Drive in cinema at Alexandra Palace

I've always fancied a trip to a drive-in cinema. It looks so fun, so romantic (and yes, so cheesy) when you see it in films and on the TV.

So when I heard that Rooftop Cinema Club were bringing drive-in cinema to Alexandra Palace, I had to go. After much deliberation, The Boy and I chose to see Back To The Future, a cinematic classic which I am ashamed to admit I had never seen until this momentous occasion. The Boy insisted it was perfect fodder for a drive-in cinema experience, and so the stage was set for a rainy Monday night.

Rain did not stop play. (The film didn't start until 8pm, when it was darker than this).

When you see drive-in cinemas in films, they are always set in hot, rainless countries, mainly America, where everyone had a roofless car. In Britain, it's a very different story, so the sound is played at a certain frequency, which everyone tunes into on their car radio.

The Boy is chuffed with snacks (Ally Pally in the background).

Unfortunately the rain meant that we had to have the windscreen wipers going almost constantly throughout the film. Despite this minor, unavoidable grievance, it was an enjoyable experience, and a very comfortable way to watch a film; you can wind your seat back as far as you want, you can chat in your car without disturbing other cinemagoers (and, most importantly, they don't disturb you).

The cost for this particular drive-cinema experience in £22 per car, regardless of how many people are in the car. Whilst it's nice that they charge per car rather than per person, I imagine it would be uncomfortable/difficult for any backseat passengers to get a good view of the film.

A (second) trip up The Orbit

Don't look down!

The other day I wrote about my preview trip up The Orbit in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, before either the park or the structure were open to the public. Just three days later I returned to the park for the opening day, and went up The Orbit again (having bought the tickets before I knew about my freebie preview).

A better view than last time!

Fortunately the weather this time was much clearer, making for a great view as far as Harrow on the Hill and Ally Pally

Before going up

A couple of tips if you're going up the Orbit yourself; try to pick your spot in the lift very carefully. Although the ascent is only 34 seconds (as the staff will repeatedly tell you, with such pride as if they'd engineered it themselves), two of the four corners have little peephole windows. Great if you like whizzy views, not so great if you don't. Pick your lift spot accordingly.

Also, if you are able, it is worth walking back down the stairs, rather than taking the lift down to ground level. The entire staircase is a giant soundscape, takingyou through the entire city via iconic sounds such as the bell foundry at Whitechapel, traders at Columbia Road flower market and crowds cheering at Wembley.

Some of the first visitors enjoy the view

Media preview of Olympic Park and The Orbit

Yesterday was the press preview of the re-opening of the Olympic Park and The Orbit, and I was lucky enough to go along.

First up on the trip was the Aquatics Centre. I'd already had a peek in here, and a swim in the pool, thanks to Sport Relief a couple of weeks ago. But this time round, Tom Daley was training on the diving boards at the far end.

Next up, and the highlight of the tour was a trip up The Orbit. Love or loathe it, it gives the best views in the East of London - or so I hear. Unfortunately London's worst smog for many years prevented me from getting great views, but I managed to get a couple of shots.

Before the ascent

 Looking out into the smog felt like another city. The faint silhouette of the skyline put me in mind of images of Beijing, whilst the large expanse of wasteland/land under development surrounding the park was reminiscent of my trip up the Carlton Tower in Jo'burg a couple of years ago.

The Orbit overlooks the Olympic stadium, and happily, it has no roof at the moment, as it is under redevelopment for when West Ham take it over in 2016, giving a great view into the stadium itself.

One particular quirk of The Orbit is that you can also see West Ham's current ground, Upton Park, although yesterday the smog was too thick for my camera to pick it up. You couldn't say that about Tottenham, who also put in a bid for it.

Londonist, where I work, is media partner to the Olympic Park, so for more cool insights, including a podcast and video, keep an eye on the website.