Rooftop Film Club at Bussey Building
By Kelly Henderson (follow Kelly on Twitter @kellythekiwi)
For the past couple of summers I have wanted to go to one of London’s many outdoor cinema events. This year I was lucky enough to get tickets to the Rooftop Film Club’s screening of The Imitation Game at the Bussey Building in Peckham.
The Bussey Building is an old warehouse building, to reach the rooftop you need to climb up four flights of stairs. But you will be rewarded with some pretty stunning views – there isn’t much to obscure the sights of central London from here.
Pic taken by Paul Robertson
Mr Kiwi and I arrived early to enjoy a beer and pizza (courtesy of Pizza Pilgrims) at the rooftop bar. The pizza was delicious (Nduja for him and Portobello for me) but I’d probably stick to pints rather than the cocktails that are on offer.
Seating and Blankets
Half an hour before the film started screening we were invited to take our seats and have a good look at the actual venue. There’s a giant popcorn box where the projector is housed and row upon row of directors chairs for the cinema goers to sit in. As you enter you are given cozy blankets to wrap up in if starts getting cold. My advice would be to take two so you can really wrap up. The seats aren’t allocated so if you’re fussy about where you sit or if you’re going as a group, then go in and save your seats before coming back to stock up on popcorn and sweets.
Weather
Going to an outdoor cinema event at the beginning of May was always going to be risky and unfortunately we got rained on. There’s no cover but the staff are pretty quick at coming round with plastic ponchos. Luckily for us, the rain wasn’t too bad but I am not sure that a poncho would suffice in a real downpour!
Screen & Sound
The screen size and quality was brilliant and I am pretty sure that no matter where you were seated you would have had a good view. There were no headphones on this event but the volume was turned up loud enough.
Pic taken by Paul Robertson
TIP
My only advice would be to avoid going on a night where the club was open downstairs – the bass was somewhat distracting!
I enjoyed the whole experience but think I would wait until the summer months if I was going to go again. There’s a huge choice of films coming up including classics like The Breakfast Club and Top Gun or more recent blockbusters like The Theory of Everything and Birdman. Tickets cost £14 – here’s the schedule for the Peckham venue if you’re thinking about getting tickets.
What: Rooftop Film Club in Peckham
Where: Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, London SE15 4ST
Screening days & times: screening times often vary throughout the summer season.
Wheelchair access: no
Cost: £14 per ticket
Follow on twitter:
Rooftop Film Club – @rooftopfilmclub
—
You may also want to check out London’s best open air cinemas.
