The YHA and the Cappuccino crowd

Having recently stayed at the Capel y ffin Youth Hostel in the Black Mountains of Wales, on a 'Lads Camp' walking weekend, I have to reflect on the changing nature of even the most philanthropic of our institutions.

This particular YH is the oldest in Wales and consists of several small stone buildings of various low ceilinged, head- smashing propensity and took us all back to rustic YH visits of our childhood and youth. It is cute and cosy and provides the only affordable, heated indoor shelter in the heart of this rugged area.

But it is about to close. The YHA lost a lot of money during the Foot and Mouth Crisis a few years ago and its ultimate, and undeniably modern, response is to close around 30 of the older, less frequented, in need of investment, hostels around the country. This is a sad reflection of modern life, the sacred cow of profit and the demise of those institutions which were set up to achieve a more altruistic, social good that the market could (or would) not provide.

The city hostels are receiving investment as they tempt the younger crowd of backpackers and party -people who wish to dance and drink. There is nothing wrong with this in itself, but the facilities in the countryside will suffer as a result. Capel YH was £11 a night and well worth it. Cardiff YH has an offer on of £13 a night, which includes breakfast. I haven't been to Cardiff YH, but I reckon its a much more modern set-up.

Shouldn't the YHA use the urban hostels, which can reasonably charge more than those in remote areas, to help subsidise the upkeep of the less profitable, but no less necessary, facilities?

Once these buildings are gone, they are gone for good, that should not be doubted, but for the sake of modernity and coolness, the YHA feels it needs to enter the 21st Century. Sadly, the work of the 19th and 20th centuries is not finished yet, and more young people than ever are detached from their rural heritage. Giving them a coffee machine and proximity to a nightclub will not alter that. (God , I sound old!)

The YHA seems to have forgotten its original charitable aim of providing access for 'all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside.....'