Day: October 7, 2018

Detectives, nannies, clocks and ghosts in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home at Holly Kai Park, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, October 7th

13:30: Tea-time at Baker Street

The third full-length novel written about Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles is likely to be the one Holmesian story which – at least in outline – known to most, whether or not they have actually read any of Holmes’ adventures.

But how many of us know the story as it was originally written? Over the decades it has been adapted for film and television more than 20 times, starting as early as 1914/15 with the 4-part series, Der Hund von Baskerville, and continuing on through to Paul McGuigan’s The Hounds of Baskerville, featured in the BBC’s brilliant Sherlock series.

All of these adaptations have offered their own take on the tale. Some – such as McGuigan’s, have simply taken the title of the story and used it to weave a unique tale of their own; others have stayed true to the basics of the story whilst also adding their own twists and turns quite outside of Conan Doyle’s plot in order to keep their offering fresh and exciting to an audience.

So why not join Cale, David, Corwyn and Kayden as they read from the 1902 original, and discover just how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle unfolded this apparently supernatural tale of giant hounds and murder, and the pivotal role played by John Watson himself?

18:00: Magicland Storytime: Mary Poppins Comes Back

Pulled down from the clouds at the end of a kite string, Mary Poppins is back. In Mary’s care, the Banks children meet the King of the Castle and the Dirty Rascal, visit the upside-down world of Mr. Turvy and his bride, Miss Topsy, and spend a breathless afternoon above the park, dangling from a clutch of balloons.

Find out more with Caledonia Skytower at the The Golden Horseshoe.

Monday, October 8th 19:00: Murder is Bliss

Gyro Muggins reads the first volume in the Jasper Stone series by Ellen Anthony.

In the year 2179, police lieutenant Jasper Stone finds himself called upon to solve the high-profile murder of Elizabeth West. The case appears to revolve around a valuable house – and the leading suspect is West’s disabled son.

But then the son is murdered – and the evidence points towards West’s grand-daughter, Jewell. Only she appears to have a rock-solid alibi for West’s murder. So is there more than one crime, or will Jewell be the next victim?

The more he investigates, the more Stone finds himself entangled in a complicated web of motives and a situation involving not just murder, but drug smuggling and blackmail. And the more he investigates, the more he might just be protecting the woman behind it all.

Tuesday, October 9th 19:00: The House with a Clock in it’s Walls

Faerie Maven-Pralou reads the first in John Bellairs’ Lewis Barnavelt series, originally published in the 1970s.

In the mid-west United States in the 1950s, 11-year-old, orphaned Lewis Barnavelt arrives at the home of his Uncle Jonathan, who has been appointed his guardian. Overweight, shunned by other children, he finds himself in his uncle’s the ramshackle mansion where the ominous ticking of a clock can be heard coming from within the walls.

Lewis soon discovers his uncle is a witch, as is his eccentric neighbour, Mrs. Zimmerman – who is obsessed with the colour purple and anything with “Z” on it – are witches. Fortunately, they are witches of the “good” kind, and they are engaged in a literal race against time.

The ticking coming from within the mansion’s walls belongs to a doomsday clock, and if Uncle Jonathan, Mrs. Zimmerman – and now Lewis – must work out where the bewitched clock has been hidden by the warlocks who once owned the house.

Wednesday, October 10th, 19:00: A Haunting We Will Go

Caledonia Skytower reads selections from E.F. Benson’s ghost stories.

Thursday, October 11th 19:00: The Strange Stairs at the Aldebourne Estate

With Shandon Loring. Also presented in Kitelyhop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/144/129/29.

 

Please check with the Seanchai Library’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The current charity is Feed a Smile.

The ghostly echoes of Pendle Hill in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill – click any image for full size

Pendle Hill, the latest Homestead region design by Lauren Bentham, takes its name – as the introductory note card offered to visitors on arrival states – the hill of the same name located in east Lancashire, England.

England’s Pendle Hill is steeped in history. Standing just 557m (1,827 ft) above sea-level, it is somewhat isolated when compared to the Pennines as a whole. In the 17th century George Fox climbed it and had a vision that resulted in him founding the Religious Society of Friends – and to this day, the name “Pendle” has strong connotations for Quakers. The hill is also the site of a Bronze Age burial ground; while again in the 17th century (and perhaps most famously), it was the location for the  trials of the Pendle witches. Because of this event, it is still regarded as one of the “most haunted places in Britain” in some circles.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

It is in reference to Pendle Hill’s notoriety as a haunted place that Lauren – who is also responsible for the another haunting region in the shape of Arranmore (which you can read about here) – has created Pendle Hill in Second Life. She’s actually done so quite cleverly as well, touching as it does her love of the north of England (as seen through her marvellous Netherwood – which you can also read about here, whilst also offering echoes of the physical world Pendle Hill.

As a ghostly / haunted region, Pendle Hill has opened in time for Halloween, but isn’t intended to be purely for the Halloween season; like Arranmore, it will hopefully remain available the year round for people to visit and enjoy. And I have to say that like Arranmore, it is exquisitely atmospheric in its haunted presentation and feel – do make sure you have local sounds enabled when visiting.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

The echoes of the physical Pendle Hill can be seen in the way the region is surrounded on three sides by high peaks while remaining apart from them – just as Pendle Hill stands apart from the Pennines. Within the region, black figures hover among the wizened, weathered trees, a possible allusion to the spirits of the Pendle Hill  witches of Pendle Hill, while to the north-west of the region a stone henge can be found, possibly echoing the bronze age history of the hill.

But this is not a place designed to emulate its namesake; nor is it intended to stand in a single moment of time. It has its own unique character, one that spans centuries, from the ancient stones of the henge, through to the wreck of the man-o’-war lying in the shallows off the coast, then forward to more recent times, as evidenced by the sunken and abandoned trawler sitting on the water close by and the tower of a lighthouse with its single, almost baleful eye surveying by turns land and sea. On the land is further evidence of this mixing of times as bent  Victorian gaslights looking like crooked old men are accompanied by the poles of electrical power lines.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

There are several routes from the landing point, offering by turns routes to the ancient henge, the lighthouse, an apothecary / magic shop and a hunted house. There is the inevitable cemetery, while skulls hang from branches of trees or even make up their trunks, malevolent green eyes that glow through the mists and darkness staring outwards in menace whilst also drawing visitors to travel beyond the haunted house and the lighthouse and out to a headland. Nor are these green eyes the only ones watching: owls and vultures are in the air or perched where they can, the latter looking as if they might be hoping one or two visitors receive a shock severe enough to keel over … and provide a meal.

As with all of Lauren’s builds there is wonderful attention to detail throughout. Catch the monkey from Stephen King’s The Monkey for example. Other hints / reminders of horror flicks can be found as well; even Hogwarts (which can be a spooky place after all) gets some visual references.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

Lauren’s region designs always make for an engaging visit, and Pendle Hill is no exception – although I strongly recommend that for best results you have Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) enabled in your viewer (Preferences > Graphics > enable ALM), particularly if you’re going to use the supplied torch, as it uses projected light. If you can also manage the region with shadows enabled, so much the better – but this is not an essential requirement for enjoyment of the region.

Photographers can join to local group for a single payment of L$175 and gain rezzing rights to rez props (do please remove them after use!), and a Flickr group is available to those wishing to share their pictures with other visitors to the region. Should you appreciate Pendle Hill, please consider making a donation at the landing point towards its continued presence in Second Life.

Pendle Hill; Inara Pey, October 2018, on FlickrPendle Hill

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