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About Duncan Simpson

Duncan M Simpson writes about the history, people and ideas behind youth hostels. He has published two books "Open to All - how youth hostels changed the world" and "Richard Schirrmann - the man who invented youth hostels".

Today hostels cover the world. You can find them in cities, in the countryside and beside the sea, on every continent of the world. Official and unofficial, hostels, backpackers, bunkhouses, call them what you will, they’ve conquered the world. In the UK the history of independent hostels starts with the YHA but quickly sees the independent sector grow into the network we have today.

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A short history of independent hostels