Any trip to Scotland from Essex is going to be a long way, but I must admit that our trip by train in June was actually quite a nice way to do it. Good company, plenty of snacks and a book to read- plus, of course, very pleasing views out …

Our Early May Bank Holiday was spent in the small town of Bwlch in the Brecon Beacons, or Bannau Brycheiniog as we should call them now.

There’s not much in Bwlch these days except for a traditional pub and a rather splendid bunkhouse. Naturally we were staying in the …

Through the middle of the Lake District there is a Roman road, which once linked Ambleside Roman fort with Brougham fort near Penrith. It ran for about 20 km over the high fells with the highest point at 828m, named High Street after the road it sits on. Some bits …

It was a lonely spot. A rustic cottage deep in the woods, distant from the hum of civilisation. Just the wind in the trees and the screech of an owl, and the darkness pressing against the windows. The whole building had a pervasive chill, as if dying, only to be …

Our February trip took us to the Jarman centre in Newmarket. The building is located in a lovely patch of woodland just to the southeast of the town. At the time of our visit, it was carpeted with snowdrops. Owned by the Girl Guides, the building is named after Alice …

The day dawned cloudy, but all things considered quite pleasant at around 5° C, the tops surrounding Castleton well clear of cloud with a north-westerly light to moderate wind. After breakfast I went to the car park and the sight of the hills to the north beckoned. I changed to …

"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote Thanne longen folke to goon pilgrimages......" (Geoffrey Chaucer, prologue to CT)

Over 600 years later, it was November rather than April, but the urge to travel to far places in CYHA has never been …

Our early October trip was to the magnificent Ravenstor hostel, between Bakewell and Buxton. As usual Friday night saw us all homing in on the hostel, some via pubs, some to eat at the hostel, George via a traffic jam on the A14.

For our Saturday walk, we decided to …

Our August trip was a visit to the hills of Snowdonia, or Eryri as it is in Welsh. It’s always a bit risky going to the mountains for August Bank Holiday and for us it was no different – unless you were Lynn. By some miracle wherever Lynn was the …

It was July and it promised to be a sunny weekend. Jim had booked a bunkhouse on the Norfolk coast at Burnham Deepdale and we arrived just as the Olympic opening ceremony was taking place in a rather damp Paris. Our warm-up for the weekend was sitting in front of …