Rooftop garden was a special place for films

The Rooftop Film Club (RFC), at the Queen of Hoxton, Curtain Road, started in June and screens cult movies under the stars, five nights a week until September 30.

As the sun goes down and the stars come out, film-lovers don their wireless headphones, grab a cocktail, some popcorn and settle down to watch a classic (think Jaws, Dirty Dancing, Spinal Tap) while the lights flicker on and off in the surrounding skyscrapers as late workers burn the midnight oil.

Spirit

It sounds a great idea, but how does it work in practice in a city where most of August, never mind September, was spent in wellies sloshing through puddles?

The RFC is well prepared – free ponchos and blankets are provided for more inclement evenings – but what about the teeming rain that has plagued our summer?

Gerry Cottle Jnr, founder of the RFC, said: “A bit of drizzle is fine and the place is still packed, but torrential rain can be a bit of a problem.

“At one screening it was pouring down, but 80 people still turned up. I played the film and said they could get free entry on another night as well. By the end there were about 15, very drenched people left, who all said it was the best night of their lives. That’s the British spirit.

“I love films, and when I saw the garden I had to do it. It’s such a special place to watch a movie. We have had a great response and we will definitely be back next summer.”

It certainly has been a success, selling out throughout the whole summer, although tickets are almost always available on the night.

For the record, the day I went to the RFC everyone in the office said I was mad – all afternoon the rain was bouncing off the pavement and the trees in the park were nearly bent double from the wind. But, after checking the show was going ahead, off I went. The skies cleared and, although the night was cool, watching the film under a cosy, thick blanket was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.