Old Bert's Day Off

Old Bert quickly settled into his new routine, going off to work, playing trivia and continuing to explore the metaverse. At the end of one workday (and a very jolly workday it had been since it involved testing beer!) Old Bert decided to take a peek at the Nation of Victoriana, a sim he had found while checking profiles. He enjoyed thematic sims, so he was very much looking forward to this little outing.

The Nation of Victoriana is a collection of sims created in the style of the Victorian period. It is a beautifully built place, done with great attention to detail by the owner and mayor, LittleBlackDuck Lindsay. Old Bert tp’d to Victoriana Square, the heart of the sims, arriving at the train station.

Facing the station and right in the center of the square was a large community hall. Surrounding the square were shops, galleries and a pub. After everything had rezzed Old Bert began to stroll around. As he got to the far side of the square he came across the start of a fox hunt, one of the monthly events held in the sim. It was a colourful scene; Old Bert made sure to stand off to the side so as not to be trampled as the hunt began. He happened to be next to an art gallery and since he was something of an aficionado he entered and had a look around, admiring the many fine artworks on display. Finding himself to be rather tired after his full day at work (!) Old Bert decided to return home and explore Victoriana more thoroughly another time.

On his next day off, Old Bert returned to Victoriana. Being a person drawn to the sea, he started off at Victoriana Harbour.

Next he went to Victoriana Carnivale, a great funfair. There were lots of games and rides for him to try – he played the coconut shy, tried the SLeeBall at which he scored 220, not bad for a first try, took a turn on the Big Wheel and went for a ride on the carrousel. He felt a bit dizzy after that and decided it was time to continue on, so he walked through Victoriana Forest and came to the entrance of the big maze at Victoriana Hedgemaze.

Old Bert spent quite a bit of time trying to find his way around and at the end felt a bit tired and hungry. As he emerged from the maze he noticed a pretty young woman tending the flowers next to a building, which fortuitously turned out to be a tea room.

Old Bert asked her if the tea room was open and was happy to hear that it was. He went inside and chose from the delectable array of food on display which the young woman brought to him along with a reviving cup of tea. Much fortified, Old Bert then continued on to Victoriana Square and the Pre-Raphaelite Gallery which he had visited the day he had seen the hunt.

As Old Bert approached the gallery he noticed a sign in the window saying “Help Wanted”. This gave Old Bert pause. He had enjoyed his time in the gallery and was quite familiar with the art on display. While he liked the work he was currently doing he found it to be physically tiring. Walking into the gallery Old Bert began to wonder “What if I applied for this job?”

With thanks to Boye Jervil for the pictures of Old Bert.

Hibiscus Hastings

A Weekend of Activities in the Nation of Victoriana

This past weekend was a “Victoriana” one for me. The Nation of Victoriana is an ever-expanding series of sims set in the Victorian era. The sims are owned by Mayor LittleBlackDuck Lindsay, who dedicates himself tirelessly to the creation and maintenance of the beautifully detailed region. I was first introduced to Victoriana by my friend Boye Jervil, the owner of the Pre-Raphaelite Gallery in Victoriana Square, and since then I have visited and occasionally written about the nation. This was the first time I have had the opportunity to attend any of the events.

On Friday evening, June 19, a live RL concert was streamed into many sims in Second Life, including Victoriana Square. In RL, two classical duos, the Duo Apassionato and Duo DnA, joined up and played a wide-ranging selection of music which was then made available in SL, as part of a fund raising effort for the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra. In Victoriana Square a lovely gazebo and dance floor were set up in Acorn Park, setting the stage for a very pleasant evening.

The second event took place on Saturday, June 20. This was the Ascot Ball and Annual Horse Race. The sim was packed with Victoriana residents and visitors from other Victorian themed sims, since these events were included in the mid-summer Grand Tour of Victorian sims, benefiting the Relay for Life. Many of the ladies wore black and white outfits, no doubt inspired by the famous Ascot Gavotte scene from “My Fair Lady”, while others appeared in jewel tones of blue, deep rose and burgundy, and a scattering wore paler pinks and blues, adding to the beauty of the scene. Gentlemen were formally dressed in dark colours. The Mayor stood out in his bright red jacket, in which he could easily be seen warmly welcoming everyone to the sim.

Congratulations to LittleBlackDuck Lindsay, Panacea Luminos and all the organizers of these two events.

Hibiscus Hastings