A Tour of The Dickens Project

 

 By Gemma Cleanslate

It is not often I am here to get to a Nonprofit Commons meeting but I had that chance on Friday and was able to attend and also take a field trip for a tour of the Dickens Project. I was thrilled to learn that the much loved project would return this year It is always a thrilling experience to return to Victorian times and dress for that era.

This year there is a change in the entrance. Accept the experience and envelope it all. Victorian dress is not required to visit but is fun to wear if you have some. Just exploring the two regions will give you a feel for the Victorian times if you cannot get to one of the events.

Valibrarian Gregg led the tour explaining how people were able to discern clothing habits of Victorians from careful research. We visited the research center that is located in town when you visit. You can enter the area from the welcome center .  

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Dickens%20Project/129/128/1401

Another day I attended an event in the Opera House where members did a reading of A Christmas Carol.

I tried to get to a tour where A Christmas Carol staves ( chapters) were being read as people moved along to the various shops in town but had a crashing event. There will be more events held at the locations around the Dickens project regions until January 3. I hope to get to some of them. 

 

This is the calendar of planned events at this time :http://irelandslstory.blogspot.com/2014/02/calendar.html

I made a stopover to my camp on Yosemite to enjoy the falling snow there. The whole region is full of snow and ice. All the waters have been frozen so skating everywhere is a pleasure. The horses don’t mind the snow so you can take a horseback ride to see everyone’s decorations.

Last week we had a gathering at the visitor’s center to enjoy a rocking chair party with delicious Irish coffee and chat with neighbors. Jadin Emerald hosted and supplied the food.

Stop by the visitor center and collect a visitor tp hud to visit all the locations offering activities and views to enjoy alone or with a friend. Skate around but watch the ducks who still hang out .
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Yosemite/139/62/25

Gemma Cleanslate

 

The Dickens Project And Party At The Bellisseria Fairgrounds

 
By Gemma Cleanslate

The first minute you enter the Square at the Dickens Project, you know you are in a different time and space.  Pick up the map and wonderful TP hud in poster near the Gazebo. 

This will take you to places you will want to visit with much ease.

The Gazebo has a few offices and stores around it . Visit them. On the walls of two stores are wonderful free outfits to help you get into the era that is being celebrated here , one for men, one for women. You will feel much more comfortable clothed for the era and they are very smart.

To tour the nearby area before you use the hud take a leisurely coach ride and view the environs near by. It will take you by important places from Dickens books.

Every year it is a pleasure to see what is old and new in the project. This year there is a whole new region exposing the coal mining of the day. Find Sultan the horse  and take a tour of the mines themselves and then walk nearby to see the housing and other building associated with life then. 

If you want to attend an event during the week here is a schedule to check  https://irelandslstory.blogspot.com/p/dickens-events-calendar.html

If you have time explore the buildings surrounding the Christmas Past Square. I found two galleries , one with people who have played Scrooge across the ages, and one with posters from familiar remakes of the story in cartoon and film. On the way back if you walk stop into some of the homes along the way to experience some of the decor of the past.There is plenty of food almost everywhere you go!

I made it to an area I had missed in past years I guess,  a fascinating display and education of horses of the Victorian age . Find a tp at the stable near the homes. If you use the hud it is on there. There are so many locales for you to visit. I will leave some for you to find. This is a wonderful project and I hope it continues for many years. There is much to learn here  thanks to the Seanchai Library and the whole staff under the direction of Caledonia Skytower.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Dickens%20Project/125/118/22

Saturday I went to a holiday ball at the Bellisseria Fairgrounds. 

It was elegant and so well attended by many in formal dress dancing to the music of  FAR (fwdfwd Farslider) DJ while I was there .

The whole event was arranged by Giselle Lacombe.  I told her how lovely everything was and she explained the she had done it all with  help from Christhiana  of Needful Prims. She was really shocked by the response at the ball and I heard her exclaim later, ”When I had this crazy idea to do  this, I never thought it would turn out like this! You all are incredible.” It was lovely !

I think this will be my last article before Christmas so I want  to say Happy Holidays to all the readers of the SL Newser . If you are stuck where you are, rely on memories of past Christmas days that were so enjoyable and look forward to a better time coming. Our lives here in second life are safe!  I am telling Santa to grant you all your wishes!

Gemma Cleanslate

"A Christmas Carol" by Seanchai Library's Dickens Project

By Gemma Cleanslate

Again LEA7 has the  marvelous depiction of “A Christmas Carol”  by Dickens. This is the 8th year of the project, November30 - December 30: The Dickens Project 2018 Edition presented by Seanchai Library.. It has happy events as tours, readings, and parties are  going on during the month.

A collaboration of many built the scenes in the town and all the sights and sounds.  I remember last year Caldonia Skytower, one of the majors of the project,  saying it is like walking into a picture book. And it is.

This year they have also added the Urchin Experience. I saw some of the urchins while I was wandering the streets. If you would like to be an urchin read about it here. I looks like great fun .   http://irelandslstory.blogspot.com/p/urchins-in-dickens-london.html

I took the carriage ride over the bridge and around through the town to see the marvelous build. Or take the balloon tour for an overview. Take a walk and enter the buildings to see life as it was back then. Pick up the staves (chapters) around the region that tells The Christmas Carol. It will be open until the end of December .

“A soundscape created by Dagmar Kohime will enhance the immersion of the region-exploring experience. Sounds of all kinds can be heard all over the region: a fiddler plays at Fezziwig's warehouse, the sounds of Nephew Fred's party guests wafts into the street near his home, and the Merchants Alley rings with sound of urchin laughter.”  So listen...
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA7/128/131/22

Sunday afternoon I spent at the premier of” Christmas Carol” ballet at the Royal Opera Garnier Auditorium . Ina Carpaccio created  the performance by the Deja Vu scenic group and was performed to classical music and Christmas Carols. I almost felt sorry for poor Mr Scrooge when the Marley’s ghost  descended upon him. He was very frightening.

The Spirit of Christmas past and present  danced by Ina  in a lovely costume was not as frightening.  Mr Scrooge followed her willingly. The party from Christmas past was held in a giant snowglobe. The visit to the Cratchit home was poignant with Tim sitting on the bed as the family danced around the room.

Christmas Future was not very optimistic for Scrooge, who is nearly frightened to death . Ina danced the Christmas Future in a costume that matched the frightening view and left Scrooge kneeling by his own grave.

However.. all is well the next morning as Scrooge is able to take care of the Cratchits and all is well as the last scene shows.

The choreography is stunning as usual as is the costuming . It is always a delight to attend any performance by Deja Vu. The audience was entranced during the entire ballet .As one audience member put it ,”beautifully dynamic and tasteful”.

You have several opportunities to see it before it closes:

 Sunday, 23 Dec 2018, 2 pm slt   http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Oceanea/14/126/39
Saturday, 29 Dec 2018, 5 pm slt,  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife//128/108/952
Sunday, 30 Dec 2018, 2 pm slt    http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Oceanea/14/126/39 

Gemma Cleanslate