondly remembered part of our past. Picture the scene. It’s the 1950s, and you’ve arrived one autumn evening at a YHA hostel in the Lakes. The welcome is a warm one. The warden takes your details,...
For the past five years, our magazines have featured exclusive interviews with some truly inspirational characters. Here’s a selection of the messages they’ve shared with us.Chris Packham Presenter and naturalist“To stimulate interest in the natural environment...
Much like our hostels, the YHA magazines like the one you’re reading now have gone through various iterations over the decades. They’ve always aimed to inspire and inform. Here’s the cover of our very first magazine.“Breakfasted, Booted and ON THE MARCH” By...
This year marks our 90th anniversary as an organisation, but YHA’s story stretches back even further – and it’s seen more twists and turns than a switchback mountain trail. Here’s the full timeline of our evolution, from the first years of the 20th century to the...
The official opening of Maeshafn youth hostel on 4th July 1931. Tom Fairclough, Rev HH Symonds and Berta Gough are all present. From the beginning, YHA has always been a grassroots organisation. Its formation came about thanks to people all over the country – of...
