England
Whimsical “Sightseeing”: Users voted Hole in the Wall as the number one local attraction
The “Hole in the Wall” at Ilkeston
© Screenshot Tripadvisor
There is not much to see in the British town of Ilkeston. Nevertheless, the website Tripadvisor has an urgent sightseeing tip ready for all visitors – which, however, may surprise one or the other …
You probably haven’t heard of the English town of Ilkeston either. After all, it has around 36,000 inhabitants and is located almost in the middle of the kingdom. It’s quite idyllic there, but other than that – there isn’t much going on in Ilkeston. If you happen to be there one day, you might want to check the Tripadvisor website for places of interest, attractions, or good restaurants. That’s how it’s often done nowadays, in the digital age.
The highlights that Tripadvisor spits out for countries, cities or regions are usually based on user ratings. Depending on the popularity and good ratings from visitors, the attractions rise in the ranking. Most of the time, that makes sense: As a user, you naturally expect Niagara Falls to be a highlight, or in Great Britain sites like Stonehenge or Buckingham Palace. Only in the small town of Ilkeston has this proven system been turned on its head.
Hole in the Wall is attraction #1
It’s not the local Victoria Park, the Alpaca Experience, or a museum that tops the must-do list here – it’s a hole in the wall. The hole known as the “NatWest Hole” originally caused a stir because it is so superfluous: Whoever looks through it only sees the drab entrance of a “NatWest” bank branch.
Only children can climb through (but they certainly enjoy it). A bit unpleasant: There is an ATM right next to the hole – if you withdraw money here, you will always feel like you are being watched.
In any case, the strange hole in the desolate wall caught the imagination of the Ilkeston population. Some pranksters wrote raving reviews on Tripadvisor. The joke caught fire – and more than a hundred reviews from all over the world were added, praising the hole in the wall over the green clover.
“As far as holes go, this one is the very best. I could stare at it all day. An allusion to the fact that atoms also consist mostly of nothing. Symmetry and minimalism are combined here. I recommend it to the whole family!” writes Justyn from Nottingham.
Tripadvisor disables reviews feature
“When you see the ‘NatWest Hole’ you realize how little the English language is enough to describe it. Words really cannot express what it feels like to see the hole for the first time. The moment in you’re walking down the street and suddenly it’s there in front of you!” enthuses a user named Nick.
Tripadvisor can no longer change the – at least digital – popularity of the hole in the wall, but the rating function for this “attraction” has been switched off for the time being. Maybe a bit unfair and hasty?
Source: tripadvisor, “Indy100”