Mayfair Revives a Four Century Old Tradition

In Mayfair this Bank Holiday weekend:

Join us this weekend in MAYFAIR to celebrate the spring. Enjoy the may poles and fun fair which will start arriving Friday in Park Lane.

Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today (from 1686 until it was banned in that location in 1764). Until 1686, the May Fair was held in Haymarket, and after 1764, it moved to Fair Field in Bow because the well-to-do residents of the area felt the fair 'lowered the tone' of the neighbourhood.

Click HERE for a tp to the May Fair. Enjoy your stay in London!

Information from: Torric Rodas

Lingerie Night a Hit at Three Bells

Manager Rosie Haroldson and hostess Samanda Renfold held a lingerie night at The Three Bells Thursday, April 29 for a knock out crowd.

Sporting a retro feel with fantastic chims and dance poles too, The Three Bells is one of London's newest and hottest places to party. And the party is heating up this coming Saturday on May 1st with their Grand Opening Bash. There will be Lindens on the board and spewing out the sploder... be sure to be there!

Regular business hours open at 1pm slt (9pm UK). Click HERE for a tp to the venue!

Scottish Night at the Coach & Horses

Wednesday was a night for tartans and bagpipes, as manager Wiccy Shackleton hosted a Best in Scottish theme party. Scottish music filled the air and the chat was lively as the manager gave away 500L to the pubster with the best look.


The voice chat is always a welcome change of pace when you enter the pub, as this blogster is used the hubbub and bustle of London music clubs. The relaxed atmosphere encourages the "speak easy" chatting that goes on here.


Click HERE for a tp to the pub! It opens at 12pm SL time (8pm UK) for drinks and a chat!

Pictured above: Manager Wiccy Shackleton gets his bagpipes on.

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Jami's rezzday!

Yesterday it was our friend, greeter and London blog writer Jami Titaniums rezzday so
it called for a party! Happy rezzday again Jami! =))

London Tour Series: Kensington

Yes... I've finally managed to get another post of my London Sims Tour series up and running... and this time it's Kensington up for grabs!

This beautiful sim is modeled after the Real Life Kensington with a variety of buildings, shops, and landmarks for your viewing pleasure. If you are from the UK, you'll recognize the streets and sites. If you are a tourist, now is your chance to visit one of London's finest places.

London Homes in Kensington

Looking for a cosy flat? Your first place or a second home in a friendly neighborhood? One of Kensington's London Homes may just be your answer! These homes are 795L a month less than Linden Homes. 117 prims for $1725 per month and that includes security, music changer, and free retexturing of the inside of your home. Want to share your home with a partner, friend, or alt? No problem! They can be added to the rez group. Click HERE for a tp now!

The Kensington Building

Planning a wedding? A concert? A birthday or Rezz-day party? This fabulous building is perfect for your extravagant events. The inside is graced with gorgeous pillars and marble floors and plenty of space for dancing or guests. Rentable for 1,000L for 1,000 prim for one day, it's an excellent choice for high end decorations and will hold lots of excited well wishers for your event. Click HERE for a tp to check it out!

The Daily Mail and General Trust

Circulating more than 2.1 million copies, the Daily Mail is one of the UK's largest and most trusted Associated Newspaper groups. And this century-old paper is represented in Second Life's Kensington Sim. Surrounded by fine shops, and housing rentable office space for your SL business, the DMGT is the epitome of SL building craftsmanship and class. Fine granite, indoor waterfalls, and luxury windows add to the spacious feel. Contact Rob Fenwitch to rent office space, conduct your conference or training session, or hold a class here. It's an ideal setting! Click HERE for a tp to take a look!

St. Mary Abbot's Church and The Kensington War Memorial

Light filters through the stained glass windows to shimmer on the wooden pews in a pious setting where you can find peace to meditate and pray. Ideal for small weddings or personal reflection, St. Mary Abbot's Church is a bit of history come to life. Designed in by architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 19th century, the church was built in 1872. It is interesting to note, that Isaac Newton visited this church and worshipped here, as well as anti-slave campaigner William Wilberforce and of course, Diana, Princess of Wales. Your visit to the Kensington Sim is not complete without a peek at this lovely building. Click HERE for a tp.

The Greyhound Pub

Known in real life for its friendly service, beer, and following of football and Six Nations rugby, this pub exists in Second Life Kensington too. Managed by isobel Byron and Gold Cazalet, the pub has a cozy atmosphere that welcomes the newcomer as well as the regular Londoner. The little stage is perfect for small performances, and the dance balls that grace the floor are top notch. Don't forget to have your dance partner touch the truth ball before you go! You might be surprised what you learn! So stop by... drinks are on the house! Click HERE now!

Next Steps: What to do After you Understand SL Basics

So I logged in... I even read the boards... I spent 2 minutes zooming around shouting "I can flyyyyyyy!" What do I do next???

Objectives:
The first thing to say about Second Life is that it isn't a game in the traditional sense. It doesn't have any set objectives that you have to meet to level up. Each person entering does so for their own reasons and the objectives are your to set.

Etiquette:
The first thing to remember is that although it's a virtual world with what appear to be "cartoon people" there are real people behind them -- and the same rules of manners and behavior exist. Always think about whether or not you would behave a certain way in real life before doing it in-world:

• Don't stand too close to people you are talking to.
   It just makes them feel uncomfortable.

• Read profiles before sending an IM.
   This gives so much information -- and may even request no IMs.

• If you don't receive a reply from someone, don't assume that's negative.
  You don't know what else they are doing. They may not even speak the same language.

• Don't send people unannounced teleport requests.

• Don't quiz people on their real life information.
   Does this really matter when getting to know someone on a virtual world?
   If it comes up later and you are interested, great! If not, let it go.

Appearance:
All new avatars into Second Life are supplied with sets of avatars you can use, however, most people choose to look outside their library folders -- and in your first weeks here this is where the Freebie shops can help you. You can get everything from skins, shapes and hair to clothing and shoes and then mix it all up to create your unique look. When you are ready to move onto spending some precious Lindens there are any number of shops to help you achieve whatever look you are after -- from Gothic to Neko or Furry.

Money:
The currency in Second Life is Linden dollars. You will find ways to get small amounts in your first weeks from money trees or by entering club contests. You can also choose to buy them through the Lindex exchange, or use some of the handy DX Exchange terminals. As you get older, you can always explore the SL job market!

Jobs:
Many jobs are available within SL, but generally employers like you to be at least 30 days old. It also helps if your avatar is well put together, as this will demonstrate your experience. Just as in real life, earnings will be according to skills. If you just want a basic job for a few Lindens, maybe club hosting or dancing is for you. Or you could look into building or scripting classes. Generally you will earn enough to spend. Only expect to make big bucks if you invest major time and effort into creating saleable products and invest money into marketing and selling these.

Housing:
Once you buy or earn those Lindens, you might want to invest the in renting your own private space. You can get anything from houses to skyboxes or even a castle if your budget stretches that far. Most tenancies are on a weekly basis and include certain allowances for furniture. Renting a house can be a nice way of getting into a community and meeting fellow residents -- ultimately gaining you friends.

Relationships:
Most people entering SL are doing so to form some kind of relationship -- whether it be as friends or partners. The best way to make friends is to hang around groups of people and join in their conversation. Get to know people in the same way you would in real life. don't badger people with unsolicited friend requests -- this generally annoys them. You should expect it to take a little while to get people on your contacts list -- but then you will find these people stay friends with you all the way through your SL.

Fun:
This is by far the best thing about SL -- so many ways to have fun! From clubbing to horse riding or even bungee jumping off Big Ben! Search is your friend here -- and if you find a club or sim you like -- join their group. You will get notices of events happening and there may even be an active group chat so you can get to know others that have the same interest as you.

Role Play:
Do you love Star Trek? Are you a pirate or fairy at heart? A fan of the Gorean Novels? You can "live" it in Second Life! This is in area were you will have to do a fair amount of research and preparation before jumping in. Most role play sims have specific rules and expectations. Many will provide information notecards and freebies on how to get started and some even provide classes for newcomers to help them acclimate themselves to the new "world" or RP. It is important to note that this is an area where online safety can be a concern. Most RP communities have strict online safety standards and they should be read and adhered to.

The moral of the story is -- your Second Life is what you choose it to be and what you make it.
So, get out there and enjoy it!

by Evie Falconer
edited by Jami Titanium

Reducing Lag and Crashes on Laptops with V2.0

Are you a consistent crasher? Love the 2.0 Viewer but hate the lag on your laptop? There is help!


This was specifically written for laptops running Windows software on the 2.0 viewer, but many of the techniques can be used for other viewers or Mac's.

Keep in mind that everything you do to reduce lag or crashes will affect your Second Life experience. Try things out. If they don't work for you, or diminish your experience, don't do them. Lag happens and cannot be totally avoided, however, it can be reduced.


Before you start, make sure your Advanced Menu is open by typing CNTL-ALT-DELETE, if you see two graphs on the CPU Usage History under the Performance tab, you have a dual core processor.


There are a few things you can do to help:


If you have a dual core processor, you have two choices to reduce the lag.

• Every time you start Second Life, use the CNTL-ALT-DELETE and go to Processes, find the SecondLife.exe file, right click, set affinity and select 1 or 0.



• Go to the Advance Menu and select Run Multiple Threads. (Personally this does not help me, but give it a try as it's an easier one time fix.)

One of the easiest fixes is to adjust your graphics settings. Go to: Me/Preferences/Graphics. Open the advanced menu and slide everything to the left. Personally, I leave my Max particle count at 256 and my Avatars just a bit more to the right.


Changing your bandwidth, cache size and clearing your cache now and then will help as well. Go to: Me/Preferences/Setup. Try different settings in the maximum bandwidth until you find one that is comfortable for you. I like a maximum bandwidth of 500 kbps and a cache size of 1024. You can clear your cache by clicking on the reset button and it will clear the next time you log. If things are not rendering quickly enough, the first thing I do is try upping my maximum bandwidth for a while.


If the lag is really bad there are some temporary fixes you can try. These settings will, in some cases, dramatically affect your viewing. Go to: Advanced/Rendering Types. You can click off any of these and it will reduce lag. I see almost no difference if i click off ground and clouds. The rest will definitely change your view. You can also go to: Advanced/Rendering Features. If you turn off the Foot shadows and Fog, you will see little difference in your view, but a slight difference in your performance.


The cost of running scripts is high and causes problems, especially in areas that are already laggy. Try to remove as many scripted items as possible. You can always remove re-size scripts as follows (you will also find that this makes your ability to teleport easier and smoother):

1. Make a copy of the item. I create a new folder within the item folder and call it Scripted Boots for example.



2. Wear the original pair and re-size them as you require them.



3. Click the item and choose All Prims... then choose delete. This will permanently remove the script and make it unable to re-size them. Should you ever need to, simply revert back to the scripted copies and repeat.

Last, but hardly least, is your personal rendering cost and constant updates. The more stuff you have on, the slower you will run. All of your clothes, Huds, AOs, Hair, etc. create lag. Obviously, we all want to look good and have certain information at our fingertips. You start out with a render cost of around 525 to 600. There are avatars running around out there with render costs as high as 18,000. To see your render cost go to: Advanced/Performance Tools/Show Avatar Rendering Cost. If your avatar is in red (most are) you might want to try taking off things you don't need. Yellow is good and green is excellent but usually not attainable after a few shopping trips. To check and see how much the server is updating objects you go to: Develop/Show Info/Show updates to Objects. Green = good/no lag, Blue = okay/medium lag, red = bad/heavy lag. Try and remove some of your items (titlers are notorious lag makers) and see if it improves.

If you have any additional tips or suggestions, please pass them on to any London Staff Member.


by Evie Falconer and Ciaran Fanbridge
edited by Jami Titanium

Great Places to Visit in Virtually Linked London (Hyde Park)

Virtually Linked London is a diverse and beautiful place with many sites to explore. This series of Virtual Tour posts will be a work in progess as I add pictures with slurls to different areas. Please feel free to drop me a notecard if you have a favorite area you would like to see featured!

♫ Hyde Park

The Gateway

Are you just starting out in Second Life? Have a question that you just can't solve? Come to the Gateway where our friendly London Greeters and personalized service make the transition into SL and the new user experience a postive one. With great information boards and a personal touch, this is the way to start your SL adventure. Click for a TP!

The Dell and 7 Seas Fishing

Looking for a relaxing afternoon chatting with friends over a cup of coffee? Want to cast a line into the Serpantine? Look no further! The Dell Cafe is the place to be! Check it out HERE!

The Sandbox

Have a package you need to rezz? Want to practice building? Come to Hyde Park's Sandbox! Please remember to build only in The Sandbox, clean up when you are finished and follow all PG rules. Auto-Return is set to 60 minutes. We do have on staff Sandbox advisers to guide you should you need assistance. Click here for a TP. Have fun!

The Birth of London in Second Life

Debs Regent wend to school in St. Albans, England and there she met her best friend Fiona. London in Second Life exists from a blessed reunion between these two best friends after twenty long years apart.

Debs and her childhood best friend, known in Second Life as Fiona May, initially reconnected through Friends Reunited. Strangely enough, they found their pasts to be very similar and had both held high level jobs in marketing for large IT organizations.

In the real world, they met in Knightsbridge, London. After lots of hugs, reminiscing and reconnection, they went for a meal at the restaurant in Harvey Nichols on Sloane Street to celebrate their reunion.

At this time, Debs lived in Portugal. The reason Debs was in London was to be with her husband who was in London to have a life-saving operation. After his operation, life was beginning to look better for them both.

Before she met Debs, Fiona was a leading light in the virtual world of Second Life. Over dinner, with their gaiety at meeting again and this enthusiasm Fionoa had for Second Life, Fiona infected Debs with her own passion for SL.

Debs decided to see what all the fuss was about and so opened her own account as "Debs Regent." She started life in the region then known as "Ahern." A place famous for greifers and all kinds of oddities, but she persevered and her friend teleported her out of there.

Debs spent months looking around and discovering SL and realised that, although it had a Dublin, it had no London. She was shocked at this and spoke to Fiona about recreating the location for the wonderful event of their reunion. Fiona agreed and they decided to do this project together.

Debs bought the sim and named it Knightsbridge. Unfortunately, at this time, Fiona became so busy at work that she didn't have time to develop Knightsbridge with Debs, so Debs had to decide whether to do it herself or let the whole thing drop. She decided to carry on.

After learning how to build basic buildings, Debs was joined by an avatar called Joe Fabre. Her friend Kiwispud Sakai also helped her by laying the road down and making London's first pub.

Pictured above: First prim rezzed in the London sims.

The sim started to take shape and Ligeia Westwick was approached to manage the building process there. She took that position for a while and built several of the houses and shops in Knightsbridge. Soon after, Gustavus Hapmouche joined as a new resident. He began in London as a rookie builder and learned his skills while creating some of the buildings in Knightsbridge, such as Harvey Nichols and the Underground building. He also created the first Underground Club -- an 80's themed truly "underground" groovy place. This became very popular as Taleisin Silverstar took over as club manager and also Underground Radio manager. Knightsbridge became talked about and attracted the attention of the BBC.

Pictured above: The Underground Club as it opened in Knightsbridge.

This is how the birth of London in Second Life came about.

by Debs Regent
edited by Jami Titanium

A night on fire!

Wow, what a concert! A Jon Bon Jovi tribute-band was playing in Hyde Park last night and they were on fire! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Below are some pics from the concert. Click to enlarge.

Hyde Park: A New Look

In recent weeks a feeling of calm and relaxation has descended over Hyde Park, the Original London Sims Orientation Island. To reflect this, the London Team has begun a refit of the park.

The Concept:

Sun dappled crushed gravel pathways lined with mighty oak trees and spring flowers in full bloom lead visitors to new and interesting areas of Hyde Park. The New User Experience will show new residents not only how to use the Second Life interface, but also will give them a sense of London and the community we have established.

The Reality:

Installation of the new concept has begun in the Dell area of the park. The build team decided to start with this heavily populated area, as it has been lacking in fun for some time now. "It is my hope that these positive changes made here will re-establish the heart of the park. It was sad to see all the fun ripped out and it is our goal to return these and many more items to the park," said London Build Manager Billy Arentire. And the changes have indeed come. The swans have made a triumphant return to the Serpentine, a friendly squirrel scampers along the pavement eating acorns, peacocks strut proudly in the sun showing of their exquisite plumes, pigeons peck at a bag of Regents Crisps, and (yes) I think I may have even seen a mouse.

Another new addition to the Dell is 7Seas Fishing! This area will continue to develop, but in the mean time it is open for a nice afternoon fishing get-away. Grab a pole and have a seat on one of the barrels and fish to your heart's content. This area will be manned by Karola Silvershmith, who will set up fishing contests and other fun and exciting events.

A visit to the taxi rank will allow you to take a taxi to all the London hot spots. Each London Sim will have its own taxi that will make stops at all major attractions and venues in the sim. We are working on this area and should have it operational very soon.

You'll find many new changes in the park and a few surprises now and then. Please visit often to see all the improvements!

by Billy Arentire

edited by Jami Titanium

Bon Jovi plays in the park!

A Bon Jovi tribute band will be playing a range of hits from the original band now on

Sunday 18th of April, 1 PM SLT (9 PM UK). Do not miss this great concert! It's free!

Click here for a TP to the concert area!

London Greeters Wanted!

London Sims is now recruiting London Greeters to join the family of the London Team by becoming Greeter Apprentices.

If you are experienced with SL, can offer assistance to new residents and you are patient, tolerant, friendly, level-headed and would enjoy passing on your knowledge to others, we would like to hear from you.

★ A greeter must be patient and friendly above all other qualities.
     We are not looking for people to police our sims.

★ You will need to be at least 8 weeks old to be considered and
      will need to be keen to learn.

★ Please note that places are limited to ten people. Not everyone
      applying for this role will be successful.

★ Please note that we verify our team to ensure they are who they
      claim to be. if you are not willing to be verified, please do not
      submit an application.

Applications can be found by clicking the board at the boathouse in Hyde Park
near the Dell Cafe. Click here for a TP to the board!

by Jami Titanium

London Guides Personalize Your London Experience

London Sims offer so many things and much more for both new and established residents. One way of seeing everything that London has to offer is by speaking to a London Guide.

As a London guide (please don't be afraid to ask your friendly greeter if a guide is online), it's my job to show people around. If you are looking for that cheeky pair of shoes, that hot new dress, exquisite shape, skin, or hair, or a fun gesture; then a guide is invaluable.

London hosts many events in its exciting night spots. Clubs and pubs such as Mayhem, the Green Man and the Station have resident DJ's that take requests.

The Greyhound Pub has a real community feel, where people come to hang out. At The Coach and Horses Pub, people come to use voice and have a real blather. Bogies is a live music club and showcases fantastic talent of both established and up and coming artists. And let's not forget Westminster's hottest new club, The A-List.

London Guides know where events are happening and can advise you on what's going on and escort you there. They provide that personal touch to assist people in SL. So if its dancing, chatting, shopping or a scoot up Big Ben, seek out a Guide for that fantastic tour of London.

by bean Cisse
edited by Jami Titanium

Bands in Hyde Park

There are alot of great tribute bands coming to Hyde Park.
Make marks in your calendar so you don't miss any on them.

Click the image to enlarge

Literary Night at the Greyhound Pub

The Greyhound Pub is preparing to hold its first of several literary nights on Tuesday, April 20th at 1pm SL time (9pm UK time). The Greyhound Liteary Night with RL author Serene Bechir will be followed by a short writer's workshop. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring their poetry, prose, essays, etc. to read and share. (Make sure you have voice enabled!) A prize of 200L for best reading of the night will be given out. IM managers isobel Byron or Gold Cazalet for a landmark.

As a RL poet and author of the book Virtual Places/Real Emotions, Serene Bechir is no stranger to the literary scene. She is a natural improv and impromptu reader and will be sharing her talents with the Greyhound Crowd. You can visit her website for more information at http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/virtual-places-real-emotions/4504810 .

For future events, great pics, and venue information, check out the Greyhound's blog at http://harrier-atthegreyhound.blogspot.com/ .

We look forward to seeing you at the first of our Literary nights! Remember, you can read something you've written, or just something from your favorite author. Come, take the mic, and let's enjoy the muse!

by Jami Titanium

A-List Opens It's Doors Tuesday Night

The A-List Club & Lounge rolled out the red carpet and opened its doors Tuesday night, April 13th with a best in Neko theme and 2,000 Lindens up for grabs. Managers Princess Shuffle and emm Sands hosted the night, with emm literally shaking her tail as a dancer on the stage beside fellow sexy A-Lister Kassandra Skytower. DJ Scotty Femto was spinning the tunes with a great assortment and taking no prisoners as he took requests.

The new club is a must see on the London scene. A real stand-out with its red curtained stage, classy blue lettering, and rich black carpeted floors. The managers and hosts are friendly and the DJ knows his music. One thing that impressed this blogster was the fantastic couple's Intan dance ball, loaded with sexy dances for you and that special someone.

If you get the chance, check out the A-List's personal blog at http://atthealist.blogspot.com/ . Here you will find all the ever important information concerning the venue. And if you didn't make it on Tuesday night, don't worry... the A-List is one of those fashion statements that is here to stay. Stop by and give the gig a whirl!

by Jami Titanium

"New User Experience"

Hello!

My name is Ice Hartshon and I am one of the London Greeters and writer on this blog.
If you are new to Second Life I would like to tell you about the "New User Experience". Its a short walk in Hyde park you can take, that teach you the basics of using the Second Life Interface.

Click this link to get to the startingpoint.

On big boards along the walk you can learn how to move
around in Second Life.












You will learn how to run, fly and teleport.












Click here to get to the startingpoint!

Tristyn Homewood Captivates Bogies

Bogies is pure class... from the shimmering lights on the floor to the gossamer curtains behind the stage... and Monday night's performance from Tristyn Homewood was no exception. With mellow tunes like George Straight's "I Cross My Heart" and those like Garth Brook's "If Tomorrow Never Comes" meant to tug the heartstrings and sear the soul, he commanded the stage.

It's no surprise that Tristyn Homewood was able to captivate his audience. Music has been an important part of his life since he was very young. Coming from a background of country music (his mother sang a little in her younger years in Kentucky), Tristyn was influenced by both 70's rock growing up in Jacksonville, Florida and the country and bluegrass his mother sang to him when he was little. When he joined the Air Force, he entertained troops during his deployment in Saudi Arabia.

But, Bogies is no stranger to big name SL music. Bogies Manager Wendy Helstein has been raking them in lately, making the Jazz Club a virtual hotspot for performers who want an attentive audience and SLers who want a great performance. If you haven't stopped in lately for a drink and a dip with your favorite dance partner, it's high time you did!

by Jami Titanium

Mayhem "Spot On" Monday Night

With its great view of the ocean, friendly staff, and hopping tunes, Mayhem dance club in Mayfair London was "spot on" Monday night, April 12 with its "Best in Spots" contest (congrats Lily Beninzap for winning 300 Lindens!). The night was hosted by manager tayla Tigerfish, DJ snak3y Tryce, and club host Peter Cedarbridge. Guests were treated to an in sync chimera dance and a fantastic set of tunes as their hosts bantered and the sploder let loose lindens. It's London at its best.. friends so close they are like family (and where else could you trust someone to set your naughty and nice titler to something like "Puts Foot in it again!!!"). With its fantastic atmosphere, its a great place to gather, chat, dance, and hum a tune... not just for the old SL crowd, but also for the new, as everyone is welcomed, and hey... even if you can't count on the sploder... you can count on the fun!

by Jami Titanium