Geo domains - where does it stop?

crabfoot · Sep 22, 2009

So I was looking for something local this week, and came across hilderthorpe .co.uk in passing.

There is a place called Bridlington, which is historically about a mile from the coast (the "old town" where the abbey was), and Bridlington Quay, which is anything north of the harbour. Anything south of the harbour is Hilderthorpe, but since the "three cottages and alehouse" were demolished to make way for hotels and residential stuff in time immoral, it is a non-existent entity. Hilderthorpe has not existed as a separate place from Bridlington for well over a hundred years, it has no centre or identity, and many of the locals are unaware that it exists as an area (frankly, many of the locals do not know that Burlington is actually another name for Bridlington, although both names are historically used, and correct).

Hilderthorpe is not a separate community. It has nothing to offer as a name. People living there don't even use it as a "postal distinction", they put "Bloggs Street, Bridlington" as their address. No pub, no shops, the local church (a modern building) does not refer to "Hilderthorpe", nothing there but houses and hotels, which only refer to themselves as "south shore" (= no dog muck on the beach if you're visiting).

Somebody regged it, somebody bought it. Why?

rob · Sep 22, 2009

crabfoot said:
Somebody regged it, somebody bought it. Why?

Not the specific case mentioned, but I have seen several 'micro-geo' place names regged which are frankly home to just a goat and a snail.

I put it down to 'geo' names being 'trendy' at the moment, with people trying to catch up via fresh reg's. It is easy to create lists of places with aid of internet tools and thus instant registration of bizzare places!

Without local or some knowledge its hard to know if a placename is viable for a site / sale or not.

Give it a year or two and it would not suprise me if they pop up on droplists

devolution · Sep 22, 2009

Sometimes the yocals will refer to a nonexistant place for years... And the businesses will still carry the name on... Eg:

Hiderthorpe Cycles; Bridlingtons Electric Bikes Specialist, Yorkshire's Giant Meastro & Commencal Stockists, Bridlingtons 1st choice For Bike Hire :: Hilderthorpe Cycles
Hilderthorpe Infants School : Home

Sometimes a developer will reg in the hope of selling to one of those businesses, or they might not have done enough research!

crabfoot · Sep 22, 2009

No derogation intended, but Hilderthorpe cycles is in Hilderthorpe Road, Bridlington, which is not actually in Hilderthorpe - the road is in Bridlington Quay, the shop is a stone's throw from the harbour, the original location of Hilderthorpe is over half a mile distant, to the south. There are some shops and pubs close to the centre which could be described as "in" Hilderthorpe - but they are equally describable as "in" Bridlington Quay, which is the better description, because that is what they actually use.

The school is probably the only establishment properly using the name geographically. The locals do not refer to Hilderthorpe as a place. As I said before, they talk about the south shore.

Hilderthorpe no longer exists. It is a location that disappeared. Buildings extended out of Bridlington town until they covered the original Hilderthorpe, which had fallen into rack and rooney long before they were built.

As Rob said, there are lots of microlocations that people sieze upon to buy.

An example = March Up - three cottages and a couple of farms between Addingham and Silsden in West Yorkshire. Absolutely nothing there but a nasty east wind. Register it - it is on the map - then offer it for sale to the proprietors of hilderthorpe .co.uk - they might buy it.

devolution · Sep 22, 2009

I'm a big history buff, so I'm always interested in old/abandoned towns/villages etc.
It does appear that it is on maps still (here's a page with some brief info + a Google map): HILDERTHORPE; Information about the Community of Hilderthorpe in East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Often all that remains of a town is it's name in a road. The road perhaps being a few hundred years old or more....

golddiggerguy · Sep 22, 2009

I made the same mistake, I regged loads of geo domains for a city called "Hull" or "Kingston Upon Hull" a place at the end of the A63/M62

namealot · Sep 22, 2009

golddiggerguy said:
I made the same mistake, I regged loads of geo domains for a city called "Hull" or "Kingston Upon Hull" a place at the end of the A63/M62

They could be useful one day I’ve heard that they are getting a phone up there…. They just have to stop the locals burning down the telegraph poles in winter

crabfoot · Sep 22, 2009

errr ... bad example, Hull was the first place in GB to have a telephone system, predates the GPO telephones ... that's why all the phone boxes are white, not red ... it's run by a two-bit outfit called Kingston Communications plc, maybe you heard of them ...

golddiggerguy · Sep 22, 2009

Kingston Communications plc yeah just a bit. Not keen on the grasp they have on the businesses and people of Hull as the only BB and telephone provider (excluding VoIP) but wouldn't say they are a two-bit outfit.

But yeah bad example

Hull is actually Booooming right now loads been built and happening so isn't that grim really people.

suzi · Sep 22, 2009

Ummm... is it just me - or was namealot being ironic?

crabfoot · Sep 22, 2009

Yup - so was I, but the "two-bit" comment really refers to the thin wires used in KC telephone systems - unsuitable for broadband, unlike BT lines.

KC have everyone over a barrel - you want broadband in Hull, the easy solution is to take up KC cable for everything, TV, telephone and broadband.

snooze · Sep 22, 2009

Hull is a lovely place in the summer months - They have been doing some regeneration lately, but it will be some time before you can cash in those names Golddiggerguy - like gold is today-

.

Yes, there is a rush on for geo at the moment I bought three the other day; yet to start development on them though - all good intentions and no time.