CYHA Fifty Years

Chelmsford YHA Fifty Years Ago

2006 marks the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the original Chelmsford YHA Group. We're starting to build an archive of photos showing some of the people and places over the last fifty years. To celebrate, we held a reunion weekend at Ivinghoe Hostel on 23rd September 2006 for current and past members to get together. See some pictures of the weekend.

The original Chelmsford YHA Local Group was formed in 1956. The inaugural meeting was held at the Public Library and a programme of Sunday walks was started. The first walk was along the river bank to Maldon. The top floor of the Labour Party H.Q. in London Road was used as a clubroom for weekly meetings. Activities included folk singing, jazz, archaeology, rock climbing and hectic party going, as well as walking and hostelling of course. The local hostels were visited regularly, with longer trips to Wales, The Lake District, Yorkshire and along the Thames Valley. Many happy weekends were spent at the local hostels, Bradwell-on-Sea, Maldon, Nazeing and High Roding, all long since closed.

In the early sixties many members married or moved away from Chelmsford, and the group faded away for a while. But the group was re-started in January 1968, meeting at the Chelmer Cycling Club hut in Waterhouse Lane, and has been active continuously since then.

See some Photos by Mike Sach from the 1950s

If you've been a member at any time in the past and would like to contribute any information about the history of the group or photos for our archive, please get in touch.

See a selection of photos from 1956 to 2006.