Journey of the Hosteller

Swaledale, viewed from a path along the south side of the valley. There has been entirely too much gallivanting about in the South of late. Time for a little grounded Yorkshire reality, just in time for Christmas, in the unparalleled, unpretentious beauty of the Yorkshire Dales. In April 2023, the time was right for a more local ramble. The weather was not in my favour, but neither wind nor rain (nor indeed heat, nor gloom of night) could stay me from my appointed rounds, as I might refer to my walks were I so inclined. Accordingly, I laced up my boots and set off to YHA Grinton Lodge. The journey there required a stop at the historic town of Richmond, which is the one with a castle atop an impressive cliff, lest you confuse it with the area of London of the same name. From Richmond, the little number 30 bus took me to the almost equally little village of Grinton, from which the hostel is a short walk up the hill. The view down the hill on the road between the hostel and the village. T...

Hear ye! Hear ye! Due to work-related responsibilities there may not be any posts on here for a few weeks. Stay rambling, Matt

  The view over Treyarnon Bay, 30 paces from the door of the hostel. It’s a Cornwall double feature! With a week in between! Wow! Just when you thought the season of spooks was over, art - by which I mean this blog - imitates life as I talk about a second Cornwall jaunt but a simple year after my stay in YHA Coverack. What a chilling parallel! OK, enough frippery. The summer of 2023 was less overwhelmingly hot than that of 2022, and my trip to YHA Treyarnon Bay in September 2023 was met with weather more familiar to the Cornwall-bound holiday-maker. YHA Treyarnon Bay was likewise more familiar ground to me, having spent very happy holidays both in Padstow to the east and in Mawgan Porth to the south. The hostel itself is right on the coast, overlooking the beach and the breakers. I had begun my hateful gentrification transformation at this point and was staying in a landpod, a decision for which, again, I remain unremittingly unrepentant. It was perfect. Wine Cove, as viewed from t...

The magnificent view between Coverack and Kennack Sands along the South West Coast Path. The nights are drawing in, the frosts are clawing ever closer, the leaves are vacating the trees. Old Man Winter walks among us, and by God he’s feeling ornery. Time, I think, for some sun and sand. Join me in my fantastical imaginarium! Leave behind the chill of encroaching winter for the heady summer of 2022. In the UK, this was a scorcher, with a record temperature of 40.3°C reached in July*. In August 2022, I had the yen, as I often do, to go down to the sea again. John Masefield and I are of one mind on this one. In heeding that wild, clear call, there is one destination that for me rises above all others: Cornwall. I have spent many of the happiest moments of my life on the Cornish coast. From babe, to boy, to man, it has been a source of constant joy. Although my childhood stomping ground was the north coast of Cornwall, around Padstow, I felt sure that the south coast was its equal. So it ...

Bruno Catalano's 'Khadine', with the Thames and SIS building in the background. “Two hostels?” I hear you say. “‘Tis not enough to fill a hotpot, nor to feed a growing lad! Shame  and fie on thee! But two hostels indeed.” To which I say yes, my friend of archaic vernacular, but there is a theme here. The hostels I have chosen for this hotpot are of the urban variety and, like all city eating, your portions are less, though your prices be matched. I am not, by nature, an urban animal, but I enjoy a trip into town as much as the next country mouse (precisely the opposite of the moral of that story, but I digress). The city, or the town, has many charms that the countryside can’t match, not least in terms of cultural enrichment. The Houses of Parliament. London, the richest plum of all for this, is replete with museums and galleries, exhibitions and landmarks. A cursory google will reveal more information and advice on tourist attractions than I could ever hope to impart. I wi...

The path through Biggin Dale. Join me, O Reader, for a Cautionary Tale. A day of rain, and darkness, and yea, much lamentation. Much wickedness was visited upon me, and it was largely my fault. But before launching into this yarn of almost Biblical woe, there are a few loose threads(!) to be gathered. Firstly, I should mention that I am usually a very well-prepared traveller. I carry plenty of water and other provisions, I look at my route beforehand, and I take suitable hiking gear. This was (quite literally) a dark day for me, but my consolation is that I was never in any real danger, and was able to learn from my mistakes. It almost goes without saying, but just to hammer home the fundamentals: Wear suitable (waterproof) clothing and boots. Carry enough provisions. If hiking solo, let at least one other person know where you are going. Carry a phone and a battery pack . Eagle-eyed readers may have picked up on a subtle hint as to my error most grave. Allow me to set the scene. In De...

  A section of moody coastline near YHA Manorbier. The Mists of Time part and lo! There! A recent memory! In June 2024 I took advantage of one of the many YHA member discounts offered throughout the year - these are available only on select hostels, of course, lest excitement threaten to overwhelm you, Reader. Discount secured, I hoved down to Wales, like an infinitely less warlike Edward Longshanks. I had previously spent a few happy holidays in beautiful Snowdonia, but had sadly neglected to enjoy the many charms of the Pembrokeshire coast in the south of Wales. So it was that I settled on YHA Manorbier, nestled on the south coast but a short drive from Pembroke. My girlfriend and I were booked into a 'landpod', which is basically a small cabin - very much glamping. A few years ago I would have scoffed at the idea of such luxury, but now that I've sampled the good life, I find it difficult to contemplate camping in anything so humdrum as a tent .  Church Door Cove Step ou...