Back to reality?

June opened with a tumultuous couple of weeks for yours truly. Last week saw normal service resumed at the gaming table if not quite here at RD/KA!:

• On Friday Badger and I returned to our Stalingrad campaign in Combat Commander; I won, saving the day for the Russians amid the rubble atop the Mamayev Kurgan.
• Dave, Donald, Gav, Tony and myself made 5 for games on Sunday; playing our way through:

1. A game of Ivanhoe - victory to me.
2. Two games of Settlers; the first went to Dave, with a spectacular 4VP leap to victory, which included 3 VP cards; the second to Donald, who sneaked in just ahead of Gav.

Scores
Badger 0
Dave 1
Donald 1
Duffers #1 and #2 0
Brave Sir John 2


Life still hasn't returned to what passes for the straight and narrow because I've got Bill staying while he and his family make a short holiday in Scotland. Yesterday we all paid a visit to the Doctor Who Exhibition which has been running at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum here in Glasgow since March.

Radka, Daniel and Bill blissfully unaware
that they face imminent extermination

The exhibition was a bit smaller than I'd imagined, and certainly less interactive than I'd've hoped for. I never got into Star Wars toys, so that I've never grokked the toy-collecting geekery; so yes, I was just looking for an excuse to play with toys unavailable when I was a kid. Still, many of the exhibits are original props, including some which are bang up to date:

• A tritovore from the Planet of the Dead, broadcast here at Easter.
• A cybermonster and other props from The Next Doctor, 2008's xmas special.

No, no; the Overlord is too busy to see you now

The obligatory Daleks and Cybermen aside, my favourite was the Face of Boe. If anything, this looked more impressive in real life than it did on TV. I guess there's just something about giant 5 million year old heads in jars that do that when you meet them face to face.

The Face of Boe

Another favourite for me was an audio track playing the music which had been in the background when, near the end of Doomsday, the Season 2 finale, Rose and the Doctor realise that they are trapped on opposite sides of the dimension barrier. I found this deeply moving, and have done when I've seen it again since. The very sound of the music was enough to bring those emotions welling up again.

I think the Doctor Who Exhibition is OK. It is expensive: a family of 5 will pay nearly £30 without any concessions; but I suspect the truth to be that this is in line with many attractions of its ilk. I know for sure that we could easily have spent at least half as much time again had we decided to really take our time with the exhibits, so there is plenty there from which to get your value for money.

If my praise seems less than fulsome, that is because:

• The exhibition is no substitute for the show itself.
• Its appeal is further diluted by all those Doctor Who Confidential programmes I've watched too.

These issues aside, the exhibition did deliver particular thrills which made the experience well worthwhile. I imagine that most fans of the show will find the same. ;)