There is something rather nice about having an email address that actually means something.
Most of us have spent years using addresses ending in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo or whichever provider happened to be popular when we first ventured online. They work perfectly well, of course, but they do not exactly say much about who we are or where we come from.
That is where Hitchin Mail comes in.
The new service, available at hitchin.me.uk, gives people the opportunity to create their own personal @hitchin.me.uk email address.
So instead of something generic, you could have an address such as:
or perhaps:
It is a small thing, but for anyone with a connection to Hitchin it gives an email address a little more personality.
A Local Address for a Local Town
Hitchin has always had a strong sense of identity.
From the Market Place and St Mary’s Church to the independent shops, pubs, businesses and community groups dotted around the town, Hitchin manages to feel distinctive despite being surrounded by much larger towns and cities.
An @hitchin.me.uk address feels like a digital extension of that identity.
It could appeal to people who were born in Hitchin, people who live here now, former residents who still feel connected to the town, local clubs and organisations, or independent businesses looking for an email address with a distinctly local flavour.
There is also something pleasingly old-school about having your own memorable email address rather than a long collection of numbers added because somebody else registered your name 15 years ago.
Proper Email, Not Just a Novelty Address
Hitchin Mail is not simply an email forwarding service.
Subscribers receive a proper email account with webmail access as well as support for standard IMAP and SMTP connections, meaning the account can be used with familiar email software and apps on computers, phones and tablets.
Each mailbox includes 2 GB of storage, and accounts are protected using established email security technologies including SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
The service costs £2.99 per month, with accounts automatically created following signup and payment.
For less than the price of a coffee, you can effectively have your own little piece of Hitchin on the internet.
Easy to Remember
One of the biggest advantages is simply that the addresses are memorable.
If somebody tells you their email address is:
there is a very good chance you will remember it.
That could make the service particularly useful for local traders, community organisers, clubs, societies and anyone who regularly gives out their email address.
It also avoids having your address tied permanently to an internet provider or one of the major technology companies.
A Nice Local Internet Idea
The internet has become increasingly dominated by enormous global platforms, so there is something refreshing about a service built around somewhere as specific as Hitchin.
Hitchin Mail is a simple idea, but perhaps that is exactly why it works.
It combines something genuinely useful with a bit of local pride.
And in a town with such a strong community identity, there are probably quite a few people who would rather be @hitchin.me.uk than @somewhere-else.com.
You can check whether your preferred address is still available and find out more at hitchin.me.uk.
