Happy Holidays

Sir: What happy memories your Youth Hostel Association article evoked (Summer 2016). I was sad to see Ludlow, the first hostel I stayed in, had closed.

I started visiting hostels in 1960 when I went on one of their themed holidays. It was the Welsh Marches holiday, which I did for three years running. I also did Offa’s Dyke, Hadrian’s Wall and the Cleveland Way, as well as several Rural Crafts holidays.

My happiest memory is probably Clun, a very primitive hostel with no water. One of the tasks was to collect water in a bin on wheels from the village, and if you filled it too full, you got soaked wheeling it back.

Doing chores was fun, and made us interact with other hostellers, but everyone hated doing the porridge saucepan. It often got left for the evening people!

I had at least 12 holidays with the YHA, and they are still looked upon with great affection, and I am still in touch with several friends from those happy carefree days. — ROBERTA

SEARLE, WORCESTER PARK, SURREY.