Jarvis Enterprises

As a youth I had never been a member of the Youth Hostel Association (YHA), but I nevertheless enjoyed walking and the countryside.

It was in 1976 that my good friends John and Elizabeth Taylor invited me to join them, and Melanie and Ross, on an Easter walking weekend in the Bronte country, using the local Youth Hostels as our overnight stops. So rather late in life, at 48 I joined the Youth Hostel Association and stayed for our first night at one fo the earliest Youth Hotels - a Simple Grade - in a converted terrace house at Earby in Lancashire. Having travelled to our starting point by cards, and at the end of two days' walking, expecting to be over thirty miles away at the Mankinholes Youth Hostel, John and I decided to ferry one oft he cars to the finishing point. When we arrived at the Mankinholes Hostel we realised we barely had time to get back to Earby before it closed for the night, so we immediately broke on of the hostel rules by leaving John's car at the Mankinholes Hostel without informing the Warden! We probably also broke the speed limit on our return journey to Earby in my car, but made it jus t in time to be allowed in and join Elizabeth, Melanie and Ross, who were the only other hostellers that night.

Easter Saturday saw us setting off across moorland country with Haworth as our destination. We lunched in a 'bus shelter in the village of Lothesdale for protection from a slight drizzle, and then set off for a rather more demanding walk along the Pennine Way across Haworth Moor. As we climbed the mist came down and visibility was reduced to about fifty yards, and before long we missed the track and were to experience the eerie feeling of "being lost" and without a compass.

We consulted the map and decided if we were where we thought we were, if we proceeded downhill we should come to a reservoir which extended for about a mile parallel to our route. It was not an easy walk, following deep cut gullies in the peat, but eventually our strategy paid off - we came to the "beach" at the edge of the reservoir, and by following this edge we were once again able to find tracks which we recognised. Having dropped height, we had also lost some fo the mist, and continued with relative ease until we came to the outskirts of Haworth.

Haworth is a spawling town, and not having been there before we again chose a wrong route to reach the Youth Hostel - walking two sides of a triangle with considerable ups and downs before we finally arrived, exhausted, at the Grand House, in contrast to Earby. After booking in and finding a bed for the night we quickly prepared for our first youth hostel dinner. One really cannot complain in view of the price, even if the wardens are a bit bossy. After our meal we were allocated our duties, which when completed, we relaxed for the evening, chatting about the day's adventures. Conversation which someone who had come up from Mankinholes revealed that John's car had caused somewhat of a scare - a quick phone call to explain and apologize would make our arrival tomorrow, we hoped , not too formidable.

Saturday's walk was less hazardous - a clear day, mostly following a stream - in fact we lunched sitting on rocks in the stream with some adventurous spirits even paddling. A varied and scenic route taking us past the access to the famous Hardcastle Crags before we arrived in Hebden Bridge and stopped for a cuppa, and finally climbing the hills to the country site of Mankinholoes Hostel. The Warden did us fine for the evening meal - roast chicken and roast potatoes were a most welcome and enjoyable finish to a most enjoyable day, despite a mild "ticking off"!

Sunday we spent "collecting" our car from Earby and transferring to Ingleton Hostel, a nice hostel, but not as good as Mankinholes. Monday morning Melanie and Ross went off to join some from the N.W. on a walk, while John, Elizabeth and I met up with Joan Raspin and Margaret Weir and made an attempt on Ingleborough Hill.

As a result of this new experience, I decided to organise a group walking holiday myself, and arranged for a week's summer holiday in Swaledale, N.Yorks., based at the Kearton Guest House. our group numbered 10, make up of John, Elizabeth, Joan Raspin, Margaret Weir, Kathleen Archibald, Peter Doel, Denver Proud, Vincent (Peter's friend,), Roy Ginn and myself, plus dog!

That summer turned out to be the driest for many years, so we enjoyed swimming in the pools of the Swale at Keld and actually walking across the river Ure at the Aysgarth Falls. The holiday was voted a success and we decided to plan another for 1977. In the event two holidays were planned - one over the Easter period in the Yorkshire Dales using Youth Hostels, and the other a coast holiday in Pembrokeshire in the summer.

So 1977 Easter walk because the start of a series of Easter Youth Hostelling holidays, embracing a number of the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, Northumberland coast and Cheviots, North Yorkshire moors and coastal past, Anglesey, based at a large country house and finally Wye Valley, before I handed over the reigns of Jarvis Enterprises to the Stoner Associates in 1989.

The first Easter Walking holiday in 1977 mustered six hikers - Peter Doel, Peter Gault, Peter Stoner, Ross Taylor, Campbell Parker and myself. Over the subsequent years the numbers increased gradually until the group numbered approximately 20, plus 3 or 4, and the group in 1987 to Anglesey reached a peak of 28, and the final one in 1988 totalled 34 for a few days.

During this period the most adventurous would probably have walked a total of 200 miles, whilst the "taxi drivers" like May and myself did half the distance on foot, but many miles more in cars to collect the faint hearted.

This was an experience I would not have missed for the world, - great walking and varied countryside, great fellowship and fun, and the making of many new friends.

F.E. Jarvis. 12.8.97