Shambles Abbey

Earlier this week I ambled through 'Shambles Abbey', which is ostensibly a voyeur and exhibitionist venue. While there was no one to voyeur, and I wasn't in an exhibitionist mood, I spent time wandering around the different buildings, being particularly taken with the orchard. Unfortunately I seem to have visited during apple blossom time, so there was no opportunity for me to relive my childhood as a snotty-nosed, scabby-kneed seven year old who scaled the wall of a nearby orchard to go 'scrumping', as we say in the UK. If you don't know what scrumping is, click on the link to the wiki definition. On the up side, there was no large dog to chase us all the way back to the wall, either.

I was fortunate enough to get into conversation with the venue's owner, Shambolic Walkenberg, who revealed himself to be one of the most intelligent, thoughtful guys it has been my pleasure to run into in SL, and who had given the Abbey a gentler, almost romantic (while still containing sexy poses) feel.

Sadly, Jimmy or any other willing volunteer wasn't available to road-test the poses, but the orchard has one very nice 'legs wrapped around one another while sitting on a bench' pose. Like I said...romantic, but I'm guessing that perhaps the concept in the orchard is perhaps to be naked, being watched. It's not essential, though, and if the sim's quiet, and you just need a place to take your girlfriend or boyfriend for some undisturbed conversation, this has to be on your landmarks lists.

Apples and nudity? Hmmm. My mind was immediately drawn to Eden, Adam and Eve, and Genesis 2:25...'The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed'.

But, please, Shambolic, don't introduce a snake!

Back over at the abbey itself, there's dancing, beds and the thrilling discovery of a game of spin the bottle! I've never experienced that in SL before, and I began to imagine how, given a crowd, it might replicate, to some extent, the concept of Erica Jong's 'zipless f***', a sexual encounter between two strangers, as described in her book 'Fear of Flying'. No power games involved, and described as 'the perfect one night stand'.

Unfortunately (and this isn't the fault of the Abbey) name tags exist. While these can be removed from your avatar, your name still exists in chat and IM, so replicating the 'sex between strangers' element of Jong's perfect one night stand just isn't going to work. That's a pity, because the concept of meeting another avatar, staying anonymous, having sex with them and then logging out is just crackling with electric, sexual, erotic tension.

I was also very, very taken with the concept of sex beds menu driven for group sex. Again, while it was quiet and there was no one to test drive them with, I found the idea of going into local chat and emoting (or starting a group call between the participants) has enormous potential for those inclined that way. I'm not ruling the possibility out, lol, but I need a couple of decent emoters, I reckon, before I'd really want to partake.

Shambolic apologised to me for the unkempt state of the grounds, lol, but in all honesty it filled me with a desire to tear off my clothes and run naked through the long grass, not caring who saw me. Oops! I'm getting sucked into the ambience of the place already!

I will be going back to the Abbey....and soon! Hopefully I can get a few photographs will a couple of willing participants next time! Is it erotic? I can imagine that with a partner in tow, clothes packed away, and an exploration of its many and varied (yet discreetly placed) poseballs, this could be the place to spend a quiet evening, in gothic architecture, before a roaring fire, whispering into and nibbling their ear.