"So unmissable, that you're too late to see it"

I was about to post to see if anyone wanted to go and see Black Watch at the Barbican, the award-winning and much-praised play about the eponymous Scottish regiment's tour in Iraq just before it's amalgamation into the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Unfortunately, it turns out that the whole run has been sold out since before it opened.

Gah. There are tickets on offer on eBay but for around twice the face value. The trouble with reviews saying "this is the best thing you'll see all year" is that by the time you read them too many other people have worked that out and booked ahead...

Don S Davis, 1942-2008

It's being reported that genre actor Don S Davis has died, aged 65. Although best known as General Hammond in the various Stargate series, he came to prominence as Major Garland Briggs in Twin Peaks, whilst West Wing fans will remember him as the Rev Don Butler, Arnie Vinick's main rival for the Republican nomination in Season 7.

Amazing Butterflies (and the moths are pretty staggering, too)

Butterflies and Moths at the Natural History Museum

My mum came up to visit over the weekend - her first trip to London in some eight years - and one of the attractions she was particularly keen to visit was the Amazing Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum. So, following a very pleasant river bus trip to Embankment and a short tube hop, we turned up at the temporary marquee outside the NHM and, having waved our tickets at the staff (and explained that both being over 8 we were happy to bypass the fun-filled maze on the way in) we went inside.

Where it was hot. Damn hot. Also, incredibly humid. I'm glad I had a lens cloth with me as I was wiping condensation off the front of my camera every thirty seconds. As it was, photography was quite awkward; I'd chosen my 70-300 zoom because it gives good magnification, but given the size of many of the specimens my normal 17-85 would have been better, although changing lenses would not have been a good idea in those conditions! Even so I managed a fair few pictures - I could happily have shot hundreds, but after fifteen minutes we were both wilting, and even a warm summer day felt like a freezer when we walked outside.

If you like pretty insects though, this exhibit is a must-see. There are literally hundreds of butterflies and moths, so many that every plant and shrub is host to at least two or three, whilst others are constantly flying around you. Or, indeed, landing on you - there's a large mirror at the exit so you can ensure that you've not picked up any joyriders! A large cabinet houses dozens of pupae, with several freshly-emerged butterflies at any one time. It's incredible to watch their wings turn in minutes from soft, crumpled rags to crisp, flat spreads. Amazing Butterflies is on until mid-August - but whatever the weather outside, don't wear anything too warm!