Regent's Park Christmas Tree Farm

Regent's Park, located in Mainland London, celebrates the Holiday Season with a FREE Christmas Tree for everyone! Just visit the Regent's Park Christmas Tree Farm and choose from one of 12 decorated Christmas Trees! Can't decide? No need to, these trees are FREE so you can have a different one as often as you like!

Welcome to The Regent's Park

In real life The Regent's Park covers 410 acres and includes stunning rose gardens. It is one of the Royal Parks of London and is in the north-western part of central London. It contains Regent's College and the London Zoo. The park has an outer ring road called the Outer Circle (4.3 km) and an inner ring road called the Inner Circle, which surrounds the most carefully tended section of the park, Queen Mary's Gardens.

In Mainland London we have captured the feeling of The Regent's Park and included some of its key features such as Queen Mary's Garden. Our greens keepers tell us that the roses in the garden will be tended every day and will last well into the winter months.

The New User Experience is located along the main edge of Regents Park and contains additional information new players will need in order to learn the more detailed aspects of viewer 2. This valuable information will help integrate them into the Second Life community, and Mainland London in particular.

Two new residence stand on "Park Road" and have breath-taking views of the park and canal. Each of these homes has a front and back garden as well as a front facing balcony. Privacy gates face onto the park and the foot bridge that allows access to the entire park.





We also see the return of the London Cows, life sized ornamental statues that once dotted the London landscape can now be found in Regent's Park. A representation of "The Lost Bow" statue is also present nestled amongst the lush landscape.




Shafts of light break through the autumn tress lighting the pathway to a small shopping district where select merchants and designers will be able to display their goods to our growing community.

A visit to Mainland London's Regent's Park is as close as you can get to the real thing, except you don't have to pay for the train ride! To visit The Regents Park, click here.

Mainland London: West End Construction Continues...

Mainland London: West End Construction Continues...: "The construction of London's West End continues at a rapid pace. As you can see in the photos below, the Marquise Pub has been finished, exc..."

West End Construction Begins!

We've started construction on Mainland London's WEST END! Below are a few snapshots of the work in progress.



The view from London's West End into Mainland London Soho



The view from Mainland London Soho into London's West End. At the back is the proposed pub with flats above.



Looking into London Soho



The view from one of the proposed flats above the pub.

The WEST END district of Mainland London

We have added another quarter sim right next to and joining onto SOHO and have started the initial build of WEST END district.




Appreciation to all our patrons and commercial clients for your help in making MAINLAND LONDON grow quicker than we had ever anticipated!
...
Thank you Linden Lab for the assist!

More news soon.

Zombies Invade London!

After the strange appearance of ghostly figures in London Soho, we discovered a few more strange events have taken place. A disused guillotine appeared in the square and a crypt seemed to have worked its way out of the ground.





Upon closer inspection of the crypt we discovered it was open and no body could be found inside! Around 8pm UK tonight we began to hear eerie sounds coming from the area, distant moans and the sounds of scrapping, as if something was being dragged across the ground. But with the club opening in an hour we had to put these strange events aside and concentrate on the task at hand.



Shortley after 9pm UK, bar soho had opened and we were all having a great time. The atmosphere was broken as the sounds from the crypt began to get louder and louder. Then, without warning, the first of the Zombie began to appear! We armed ourselves and sat out to defend the district against the most unholy of undead. The initial battled lasted only a few minutes, but then wave upon wave of zombies began to emerge. We fought well into the night as people partied in bar soho, only mildly disturbed by the strange phenominon.



It doesn't appear the zombies will be going away anytime soon, so arm yourself and come have a good old fashioned shoot em up!

London Soho Branded Items Now Available!

The London Soho branded items shown below hit the shelves today in our freebie store!

Originally created as limited edition items, demand for them has been so high that we have finally made them available to everyone.



The London Soho Tank Top features the Soho cherry on the front and the words "I lost my cherry in Soho" on the back.



The London Soho Shirt in black has the pink cherry on the breast and a prim collar turned up to give just the right attitude.



The London Soho shoulder pet is a sweet little cherry that rides happily on your shoulder.



The London Soho Fedora is a custom creation by Toritire Clothiers Soho District. This primmed fedora features the Regent Revuebar sign tucked neatly in the pink head band. This fedora can be worn with any hair style because it doesnt attach where your own hair does.

CLICK HERE to get your very own London Soho branded goods, free in the London Soho Underground.

London Soho Holiday Hunt Announced!

In the last few days we have been planning the first of many London Soho Hunts, our first is to celebrate the Christmas Season with the London Soho Holiday Hunt!

This hunt will bring together the designers and residents of Mainland London Soho is the spirit of the season. The hunt begins on November 7th and runs through Christmas so that everyone has a chance to take part in this first ever Soho event!

To be part of the Soho Holiday Hunt join us in Second Life by clicking HERE and then join our group, London Soho Entertainment.

We will update the blog as the hunt progresses.

Happy Holiday Hunting!

Inexplicable Happenings in Soho

Reports of inexplicable happenings, are beginning to emerge from the Mainland London Soho district in Second Life.

Each year, people flock to the area in the hopes of seeing the spectres from 1677, of Landlord Joseph Girle having an itense disagreement with shop keeper Richard Frith about an unreasonable rent increase.

This historic row took place at the top of a spiral staircase in Brewer Street, London Soho and resulted in Frith falling to his death having either sufferering from a heart attack, or from being pushed.

This macarbre scene is witnessed about every ten years and has been since it happened in 1677. It was last documented 12 years ago and is now overdue.

This blurry image of a possible apparition outside 10 Brewer Street in Mainland London Soho was sent to us by an anonymous source.



This could just be a cloud of polution. Or is it possible that Girle and Frith are getting ready to reenact this scene once again as the nation braces itself against another halloween.

Keep an eye on this area. All is not as it seems. The locals seem spooked and tight lipped. Perhaps they know more than they are willing to say.

Please continue to send your photographs. We will publish them and let the readers decide.

Mainland LONDON SOHO makes Destination Guide

Mainland London Soho has made it into the Second Life Destination guide and we couldn't be happier! You'll find us listed in the Real Life section of the guide at http://secondlife.com/destinations/real



I was suprised to see us listed after just two weeks of being open, and traffic to the district is buzzing! We've met some really great people and the response has been nothing but positive. Everyone on the team has done an amazing job and I am so so pleased to be part of this brand new budding community.



Check us out in the destination guide, and if you have a Facebook account, be sure to "like" us!

FREEBIE STORE OPENS IN SOHO

Now that the flooding is under control and all the water has cleared out, we've turned the Soho Underground Station into a freebie store and new user experience.



We were unprepaired for the number of new users roaming the mainland so to intigrate them into our community we have added a free shop and some additional information to help them in their journey through Second Life. We've chosen the best of the best free items for men and woman and we've included some nifty gadgets as well!

SOHO UNDERGROUND FLOODS!

It was another autumn morning in Soho when Tor and I arrived. As we walked closer to the Underground entrance we began to hear the rush of water. Curious we decended the steps only to find that the tube station had flooded in the night!



It's a good thing the trains are on strike as it seems it will take Thames Water several weeks to fix the broken pipe responsible for the disaster.

So until we can dry out the Soho tube station we'll just have to adjust our plans for the underground. Watch this page to see what we come up with!

Soho Underground

Construction begins on the Soho Underground Station



What ever shall we do with the underground?



Watch this page to find out!

Soho Opens!

MAINLAND LONDON'S SOHO DISTRICT OPENED TODAY!


Mainland London's first district, Soho opens today and to celebreate we're giving away this fantastic fedora, hand crafted and compliments of Toritire Clothiers Soho District! Come by the district any time today and get yours FREE!!!

Mainland London - SOHO District

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS!
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Construction of Mainland London's SOHO District began with a few basic prims. These were the building blocks from which a great district sprang. Buildings, such as Ann Summers - Madame JoJo's - and Bar Soho , have been recreated to bring life and vitality to this thriving real life area of London.

Plans are under way to represent the major roads in SOHO including Carnaby Street.

bar soho is the first venue to be constructed. It houses three individually themed areas. The ground floor is your friendly neighborhood pub. 24, on the first floor, is a thumpin' bumpin' writhin' night club. And if neither of those suit your taste The Terrace will enhance your state of calm while you sip a glass of champers. Enjoy the 360 degree panoramic views of London on the roof top terrace.


Watch this space for more pictures and updates.

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The Mayfair Cinema

Introducing London's only Cinema and Mayfair's 4th Venue, The Mayfair Cinema.

This building, based on The Piccadilly Theatre Mayfair, houses an odeon cinema dedicated to Film Noir, British Elstree Productions and Thriller Movies.

Feature Friday - Coach & Horses Pub

I wasn't the original builder on this project, I just made a few enhancements. As a venue the pub was simply too small. Originally the buildin in Sim, Mayfair to be exact, was an exact replica of the pub in real life. A bit triangular and very narrow, it didnt translate well in Second Life. The pub exterior has remained unchanged, we just made the building a little more square. It has become Mayfair top selling pub, and a popuklar hang out for residents from all walks of Second Life.




Tudor styling suggests the Coach & Horses harks back to Elizabeth I’s reign, yet the Bruton Street pub is only a few years older than our current queen, who was born only a few doors away at 17 Bruton Street. The ye olde England theme runs to wainscot panelling, dark beams, leaded glass and a quaint triangular bar.

Become a London Architect

We are looking for all levels of experienced builders who take the utmost pride in their work. Our goal, as the Architect, is to create structures that are not only true to the architectural style of London, but will stand as examples of our dedication and love for creating an art form others will long enjoy.

As most of the buildings in our Virtual London are unique, every building requires a study of the actual London building we are re-creating, and our time and effort to make sure we remain as true-to-life as possible. This requires not only fine building skills, but the ability to work well with texture creation and application as well. While there are countless off-the-shelf textures that come close, a majority of the buildings we create require custom made textures. As such, the experience of working with programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro or GIMP2 is very important for London builders.

If these are qualities you feel you possess, and you wish to become part of this unique experience, please contact Billy Arentire for more details on joining our team.

Feature Friday - Her Majesty's Theatre

This Friday's Feature is Her Majesty's Theatre.


Builder: Billy Arentire

Her Majesty's Theatre, located in Haymarket Street, Westminster in Real Life, is also located in Haymarket Street, Westminster in Second Life.

Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre. In the early decades of the 20th century, Tree produced spectacular productions of Shakespeare and other classical works, and the theatre hosted premières by major playwrights such as George Bernard Shaw, J. M. Synge, Noël Coward and J. B. Priestley. Since World War I, the wide flat stage has made the theatre suitable for large-scale musical productions, and the theatre has specialised in hosting musicals. The theatre has been home to record-setting musical theatre runs, notably the World War I sensation Chu Chin Chow] and the current production, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, which has played continuously at Her Majesty's since 1986.

Highlight - Eveshka Blackheart, London Architect

I met Eveshka for the first time, or Babs as she's know to her friends, one night at the Coach & Horses Pub in Mayfair. That was just over a year ago and it has been a pleasure to watch her blossom from a shy little creature into this amazing member of the London Team!

Because of her contributions to London, I wanted to make hers the first Highlight on my blog...so here it is!

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Q. How long have you been in Second Life?
A. Just over a year - and I missed my rezz day!

Q. What made you join?
A. I used to write games similar to SL but much simpler, that never took off. I liked the idea of absolute freedom in a virtual world. I uninstalled SL for a month or so because it didnt catch on, but then Wiccy and his friend invited me back in to a random club. We then ended up in the Coach and Horses and that's how it began.

Q. What did you do before you began building?
A. I started building pretty much on day two, with a few basic lessons from Rob Fenwitch in the sand box. I built a drum kit. I then wanted to build a piano, but realised it took many prims, so someone taught me about sculpties. I learned how sculpties worked and wrote my own software for creating piano maps. That's how I started my GHOST MUSIC business.

Q. What made you decide to build in Second Life?
A. I used to build cities and objects in my previous games but with far more difficult software. Building in-world in SL was so much easier to use, I simply couldn't resist! I also realised that lots of pianos in SL were high prim and very ugly, and thought I could do better. I originally wanted a piano for myself to perform, but ended up making them for others.

Q. What other activities do you enjoy in world?
A. I like good deep conversations more than I like dancing or partying. I like getting involved with planning and team work. I am a musician and like to play concerts on various instruments, but haven't done enough of that yet :) I also like to drive my purple car around london and cause mayhem when no-ones looking, but I think they're catching on now!

Q. Is there anything you take away from SL and apply to your everyday living?
A. I have learned far more about management and business in SL than I was ever taught in RL. I now use some of the things I've learned in my real life business of music production. Working for London has taught me the most.

And Babs final comment...
"I think you're a bit funny lookin!"

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These days we can find Eveshka working with me in Westminster. She has completed the Luciano Building and the Fox Cigars Building, both pictured above.

If you get the chance pop on over to London and meet this amazing person (and she aint a bad builder either!).

Billy...The Builder

Welcome to my blog!

I am very active in Linden Lab Second Life and have been building in this virtual world for more than a year. My current position is Architect Manager for the Original London Sims.

These Sims include the regions of:
Hyde Park, London's Orientation Island for New Residents
Mayfair, London's Premier Shopping District
Westminster, London's Newest Region (and growing quickly)
Knightsbridge, London's Original Region
Kensington, London's Showcase Region

Each of these regions has been built based on their real world counter-parts. Each building has been carefully recreated not only to reflect it's real world presence, but also as viable shops and homes in Second Life.

If your in my neck of the woods, drop by and see this wonderful Estate.