INGLETON Youth Hostel reopened at the weekend after five months of work to give the building a complete overhaul.

The youth hostel, housed in what was the village Conservative Club, now has new dormitories, with new bedding and carpets and half with en-suite facilities.

The building was internally gutted and rebuilt and now offers a members' kitchen, games room, larger lounge, nicer dining room and better equipment.

The main kitchen has been improved, as has the office.

Mike Tracey manages Ingleton Youth Hostel, and he is delighted with the new look.

He told the Herald: "Everything has been improved. It is an old building and has been added to over the years. In the 45 years it has been a youth hostel it has had minor improvements. Now it has had a huge shock into the 20th century."

The Youth Hostel Association has invested £200,000 in the improvements, and, after a good 1997, Mike is now hoping to build the business up over the next few years.

Mike, who enjoys outdoor pursuits, has been at Ingleton for two years. Before that he ran the Dentdale hostel, after working in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey.

He is married to Sarah, a radiographer at Lancaster Royal Infirmary.

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