1. But some staff and YHA members fear that the proposals could lead to characterless hostels which fall short of the original mission to introduce young people to the countryside.

2. Country life÷ How it all began Richard Schirrman, a teacher in Germany, founded the world‘s first hostel in 1'0' The YHA was set up in 1'30, making this its 75th anniversary year – celebrated with a photo exhibition of hostel life by Paul Whittering at Gallery 1885, London It has more than 310,000 members, who make a total of 2m overnight stays each year in England and Wales; separate organisations exist for Scotland and Ireland Members can also stay abroad at International Youth Hostel Association hostels÷ there are more than 4,500 in 60 countries The charitable company has 1,200 employees, and 2,000 volunteer workers It is campaigning to raise funds to rebuild the YHA hostel in Boscastle, north Cornwall, destroyed in last year‘s flood Source÷ YHA website

3. Mr Clarke said÷ "Our main concern now is that the YHA becomes more secure financially, and to do that it needs to adapt to a changing environment in the way people spend their leisure time and what they expect from the accommodation we offer.

4. Such traces are now gossamer–thin; the YHA is planning to close some of its most historic and evocative hostels – isolated Capel–y–Ffin with its arts and crafts connections, Earby with its socialist links to Katherine Glasier, and Keld, a vital hub at the junction of the Coast–to–Coast Walk and the Pennine Way.

5. Good for them, and there is little point providing beds which nobody wants to sleep in; but older generations could do worse than drop hints about really wild places, beyond honeypots like the Lake District (where hostels are well–used and not threatened by closure). Or revisit them to enjoy the more relaxed regime of today‘s YHA.