Avatars zoom into church

Liz Coates

The Mercury is reaching out to readers in new dimensions….

Our article on the opening of St Nicholas Church in Second Life is on display for all to see in cyber world with avatars from all over the world zooming in for a look.

Monday night saw the last of the live events at the virtual church with 40 musicians and singers from countries such as Britain, America, Argentina, Spain, Germany and Portugal streaming live into the cartoon copy.

Hundreds of people from all over the world reportedly dropped in tossing £140 in a virtual collection plate which will be donated to the real church.

Sid White, 33, the man behind the megabyte rebuild, said: “Each of the entertainers said they admired the church and would love to someday come to play in the real St Nicholas Church, a sentiment echoed by the dancing crowds many of whom have promised themselves they will travel to Yarmouth from their home country in order to visit the real St Nicholas Church.

“One of the singers from America said he loved the church so much he had started looking at websites of the town and is looking to buy a home in Great Yarmouth, a place to spend his vacations.

“We raised £140 during the 10 days which is pretty good when you consider 90pc of those people had not even heard of Great Yarmouth let alone been to the church.

“I am now moving onto my next project Great Yarmouth Second Life (GYSL) taking Great Yarmouth to the world. This will incorporate many aspects of the real Great Yarmouth into a Private SIM (island). Education, local business, tourism, history, night life and much more will be included so I shall be knocking on many doors over the next few weeks. Second Life can be a huge marketing tool for real products and companies if it is utilised correctly.”

To view the church visit SecondLife.com, register, then search for St Nicholas for free.