Former Carlton Cinema - building tours

Gracepoint is opening its doors for tours of the Former Carlton Cinema on Saturday 23 January, with another date on Saturday 13 March. Both run from 11:00 to 12:30. It's a rare chance to get inside one of Islington's most distinctive buildings, a Grade II* listed shell that's usually closed to the public.

The Carlton opened on Essex Road in 1930, billed as 'North London's most palatial cine-variety theatre'. It was a proper old-school cinema, 2,500 seats and its own in-house orchestra. The Egyptian-inspired design was the work of cinema architect George Coles, and a good deal of the original interior is still there to see. It ran until 1972, when it closed and became a bingo club, which stayed open for nearly 35 years until March 2007. Since 2015, it's been home to Resurrection Power and Living Bread Ministries (London).

The tour is led by cinema historian Nigel Smith, who takes you through the auditorium, the lobby and the former café area, talking through the cinema's glory days of the 1930s and 40s. It lasts about 90 minutes, and £5 from every ticket goes towards the building's restoration fund. Access to the upper parts is by stairs only, and because the building is occasionally booked for private events, the tour can be cancelled at short notice, in which case you get a full refund. Tickets are £20.00.