Rooftop cinema

In a world where sitting in a dark room shoulder to shoulder with strangers still feels alien what could be better than cinema in the open air?  This was my thought process when I booked tickets to see In the Heights at the  Rooftop Film. In my mind I thought of a warm summer evening, sun setting over stunning views of London as the film started to play.  Unfortunately the reality was not quite how I imaged it...

I arrived nice and early at the Bussey Building (yep, that's what it's called) and was faced with a climb up 4 flights of steps. Looking back I should have anticipated that stairs would be involved in a rooftop film club but at the time I didn't think about it and was unprepared for such exertion. Once I'd made it to the top I was greeted by a giant box of popcorn and a beautiful little arrangement of deck chairs and tables to sit in. I collected my blanket and wireless headphones from the box office, picked out a decent spot and settled in to wait for the film. 
I should say that the setup at the Rooftop Film Club is excellent. The deckchairs are arranged with a good view of the screen, not too close together. Each set of chairs has a table which lets you order food, drink and snacks and they're brought right too you throughout the film. Once the sun had set and the film started the wireless headphones were great, you could hear the film without any interruptions from the elements or the other patrons. 
The film itself was a delightful musical, representing a modern day New York with its immigrant population being slowly pushed out by gentrification.  For something that's dealing with such a serious topic it had a lightness and joy about it and just about kept up the fun for the near two and a half hour run time. The hot summer  setting would have been perfect for a warm summer evening  but as usual you can never rely on the British weather.
As the night went on, drinks were had, snacks were eaten and the cold and the wind started to set in. Being so high up meant gusts of wind were frequent and with the night cooling down the blankets were wrapped tighter and tighter. By the end of the film I was happy to get up and go, dropping my headphones and blanket off as I went. The four flights of stairs that had been such a trial on arrival were now a welcome way to get the blood flowing again. 
On reflection the night was  a treat with the weather being only a minor inconvenience. Should I plan to go back again I'll anticipate a colder night and bring some warmer clothes with me.