A walk that looks at how Islington has supplied London with food, from medieval herb gardens, dairy farms and tea gardens right up to the restaurants of today

At the end of the 20th century Kings Cross was at the heart of London’s LGBT social scene  Relive the heady days of the Scala cinema movie nights and The Bell Pub and visit the Central Station pub who have supported every spectrum of LGBT society from SM Dykes to the Gay Christian movement since the early 1990s.   Also, discover the area’s history of activism and community support from the setting up of the London Gay Switchboard in the 1970s through to current organisations such as Say it Loud and Gendered Intelligence.

Funny Islington offers a rip roaring tour of the Angel area followed by a comedy show. You’ll discover how Islington established itself as an entertainment hotspot, from spas and pleasure gardens and a legendary clown, to the comic geniuses of music hall and early cinema, and brilliant comedy writers. You’ll also find out about the local pubs and comedy clubs that have launched the careers of so many famous modern day comedians – and at the end of the walk, you’re invited to a free comedy show at The Bill Murray.

Take a stroll along and above the Regent’s Canal following the Islington’s boundary with Hackney. Hear about this waterway’s rich history and marvel at how much has changed. Learn about boats and beds, warehouses and factories, rubber and metal, fancy goods and pleasure gardens.

A  Clerkenwell walk celebrating some of the many Islington LGBT+ firsts – from Chris Smith, the UK’s first openly gay Member of Parliament in 1984 to the UK’s first legal afterhours club Trade which opened in 1990s. As well as dance, music, clubs and pubs the walk explores many of the poignant, funny and brave stories of life and activism recorded by the Islington’s Pride project.

At the end of the 20th century Kings Cross was at the heart of London’s LGBT social scene  Relive the heady days of the Scala cinema movie nights and The Bell Pub and visit the Central Station pub who have supported every spectrum of LGBT society from SM Dykes to the Gay Christian movement since the early 1990s.   Also, discover the area’s history of activism and community support from the setting up of the London Gay Switchboard in the 1970s through to current organisations such as Say it Loud and Gendered Intelligence.

A  Clerkenwell walk celebrating some of the many Islington LGBT+ firsts – from Chris Smith, the UK’s first openly gay Member of Parliament in 1984 to the UK’s first legal afterhours club Trade which opened in 1990s. As well as dance, music, clubs and pubs the walk explores many of the poignant, funny and brave stories of life and activism recorded by the Islington’s Pride project.

This walk brings the Grossmiths’ satirical spoof diary to life. You’ll visit real places and hear about real people of that era whilst listening to amusing excerpts from Mr Pooter’s diary. You don’t need to have already read the book to enjoy this tour, but you’ll want to afterwards.

Travel back in time to the late Victorian era when the Nag’s Head of Holloway rivalled the Central London for shopping and entertainment. Hear about fancy tea rooms, banqueting halls, palatial variety theatres, unusual transport and a couple of labyrinthine department stores. 

Let’s look at some stylish and statement buildings in N4 and N5 to see how local businesses as well as places of entertainment, sport and transport applied the clean lines and design devices of the ArtDeco/modernist era. We’ll also see how this movement has continued to inspire today’s architects.

Come and marvel at some impressive ‘statement’ architecture constructed in the 1920s and 1930s during a design period known as Art Deco. Examples of this style are hiding in plain view almost at every junction of Holloway N7 on commercial buildings, places of entertainment and housing.

Poets and authors, playwrights and musicians, artists, diarists and thieves.

A mixed bag showcasing the diverse and often innovative creative people who have lived and worked in the Holloway area. Plus a couple of infamous characters too.

A walk through some of Islington’s impressive social housing. We’ll visit Victorian dwellings and early LCC estates and compare them with recently constructed schemes. We’ll talk about philanthropists, schools, churches, poverty and pride, architecture and design.

Take a stroll along and above the Regent’s Canal following the Islington’s boundary with Hackney. Hear about this waterway’s rich history and marvel at how much has changed. Learn about boats and beds, warehouses and factories, rubber and metal, fancy goods and pleasure gardens.

A wander through the backstreets of Islington following a trail of old hand-painted signs above and around the Regents Canal. See and hear evidence of a diverse range of companies and products from ladies’ underwear and fancy boxes to metals, canvas and ceramics.

Quiet spaces, peaceful gardens and lovely quiet backstreets just a stone’s throw from the busy main road. We’ll visit open fields, an award-winning park, a hidden garden, farms old and new, a churchyard, sports fields and shady meadows, talking about dogs and desire, renovation and recycling.