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Well 2009 is almost finished. We are holding only one AGM this year and I hope to see most of you keen supporters attending at the Western Pub in Western Road. Some folks will be going early to enjoy the catering at 7.00 p.m. prior to the business proper which commences at 8.00 p.m. There is no need to book a place just turn up, as it is a pub that does regular catering.

I note that last year I made comments about there being only a few day walks but there have been some this year the most noticeable being a training walk in readiness for the weeklong series of day walks along St Cuthbert’s Way. This epic was enjoyed by all those who could get time off from work starting from Melrose SYHA Hostel and finishing in a B & B next to the A1 back in England. This was the second time this year that the group had walked to or from Scotland. The first time was from a small self-catering bunkhouse in Northumbria. The Ministry of Defence was spending the taxpayers money training our troops for combat next to Barrowburn hostel when we stayed there. Getting to the place was daunting for some as a bridge was under repair, which caused long diversions. Each vehicle took a different route or so it seemed when the drivers compared notes. I as a driver was thwarted in crossing the ranges from the A68 by one hour as the army was shooting at any moving thing and had been doing so for an hour before I arrived and rang for permission to go along the normally open road. The manoeuvres were to last for several days.

The St Cuthbert’s Walk was an excellent piece of organised logistics four drivers ferrying cars and members from the finish or to the start of each day’s trek. The last day was across the sands, far safer than the tarmac road, to Holy Island itself, some managing to do so in boots whilst the majority chose to subject their toes to the custard consistency ooze on parts of the crossing. Dave Self and I left before the completion celebrations to travel to York YHA for the AGM. Local YHA Groups still have a right to send five delegates to the YHA AGM from the local groups conference. Next year this conference will be held at Milton Keynes hostel in late March, probably the 20th, but the date has to be confirmed. Your Chairman is writing a constitution for this occasion now that the changes to the YHA constitution are settled to member’s satisfaction.

I cannot comment on other weekends as I did not attend but there were the usual trips to Tanner’s Hatch. It remains to be seen what changes will take place now that Sarah the previous long-term manager has left. It was a sad occasion following our last visit as an extra day added to the Puttenham barn weekend. Dave Self and I did have the opportunity to thank Sarah for making our group visits enjoyable and also to wish her well in the future. If you have not been before then I recommend you take the earliest opportunity to join Dave on one the next few planned visits.

There will be a return trip to Puttenham camping barn next year during the late May bank holiday to visit the beer festival at the local pub, called the “Good Intent”, a former16th century coaching inn.

Well now to the more immediate future. I again am organizing the Christmas weekend to Kington in response to the members who last year wanted a repeat visit. Things are slightly different in as much as the Olde Tavern has changed hands and no longer does food on a regular basis so I have booked the meal in the nearest pub towards the town centre from the hostel known as the Angel Inn. The food quality and the beer quality are excellent.

I hope to see you at the AGM to express your views and air your grievances this being the only time of the year for ordinary members to so do.

It doesn’t seem so long ago since I last penned a report. In fact it was only April this year. The latest copy of “YHA Life” has on the back page a headline “YHA Groups – A great way to hostel” Well we all know that fact that is why we are all members of Leicester YHA Local Group, but it is again recognised by the management at Matlock. I did speak to Caroline White to let her know that at Coalport hostel there was no Groups affiliation poster. I was representing YHA Hostelling and Local Groups at the YHA AGM, my name badge stating this at the time of speaking to her.  All hostels had been sent the latest 2008 Affiliation groups poster earlier during this year. Crewenna Dymond had done her bit, but had sadly been let down by the hostel management.

Recently I was at Coverack Hostel for three nights, and lo and behold, on a notice board were all three styles of local groups poster. The 2001 version with the long list of names, so I took the opportunity to amend Phil Humphrey’s phone number at the top of the second column. The green triangle one, designed by me and Sarah White on the corner of her desk in Matlock office three or so years ago and the present one (2008) in burgundy with happy smiling faces of youngsters enjoying hostelling.

Well this group of ours is going well although some wish for more day walks. But August was the wettest on record and I am not aware of anyone in the group with the capacity to walk on water. It is therefore unreasonable to expect any member to come forward with offers to lead evening or weekend day walks with the weather outlook promising such awful underfoot conditions.

A book “The Spirit of YHA” has recently been published and is reviewed in YHA Life’. I have seen a copy and can recommend it to anyone interested in the early days of damp beds and rope ladder fire escapes, when it was essential to arrive under ones own steam by cycle or foot. The cost is £20.00 the proceeds from the sales going to support the small hostels fund. This is a fund for small hostels and not a small fund for any hostel. Lindsey Porter, one of the co-authors will ensure the funds are not diverted to other YHA needs. It is hardback, 192 pages long and profusely illustrated with hostels and hostellers, most of whom appear to aged between twenty and thirty. The YHA mission statement has remained unchanged over all the years.

There is talk of exciting weekends for next year with city hostels being considered for January. We have to get through this year first. Last Christmas weekend was an exciting happy time with some very surprised members awarded some lasting mementos. What will this year have in store? Well for one thing there will be no self-catering on Saturday night but a trip the local hostelry where the meal is already booked. Health and safety is always present. With this in mind the local hospital is between the hostel and the pub. The pub is the Olde Tavern. It features in the 2009 edition of the Good Beer Guide. The description states

Part of Kington’s history – this award-winner is one for the connoisseur. A small, unspoilt two-room time warp. It has a small public bar full of fascinating curios, including the 1920 refurbishment plans that never came to fruition. At the rear is the diminutive Jake’s Bistro, serving exceptional value English cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients. The opening hours are given as 6.30 – 1.00 am on Fridays, and 6,00 – 1.00 Saturdays.

This was the Chairman’s choice.

I trust that you will attempt to find time to attend the second AGM this year. There will be a meal before the formal business. Hope to see you there. There will only one AGM next year. Should you wish to volunteer to help to run the group all future meetings will be held in the Western pub in an upstairs room.

I write this report at a time when most of us are planning future hostelling trips. It appears all wrong to me to be doing this in April on Grand National Day. This type of exercise should be carried out at the end of the year as the days shorten, not when British Airways can process your travel bags at a rate of 12,000 per hour and lose them in a huge warehouse in the name of progress. They celebrated this achievement.

Last year was one of celebration for the group. The group founded in 1937 had a birthday. Black Sail was a wet walk but enjoyable all the same. John led the Brecon weekend in warm weather. I arranged a weeklong walk in the Hebrides only to find that the accommodation had been cancelled unbeknown to myself. An anxious thirty minutes in Glasgow hostel at the reception desk worked out bed nights to fit in with the booked ferry sailings. The first walk was without a map in gale force winds and horizontal rain.

Slaidburn weekend was another wet one. I took along a red and yellow parasol that was very handy to keep off the heavy rain even though I very nearly did a Mary Poppins flight on a few occasions. I camped under it in the thunderstorm. Well it did have built in lightning conductor and I wore rubber-soled boots.

In August we had a birthday party at Kings hostel, which was also of the same age. This was truly a group event as everyone buckled down in order to make the occasion a memorable one. The party was held outside in the dark by a bonfire. The chairman was seen brandishing a knife and also cake in kitchen roll, as excellent confection baked by Rob. This was after the walk up and down Cader Idris.

A week was spent in one hostel in the Lake District. The view from the walkway to Keswick hostel was one of flooding. The river below was over the banks.

The Christmas weekend was spent in that 600-year-old former maltings. I never did find out the reason why there is no Bank of Wales. Alcohol flowed during the meal following which there were two surprise awards. One to Sarah for managing the oversight of all the catering requirements, of a bouquet of flowers. The second to Dave our trustworthy Hon. Treasurer for long service, of a pewter pint tankard with malt whisky to accompany, organised in secret by Mick. Stella is one knows her alcohol and folks’ needs.

In warm weather earlier this year, a pleasant time walking was experienced at Holbrook farm in Edale.

All in all an excellent year’s activities although day walks were few and very far between.

A mass exodus, well at least half the members of Leicester Local YHA Group set off going west into the setting sun on a Friday evening. Wales is noted for its high rainfall. The weather forecast indicated that there was to be a sunny weekend with little wind but what there was would be from the cold north. One of the vehicles was carrying the kitchen sink well not really a sink but a circular washing up bowl, a nice red plastic one with a raised pattern around the side. It is known that some members pack all their wardrobe just in case it turns out to be cold; or very hot, or wet, or very wet or windy and wet. These folks are really in their element when the weekend is hot and wet, windy and cold. It is possible a first for the group to take such an item as a washing up bowl. Concern was expressed after eleven o’clock that one of our cars was missing. Kings hostel is situated in a river valley and has such has no mobile signal reception. Mick arrived at half past midnight to be greeted by Boh who directed the passengers to their respective rooms except that Stella found the dorm full and a torchlight viewing of the other girls dorm found a empty bed. One o’clock lights out.

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A very few stalwart group members supported the first weekend in 2007. This time of year the weather can be cold and frosty, wet and windy with snow flurries, grey skies overhead, and early darkness. Bearing this in mind the January weekend is usually a city break. This year Bristol YH was the destination.

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