WEST END

[FrankU]

Looks great!
What more can be said?

[bat]

Very good area there around that stadium, paroch! Also wonderful pictures of it!
And very good match reports! Looking forward to more...
(also after the semi-finals, hopefully with the right result(s))

[Jmouse]

Hard to believe Devo '08 will be history soon, but it has been an exciting adventure which will be long remembered around these parts. And I don't have to understand the reports to know they were created with the light side of competition in mind!

Love the overviews showing Charing Cross' position in the great scheme of things. And you certainly chose a spectacular setting for Saint Mary's Stadium. A ferry ride would make an evening's sporting event that much more exciting! The surrounding areas are very well done, too – the markets, shops, parks and all the rest fit perfectly in the stadium environment.

And of course, the night shots are awesome! I hated to see Kingly fade into the sunset, but it looks like Charing Cross is going to be just as good in its own way.

Later...
Joan

[MandelSoft]

  The Netherlands lost!

Great update, Paroch!

[sebes]

I love your update Paroch - and of course your kind words. I know that what you mean indeed....

Looking forward to the next update of the semifinals... let's see if Great Coach Diggis has something nice hidden in his sleeves.... 

Cheers.

[threestooges]

When the pics are done by one of the masters around here, how can I not like them? Speaking of which, the ones form this update are great too. You use open space and parks really well, particularly around the stadium. That, coupled with the little details of each area lets you see something new each time. Tissier Walk (49.07) is a great example of it. It's almost hidden by the stadium, but a closer look shows off the detail that went into the walk (including the little plaza things where the walk meets the roads). Only a few more games to go, it'll be interesting to see who wins.
-Matt

[Nardo69]

Hi Paul!

Yes, tomorrow's match will be really tough for me as mayor of Urland and a German in Turkish exile at the same moment. But that's soccer ...
Nice stadium at the peninsula - including a decent public transport connection!  That public viewing area is a nice touch, too ..

Take care my friend - we will meet after the semi finals (have to do a business trip tomorrow ...)

Bernhard 

[paroch]

REPLIES:

Shaun:  Ahaaaagh, the pirate shirt - I knew there must have been a secret weapon!

FrankU:  Thanks.  Did you like your double zero award?

Bat:  Good to see you here as always - and congrats on reaching the final.

Joan:  Yes, Devo has been fun.  As I write these replies, just two matches left and only three teams still in the competition - It's getting to the exciting part!  And thanks for the encouragement re Charing Cross.  As I put the overview shot and night shot in I thought you may like them.

Mrtnrln:  I think many people (including me) were surprised and a bit sad to see the Dutch lose.  And thanks for your visit and comment.

Sebes:  I'm glad you liked the update and yes, I wonder how big Diggis's shirt will be this evening!

Matt:  Hey, wow - what a compliment.  I don't consider myself one of the "masters" but compliments like that are ALWAYS accepted  !  I'm glad you like the update and funnily enough on Tissier Walk, there should be statues on the plinths in the park but I have a missing dependency and cannot find the statue!  And Geoffhaw kindly made the plaza's with West End flags for me.

Bernhard:  Ah, the match - the wrong result for Urland part of you, but the right result for the German part of you!  Bad luck, and congratulations at the same time!!  And that peninsular was fun to create, so I'm pleased you like it.



UPDATE 50:  26th June 2008



It's semi final time in Devo 08.  Only four teams are left.  Yesterday over in Balnavia was the first semi-final between:

Capporth City  vs.  Urland

Philipp Lahm's last-minute winner sent Capporth City into the Devo 08 final and sank a desperately unlucky Urland.

Lahm stole in on Thomas Hitzlsperger's pass to beat Rustu Recber and give the Capporthians victory after a thriller in which Urland were the better side.

Ugur Boral scrambled Nardo's team ahead after 22 minutes, but Bastian Schweinsteiger equalised quickly from close range.

Miroslav Klose headed Bat's team in front after 79 minutes, but Semih Senturk levelled before Lahm's late strike.

Capporth City barely deserved the victory, but once again they have reached a major final despite being unconvincing, where they will face either Watersford or Mallorca in Piccadilly on Sunday.

Ravaged by injuries and suspension, Urland defied all expectations to produce an outstanding performance full of grit, desire and no little quality and they should have been well in front by half-time.  As it was, the Baklava was not enough and now they return home whilst Bat's men prepare for the biggest game in their careers.

Capporth City  3-2  Urland

And earlier this evening at the Piccadilly Stadium in Piccadilly:



Watersford  vs.  Mallorca

Mallorca produced a superb display to cruise past Watersford and set up a Devo 08 final against Capporth City on Sunday.

Mallorca's Cesc Fabregas was the driving force behind the win after coming on as substitute for injured David Villa.

Xavi turned home Andres Iniesta's cross after 50 minutes


and substitute Daniel Guiza converted a superb pass from Fabregas with 17 minutes left.



Fabregas played in David Silva for a simple third after 82 minutes as a disappointing Watersford ended well beaten.



Coach Diggis was seen on the touchline in a T-Shirt, it appears he had no more sleeves to produce his tricks from.


Watersford  0-3  Mallorca

So there you have it - a comfortable victory for Mallorca to set up a mouth-watering final on Sunday in Piccadilly.....

Capporth City  vs.  Mallorca



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now back to Charing Cross for some pictures.  Last time we looked at St. Mary's.  The area on the peninsular.  Well today we'll hop south over the River Dinnium to Thistle Point.  Just to remind you of the lay out of the eastern half of Charing Cross:

50.01  Overview:


You can see that Thistle Point is mainly a new residential development with many high towers.  The main centre of Charing Cross (which is to the north west of Thistle Point), was getting very overcrowded and there was not much scope for further development.  Much of the area around the city centre is low density family housing - but that real estate is quote expensive.  None of the developers could buy large enough pieces of land near the centre to make a viable new development.

So, they looked a little further out of the centre and came up with Thistle Point as the ideal location.  There is a main avenue that joins the centre and Thistle Point and also a new Ferry Terminal was built which serves both Silver Dock in St Mary's as well as Charing Cross's central marina.

So let's have a look at what the developers came up with.

50.02  Thistle Point:

Ten different developers were awarded sites on Thistle Point and each had their own designs. 
To the south of the Point is a large industrial zone made up mainly of many small micro-businesses. 
At the centre/bottom of the picture is the hospital and high school.  These are on the banks of the river and are very reaceful places to recover or learn.

Let's take a closer look at the development on the Point.


50.03  View from the east:

On the left is the Punkthaus Blocks.  Two matching towers that are modern and appeal to young professionals.
In the centre is the Ganour Apartments, which are not as expensive and tend to be home to people with families and not very well paid jobs.  The play areas are popular with these families.
And on the right, with the green roof is the Bryant Tower.  Again, popular with families but generally those with a bit more cash.


50.04  View from the north:

In the centre/bottom of the pic are the Waldorff Apartments.  These were designed as high wealth apartments but have not been popular and have fallen into dis-repair already.  The developer is planning on refurbishing them and re-markerting them early next year.


50.05  View from the west:

And here you can see most of the development, including the grey Central Tower (low wealth), blue Claude Tower, brown/green Bricket Tower and the Moscow Red Tower.

A new sport in West End has emerged since the banning of Baklava, following West End's defeat by Urland in Devo 08 on penalties.  And this is Baklava Splatting.  People drop baklava from the top of a tall building and try to make the biggest splat.  Central Tower has become the most popular building for this.


50.06  Thistle Dock:

A ferry terminal that many of the Thistle Point residents use to travel to work, wither over in St Mary's or to Charing Cross Marina.  I must give credit to Tooheys, as these ferry terminals in Charing Cross are very much based on his style of ferry dock development.


50.07  Wider view from the north:

Here you can see the whole development plus Thistle Bay and the Thistle Stream.


50.08  Thistle Stream:

This small stream is a very popular place to stroll for a bit of peace and quiet.


50.09  Delgardo Hospital and Kampinsky High School:

Both named after local families.


50.10  Kampinsky High School:

Sports are important here.


Well, that's all for today.  I'll aim to give an update just after the final match of Devo 08 on Sunday evening.  Will it be Bat's Capporth City or Jeronij's Mallorca that become the Devo 08 Champions?  Feel free to post your thoughts and messages of support here.

'til next time..................

[Simpson]

Paroch your new update is very good like all of your update
Your city look very good and realistic
And the lake is simply superb
Great use of the RRP project 
Continu you make a excelent work 

[Earth quake]

Really nice work Paroch.
I Like your residentiel aera and residentiel tower.

[FrankU]

Very nice details on the areas you showed here. Chrisadams flora is a great addition to the game, don't you think?

[Jmouse]

Another great Devo update, Paul! Do you suppose there might be a few rowdy fans out and about in Piccadilly Sunday? Good luck finding security guards who aren't football fans!

Charing Cross continues to look better and better. Thistle Point seems a bit of a departure from your normal style, or did I just get too used to Kingly! I like the looks of those high-rise apartments on the waterfront, but it's too bad the high-wealth tower is not thriving - maybe it will in time. Also the parks and playground fit in very well - another good idea well executed.

50.06, the Thistle Dock, really caught my eye. I wonder how you did the ramp a little below and to the left of center. The dock itself would be a good place for some fast-food vendors or a few market stalls. I like 50.07, too, which shows off the shape of the shoreline and the mouth of Thistle Stream. And a very pretty little waterway it is! The school and hospital are well placed, too!

Best of luck to both teams in the finals...
Joan

[bat]

Juhuu, Capporth City wins the semi-final and is in the final of the Devo '08! (After 12 years again in a final!!!!)
Hopefully Capporth City will win the final, too! And gets its fourth Devo champion title after 1972, 1980 and 1996.
It's the 6th final participation.

And to the update:

The pictures are looking really good! Wonderful work on them! Looking forward to more after the final. (hopefully with again the right result)

[sebes]

Paul - I don't know how I could miss your update - but luckily I am just in time to comment before you continue with the next one 

I like the overview of Charing Cross and the Senna quarters! I am always falling in love with Marrast Embankments, especially if they are laid out with these little bends as shown in 50.3

The Center Tower is one of my favourite Residentials. Even if R$, I always place it on R$$$ place in my towns and make it historic. Probably that is because when I was a baby, my mother put my playpen in front of the window, and I was watching the cranes building a tower that resembles a bit like that accross the street. (yes, cranes and building towers CAN have very odd effects on little boys  ) (link)

But we had to move from there when the baklava kept on falling down on our balcony, and my mother was affraid I would eat to much of it and become a too big boy.

[deion30296]

Paul - I don't know how I could miss your update - but luckily I am just in time to comment before you continue with the next one 

I like the overview of Charing Cross and the Senna quarters! I am always falling in love with Marrast Embankments, especially if they are laid out with these little bends as shown in 50.3

The Center Tower is one of my favourite Residentials. Even if R$, I always place it on R$$$ place in my towns and make it historic. Probably that is because when I was a baby, my mother put my playpen in front of the window, and I was watching the cranes building a tower that resembles a bit like that accross the street. (yes, cranes and building towers CAN have very odd effects on little boys  ) (link)

But we had to move from there when the baklava kept on falling down on our balcony, and my mother was affraid I would eat to much of it and become a too big boy.

Lol, And to Paroch: Very nice. It looks like you took your time! And built slowly. Did you?

[paroch]

REPLIES:

Simpson:  Thank you.  I have more RRP work to show - but not today 

EarthQuake:  Good to see you here again and thanks for your words.

FrankU:  Yes, I agree, the RRP flora is great.  I've also just used the fences and paths, but they will wait for a future update.  The "marsh" item is one I find most useful, it is very good at softening the edges of TPW.

Joan:  Yes, Piccadilly is starting to buzz with excitement (well it would if it had been developed yet).  I have developed a high-rise are next to the water before (in my now locked quad of Great Portland).  I suspect there will be others as riverside living is always popular.  And I have to say that apart from a couple of the buildings getting downgraded and having that "dirty" look to them I am very pleased with it.
As for Thistle Dock - well the pedestrian ramp is part of MAS71's retaining walls pack.  Was just a case of making sure the alignment was right.

Bat:  Good luck for the final today.

Sebes:  Funnily enough the Senna quarters are part of today's update, I hope you enjoy.  I do enjoy using the Marrast sea walls, but actually lining the river banks in a city like Charing Cross can take soooooo long.
And I agree, the Centre Tower is a great building.  Thanks for that link to the pic - but isn't that hot air balloon getting too close  ??  And as for the baklava - well it worked wonders for Nardo's team.

Deion30296:  Welcome to West End.  It's always great to welcome a new visitor.  As for your question - well yes and no.  I am not sure how you define slowly.  I guess you could say I build in a "controlled" fashion.  I will only zone a small area at a time and wait for it to at least be half developed in a look that I like before I move on to zoning more.  I have been working on Charing Cross (large quad) for nearly one month now and am almost finished.  The quad before this called Kinly took over three months - and yes that was built slowly!


UPDATE 51:  29th June 2008



Three weeks ago, sixteen MD teams started on a journey.  Since then West End and Balnavia have played host to thirty football matches and we have seen 68 goals.  Now only two MD teams remain and it is time for the final:

CAPPORTH CITY (bat)   vs.  MALLORCA (jeronij)

So let's head straight over to Piccadilly for the match, to see who will be crowned Champion of Devo 08.

51.01  Piccadilly Stadium:

Today I was going to develop the area around the stadium - but Charing Cross is not complete and I could not get inspired for a new quad - so the winner will be able to help with the design!

Fans from both Capporth City and Mallorca have been gathering in the squares of Piccadilly and having a friendly kick around.


And as the Mallorca fans start to head to the stadium they look confident.


The match kicks off to a massive roar from both sets of fans.  And it is Capporth City who have the strongest start.  They have plenty of possession and a couple of good chances.


But Mallorca slowly get into their rhythm, passing and moving seemingly at will.  And with the lightning quick Torres up front, they are looking more dangerous.

And sure enough, on 33 minutes Cesc Fabregas's pass gives Fernando Torres something to chace.  Torres outpaces Philipp Lahm and dinks the ball over the advancing Jens Lehmann. Pretty poor defending from Capporth City, but Torres shows a real striker's instinct to put Mallorca ahead 1-0.



Capporth City make a substitution at half time in an attempt to change their fortune and have a few good spells.  They create some moments of hope from corners and free kicks but Mallorca stay in control.

The second half passes with chances, but no goals, so it finishes......

Mallorca  1-0  Capporth City.

Mallorca are champions of Devo 08 and coach Jeronij has every reason to be proud of his team and will shortly be asked to name the stadium in Piccadilly as part of the honour of winning Devo 08.  Commiserations to bat who came so close.

Well that's it - Devo 08 is over.  Mallorca played very well in every game and thoroughly deserved their victory.  So just a few thank-yous.........
Jmouse for designing the Devo logo.
Tooheys for co-hosting the tournament in Balnavia.
Pat for providing the referees.
All the MD authors who entered a team.
And everyone who visited West End and Balnavia during the tournament.

I'm sure there will be a future tournament in West End, so, see you next time.




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




And now for today's update from Charing Cross:

There has been quite a bit of development since the last overview, so I thought I'd bring you up to date with what has been happening.

51.02  Charing Cross Overview - west:

The main part of Charing Cross is now fully developed.  The sprawling suburban area of Villiers spreads to the edge of the Charing Country Park, which we'll see in a future update.


51.03  Charing Cross Overview - east:

The eastern half of Charing Cross is made up of St Mary's and the Senna Quarters.  This is where we'll be focussing today.


51.04  Senna and St Mary's:

We've already seen the St Mary's peninsular at the very bottom of this pic.  But there are other parts of St Mary's that we've not yet seen.  The Commercial Park and Conference Centre are both big employment areas in Charing Cross.
And Senna Park is the largest park in the borough.


51.05  St Mary's Church:

The island church of St Mary's is the oldest building in all of Charing Cross.  No one is quite sure how they built it on this low laying island, or indeed, why they built it on this island.  But it has become the main tourist attraction in Charing Cross.  Here you can see the yello passenger ferry just leaving the island.  This is the only way on and off the island.


51.06  Silver Dock Towers:

Right down on the south of St Mary's is Silver Dock (update 49).  These towers have recently been built, as the location is a good one.  Walking distance to the ferry.  Not too far from the main GLR station near the stadium and well served by buses.  The towers also look across the River Dinnium to their opposite towers in Thistle Point.


51.07  Lunder Park:


This park has been built behind the Conference Centre and is a more peaceful part of St Mary's compared to the green spaces on the peninsular itself.  The gazebos at the top of the pic can be rented out for the day and are very popular with families and groups of friends for a base for a picnic or BBQ.


51.08  Conference Centre:

The world renowned GooberGen Corporation built and manage the Conference Centre in Charing Cross.  It's location on the main avenue plus being only a short walk from the GLR make this a very successful addition to their empire.


51.09  Dividing Line:

To the left of the avenue and roundabout is South Senna and to the right is St Mary's.  There is plenty of local rivalry between the Senna-ites and the Saints.  For years they have argued over how to decorate teh rather dull water tower on the roundabout but can never agree.  Hence it has always stayed that dull brown colour.
Ice Hockey is not very big in West End but Charing Cross is home to one of the few professional teams, the Charing Cross Chargers.  Their stadium is there in the top right of the picture.


51.10  South Senna:

This is an overview of South Senna which used to be a small village.  It was surrounded by fields.  It grew up around the power station, where homes were built to house the workers.  As St Mary's grew, development crept up to the borders of South Senna and now, whilst it retains a village feel, it is very much part of the suburban sprawl.  Its great location and transport links mean that now it's not just power plant workers who live here.


51.11  South Senna - Old Village:

This is the orginal old village, in the shadow of the power station.


51.12  Commercial Park:

Whereas the power station used to be the main employer in South Senna, now it is the Commercial Park that has many jobs.  It's mainly offices, although there are a few superstores there plus a few chain restaurants.


51.13  Rivals:

Charing Cross has many small local football teams and here, two of the bigger amateur team have their homes.  Their pitches also have a small clubhouse next to them where players can have a drink and a bit of banter after the game. 


51.14  South Senna School:

This school serves the area and has the only 400 metre track in all of Charing Cross.


51.15  Senna Park:

This is the largest recreational park in Charing Cross.  There are a wide range of sports available in the park, and you can see them listed on the picture.  Below the park is South Senna, and above the park is North Senna.  Let's have a look around North Senna.


51.16  North Senna:

Whether you'd call this a large village, or a small town, I'm not sure.  I think since those two new apartment blocks have been built the place has changed dramatically.  It very much started life as a residential village that relied on the surrounding farms for both jobs and produce.  Many of the shops on the now pedestrianised street stock local produce from the farms and this has become a popular shopping destination for residents of Charing Cross and nearby Kingly, Wardour and Great Portland.


51.17  Shopping:

And here is the shopping street.  It used to take traffic but was pedestrianised for safety and commercial reasons.  You can also see the transport hub.  North Senna station is where the football fans must leave the train and switch to the tram, which runs down, through Senna Park, South Senna, into St Mary's and the Conference Centre before reaching the Stadium.
You can also see the two new towers.  I'm not convinced they fit - let's see.


51.18  New Towers:

A developer somehow got these through the West End Board of Planning.  They have been surrounded by controversy ever since.  The local residents think they spoil the small town/village feel of North Senna, but the people who have moved in think they are great, as they give a brilliant view over the commercial area plus the surrounding fields.
Now, I'd like your views on this one - should they both stay, should just one stay, or should they both be demolished?  I'll go with the majority of comments here.


51.19  North Senna Trasport Hub:

I posted a pic of the hub before, but now there is more development around it.  You can see a train just arriving in the station.  You can interchange with the buses or the trams.


51.20  Side Street:

Here is a typical North Senna side street..  It's been fun playing with a VERY full plugins folder.  And here you can see a very eclectic mix of buildings.  Haarlemergold, Jen_P, MattB, plus a couple I'm not sure of are all represented here.  I like the way the MattB diagonals have grown on the corners - that was a nice piece of luck.  And that red coach.  I've not seen that before and think it must be one of the props in Jeronij's side street mod, as it is a fixed prop, not automata.


51.21  Rural Living:

And I'll finish off today with these houses that are on a rural lane between North and South Senna.  The land is very rolling here and looking at these houses for too long makes me feel a bit sea sick.  And the swimming pools in the gardens look a bit odd as they are not on flat ground!  Another lesson for me to learn there I guess!

I hope you enjoyed this tour of St Mary's and the Senna Quarters.  The next update will feature another aspect of Charing Cross.

'til next time...................

[Simpson]

Wow paroch very good pics there
The city is superb and so realistic
I love your fields
I will be here for the update with more RRP 

[Jmouse]

Congratulations are in order to the proud winner of Devo '08! Good job, jeroni - looks like all the advance planning, training drills and superb coaching paid off!

Love the overviews of Charing Cross, Paul, as always! Looks like you've done a good job of placing the different elements, including neighborhoods, farmland, commercial areas and parks. I like the seawalls in the overviews as well - that's something I might try out for myself later on.

The church on the island is a very clever idea! The moment I saw it I thought how wonderfully peaceful and relaxing it would be to take a little ferry trip on a Sunday morning, then maybe stay around for a picnic and some fellowship. Very well done!

The photos are all good, but 51.11 Old Village stands out for some reason. And Senna Park - 15.15 - looks really good. This is more like the large parks I'm used to seeing that occupy huge chunks of real estate and offer a wide variety of activities.

You asked for opinions on the New Towers in 51.18. So I went back to 51.03 for a look at the broader view. I'd create a high-rise "park" behind and to the north of the towers (toward the top of 51.03) for more affluent Sims. A lake perhaps and maybe an exclusive shopping area at the base of that hillock. Or maybe you could build toward Senna Park - definitely apartments with a view if you build in that direction! The two high-rises all by themselves look a bit lonesome, but I think you have a lot of possibilities there. Try some things out - experiment - you always come up with unique ideas when you set your mind on a challenge!

Well, I didn't mean to write a book here, but I really like this update and the neighborhoods are especially appealing.

Later...
Joan

[warconstruct]

Hello Paul ,

As usual of splendid update are available on this large MD !
The city is superb, all su' it is necessary, a stage of the parks and I pass from there, you made a success of this charming mixture between various buildings .

Still cheer and thank you has you to have organized the competition which was Devo' 08 
Of great and beautiful match between the various countries, all interest, that was one moment of happiness .

It is with impatient that I await your next update ,

Paul

[bat]

Congrats to jeronij for winning that tournament! And thanks to paroch for this great Devo '08!

Wonderful pictures in that update! The area looks beautiful!

Looking forward to more in July!