Islington's Big Screens - a cinematic walking tour

A stroll through more than 100 years of Islington cinema-going; all between Angel and Essex Road stations. We’ll encounter Victorian showmen, architectural wonders and tales of bad behaviour in the stalls. Come to discover hidden gems and hear what a night ‘at the flicks’ was like decades before multiplexes.

In addition to such landmarks as the Screen on the Green, you'll see some buildings that were once cinemas as well as a few intriguing places where all trace of their cinematic past has vanished.

The walk lasts about 2 hours, starts at Angel station and ends near Essex Road station.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Nigel's Islington cinemas walk is superb. I have lived and worked in the area for many years, and know something of its history, but Nigel consistently came up with so many fascinating details that I didn't know before. His research and his presentation were both first class. He had the group stop at exactly the right places so that we could precisely appreciate the details he was pointing out. He set the history of the cinema in its wider social context, and gave the group a fantastic two-hour experience."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Nigel is a really friendly and knowledgeable guide on all things related to cinema history in Islington. A fascinating and insightful tour for film lovers and London history fans alike."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Nigel's guided walk was well paced and very informative. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of cinema history and peppered his walk with quirky facts and interesting asides. I thoroughly recommend his guided walks."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Nigel’s Islington cinemas walk is excellent. You learn a lot about cinema and social history and see the area with new eyes. Nigel pitches his tour perfectly and has some fascinating photographs to accompany his commentary. Highly recommended."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This was a really interesting tour, Nigel is such a knowledgable guide and came across as incredibly passionate about cinema and local history. I liked that the tour itself revealed so many secrets of locations around Upper Street and Islington that I never knew and gave a wider picture of how film and cinema evolved across the UK."

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Host or Publisher Nigel Smith - Guided Walking Tours