Victoriana closes its Doors

It is with great sadness that I discovered that LittleBlackDuck Lindsay, the Mayor of Victoriana, will be closing down the sims very soon. After a glitch left his account without the ability to edit objects belonging to him (which is 90% of the infrastructure of Victoriana) and LL being unwilling or unable to fix the problem, LBD has decided to stop banging his head against the wall and pack up shop.

While I've only officially had a shop there for some three weeks, I've watched the sims grow and have stood in awe of the texturing finesse LBD displayed on his buildings. From his Caledopoly creation to his Golden Harp Pub the details were always done so that they looked like real buildings.


The main station at Victoriana Square.


Victoriana Town Hall


The Golden Acorn Pub - recreated from the Golden Harp.


The Interior of one of the Victoriana Trains. Each platform had a train announcement in English, German and French. And they run on time!


Victoriana Pavilion. Modelled after the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney the same as my own considerably prim-starved version in Babbage Square.


Mountain rail cars for the unfinished Victoriana Alpine sim


Pavilion Station


Based on Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour


The Pearl - possibly the longest running bawdyhouse on the grid.


The waterfront on Victoriana Harbour.


Victoriana Carnivale


The Salty Squirrel in Victoriana Lakeside.

I know several friends who have homes in Victoriana who will be much disappointed by this turn of events. Apart from being one of the best builds in SL, a community had developed that included tinies (the slightly less manic ones), and lovers of Victorian style. Victoriana was unusual in that it was probably one of the few 19th century sims that did not have steampunk or vampires wandering the streets. Floating castles were strictly forbidden and the sims were much nicer for it.

I wish LBD all the best on whatever future endeavours he attempts and hope that he may find a way to recreate this idea in some other form.

You'll be missed sir.

A New Home

After many weeks and a large number of carts, crates and tea chests, not to mention some amazing feats of engineering, Primbroke Manor has been relocated to New Babbage.

My announcement that we were now officially based in Babbage came a surprise to a few. Some already thought I had a home base here. I supposed I've grown into the community.

The grounds will take some time to get into order but I'm happy to have a Mooring Tower again installed in the house. It's nice to have a home base.

The End of an Era

Shortly after I arrived in Second Life in 2006 I reserved a corner plot on the upcoming sim of Caledon Victoria City.

It held my first home, my first shop, a subterranean house when I expanded the shop in its second incarnation, and then tunnels linked to the sewer system when the shop hit it's third incarnation.

Sadly, like so many others, I'm finding that things need to be consolidated and I've made the reluctant decision to part with the plot.



Pearse'd & Cut is relocating to Caledon SouthEnd but I cannot help but feel sad at passing with a spot that holds many memories.

Farewell Edison.

*sighs*

The tea chests and moving crates are littered through the house. Mr. Giles and Mr. Gears and tackling the heavier stuff while Christine and Nell are wrapping ornaments and packing them into straw and boxes.



We moved to Edison in May when the realities of finance were faced and giving up the quarter sim in Rothesay was the only practical option. True we didn't move into a bedsit in Edison but it was still sad. This time however the choice has not been ours.

Edison will cease to exist and the sim itself will be reborn as another part of New Toulouse. While we have some friends there, including its owner, NT was never a sim that had any pull for me. Gators and swamps, zombies, and worst of all, NO WINTER! We were offered a spot in the forthcoming Jardin sim based on the Garden district of New Orleans. Historically this area tried very hard to break away from the French architecture and styles and move towards a more Anglicised look. It might have worked, but I felt I would be like some of the people in Caledon or Steelhead who had a house there because it was cheap, not because they had any particular affinity for the sim.

So we're currently passing notes and looking at options but New Babbage may become not just a work and social destination, but home as well. I wonder if the sootites are ready for Christine's spit, polish and elbow grease? :-)

Either gentlemen with no necks and large knuckles may start visiting people in Wheatstone to make them *offers* or there may be one or two *disappearances* in the Palisades.

Either way they will have nothing to do with me.

Economics

Every time I check the Caledon Forums it seems there's a new land ad. Unfortunately one of the more recent ones was my own. Between RL economics, the slow down of sales in SL and my own shorter time to create new product lines I finally reached the conclusion that I could not really afford the large mansion in Rothesay.


From Gordon Square


Looking up from the stream between Rothesay and the Cay


The front door. It was the legend above the door that was the final "YES!" for us in deciding to purchase this house. We had had the same inscribed over the rotunda at Davaar.


My dear Christine and I had spend time and effort decorating


Even to the point of getting custom decorators in to redo the dining room.

We've packed our cases and chests again and have shipped off to Edison. I haven't left Caledon completely. Pearse'd & Cut is still in Victoria City, but it will feel odd not living in Caledon for the first time in nearly 2.5 years.

Moving a dream

The last of the items were being taken down from the walls, the paintings slotted into their packing cases, the stuffed animals into teachests, the furniture covered in dust cloths.

"Your Grace?"

I looked up at the metallic voice of Gears, his servant's livery obscured most of his burnished copper body but his tick was almost as distinctive as my own.

"Yes Gears?"

Gears stepped forward and handed me a small packet. "These are the photographs you took after the move was announced sir."

Looking down at the envelope I sighed heavily. "Thank you Gears." He nodded a left to continue with the packing. I opened the envelope and proceeded to clip through the photos. "We certainly have improved photography with the Prokudin-Gorskii camera," I said to myself. "A vast improvement over Daguerre's work."


The main bridge from Penzance


Looking across the Harbour


Guardian unicorn


The underwater tunnels with the ballroom just behind Neptune.


Chester


Inside the tunnels


Inside the Mooring Tower


The front steps of Primbroke Manor

I smiled sadly and closed the packet again placing it in the box with the contents of my desk. Hearing soft steps coming towards me I turned to see my dear Christine. Her apron showed signs she had been organising things in the attic, as did the tell-tale wisps of escaping red hair. Kissing her gently, I said before she had a chance to say anything "No, there has been no news on the new home." Christine narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

"I didn't even ask this time," Christine replied.

Holding her close I simply said "soon."

We had hardly finished moving the boxes into the Highlands when I was advised that a substantial tract of land had become available, not in our beloved Caledon as we had hoped but in our good neighbour of Winterfell. As circumstances would happen my dear Christine had just headed abroad. Communications were limited but through telegrams and letters I managed to communicate the basics of the situation. It was an opportunity too good to pass by.

On the land was a very large manor house, which is quite a bit larger than Davaar. Christine is contemplating the gardening opportunities, while we both try to remember the layout of the new place. Once we get things sorted we'll be organising a housewarming. But do feel free to drop by in the meantime. The sailing is quite good!