In 2006, the Shropshire Star reported the opening of a YHA bunkhouse in All Stretton as part of a major Youth Hostel Association investment. In reality, the project was led by Frankie and Mike Goode, who continue to welcome guests to this hostel on the Long Mynd today.
Anyone reading the Shropshire Star on 30 August 2006 could be forgiven for thinking that the YHA built the bunkhouse at All Stretton, which was opened by Pete Postlethwaite.
The article stated:
“The Youth Hostel Association announced an £18 million ‘revitalisation’ plan earlier this year, which included the closure of 32 premises. But the organisation decided to continue its investment in Shropshire with the new 10-bed centre in the heart of the county’s Batch Valley.”
However, the reality was quite different.
Frankie and Mike Goode, from Batch Valley on the Long Mynd, originally applied for planning permission to convert their barn into a holiday cottage. A local councillor asked whether they would instead consider developing a bunkhouse. Open to the idea of encouraging walkers to enjoy their beautiful valley, the couple accepted the challenge.
With support from DEFRA, but at that stage no involvement from the YHA, they began the build in Autumn 2005. As Mike Goode recalls: “We approached the YHA, who said to build the place and they would let us know once they had looked at it.”
Mike Goode also remembers the period with some trepidation: “I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life watching the barn being taken apart—‘worrying’ doesn’t begin to describe it.”
The bunkhouse was completed in 2006. Pete Postlethwaite agreed to officially open the building, thanks to requests from the local councillor and the YHA (which by then had agreed to market the bunkhouse as part of its network),
“What a nice man,” said Mike Goode. “We held an open day, asked a local business to do the catering and opened the doors to the villagers and passers by to come and have a look around. It all went very well.”
Interestingly, Pete Postlethwaite cut plaited bootlaces with a penknife to officially open the bunkhouse—an appropriate alternative to ribbon and scissors.
The bunkhouse has since proved a steady success, thanks to the careful hosting and friendly welcome provided by Frankie and Mike Goode, and the many guests sent by the YHA. It joined the Independent Hostels network in 2009, gaining further visitors and positive reviews from guests who enjoyed their stay.
This year, 2026, a new chapter has begun in the story of the All Stretton bunkhouse. Changes in YHA’s fortunes has led to the sale of more hostels, and – more significantly for Frankie and Mike -a restructuring of its affiliated hostel contract. All Stretton is one of ten affiliated hostels to leave the YHA umbrella this year, alongside others that closed during the renegotiation process.
Little has changed at All Stretton Bunkhouse. It remains open, with a busy summer ahead, and continues to take bookings through its website and the Independent Hostels network. Still owned and hosted by Mike and Frankie Goode, it offers their own brand of warm hospitality in the stunning landscape of the Batch Valley. It is hard to believe the Shropshire Star ever thought it was a YHA initiative.