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Luton
Luton Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1598630.jpg
Luton Town Hall
Luton is located in Bedfordshire
Luton
Luton
Area 40.74 km2 (15.73 sq mi)
Population 222,043 (2020 estimate)
• Density 5,450/km2 (14,100/sq mi)
Unitary authority
  • Luton
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
EU Parliament East of England
List of places
UK
England
Bedfordshire
51°52′46″N 0°25′03″W / 51.879544°N 0.4174498°W / 51.879544; -0.4174498

Luton is a town in the Borough of Luton, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, south east England, but in the East of England region for administrative purposes. In 2020 the built up area subdivision had a population of 222,043. The district has a population of 213,052 (2020) and is one of the most populous towns without city status in the United Kingdom. In 2011 the built-up-area (including the neighbouring towns of Dunstable and Houghton Regis) had a population of 258,018. It is also the most populous town in Bedfordshire. The town is situated on the River Lea, about 30 miles (50 km) north-northwest of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon outpost on the River Lea, from which Luton derives its name. Luton is recorded in the Domesday Book as Loitone and Lintone and one of the largest churches in Bedfordshire, St Mary's Church, was built in the 12th century. There are local museums which explore Luton's history in Wardown Park and Stockwood Park.

Luton was for many years famous for hatmaking, and also had a large Vauxhall Motors factory. Car production at the plant began in 1905 and continued until the plant's closure in 2002. Production of commercial vehicles continues, and the head office of Vauxhall Motors was for many years in the town, but has now relocated in 2019 to the village of Chalton, Bedfordshire on the northern border of the Borough of Luton. London Luton Airport opened in 1938, and is now one of Britain's major airports, with three railway stations also in the town. The University of Bedfordshire was created from a merger with the University of Luton, and two of its campuses are in Luton.

Luton Town Football Club, nicknamed "the Hatters" due to the town's connection to hatmaking, has had several spells in the top flight of the English league as well as a Football League Cup triumph in 1988. They play at Kenilworth Road, their home since 1905, and planning permission for a new larger stadium was approved in 2019. Luton International Carnival, the largest one-day carnival in Europe, is held on the day before the last Monday in May, and the Saint Patrick's festival is held on the weekend nearest to Saint Patrick's Day as there is a large Irish community in Luton. The town also has a large Pakistani community, which along with the Irish were attracted to employment at the Vauxhall car plant. Luton Hoo is an English country house, estate and Grade I listed building designed by Scottish architect Robert Adam.

History

Etymology

Luton derives its name from Saxon -tun (meaning enclosure, estate or homestead), and the Brittonic element -lug (meaning 'bright', 'light' or referring to the associated Celtic deity Lugus). The joint linguistic heritage may indicate the town's foundation as an early Anglo-Saxon outpost in a newly conquered area .

Early history

The earliest settlements in the Luton area were at Round Green and Mixes Hill, where Paleolithic encampments (about 250,000 years old) have been found. Settlements re-appeared after the ice had retreated in the Mesolithic period around 8000 BC. Traces of these settlements have been found in the Leagrave area of the modern town. Remains from the Neolithic period (4500–2500 BC in this area) are much more common. A particular concentration of Neolithic burials occurs at Galley Hill. The most prominent Neolithic structure is Waulud's Bank – a henge dating from around 3000 BC. From the Neolithic onwards, the area seems to have been populated, but without any single large settlement. Luton itself is believed to have been founded as Lea-tun by the Anglo-Saxons sometime in the 6th century.

After the establishment of the Danelaw in the east of England and the unification of the remaining English kingdoms in the west, Luton stood on the border between Christendom and Heathenism which ran up the River Lea from London through to Bedford.

The Anglo Saxon Chronicle for the year 913 mentions Luton because locals fought off a Viking raiding band: "In this year the [Danish] army from Northampton and Leicester rode out after Easter [28th March] and broke the peace, and killed many men at Hook Norton [Oxfordshire] and round about there. And then very soon after that, as the one force came home, they met another raiding band which rode out against Luton. And then the people of the district became aware of it and fought against them and reduced them to full flight and rescued all that they had captured and also a great part of their horses and their weapons".

Archaeological finds for this genesis of Lutonian history include 50 burials, 8 cremations, 16 spears, 22 knives (seax), a sword, 8 shield bosses, a pair of iron shears, a single bone comb, countless examples of brooches, pendants and other jewellery of bronze and amber and shards of pottery.

The Domesday Book records Luton as Loitone and also as Lintone. Agriculture dominated the local economy at that time, and the town's population was around 700 to 800. But this number could represent a recently reduced population as a direct result of the Norman Invasion and the English resistance that followed. The Domesday Book records the value of King William's English possessions 20 years after his victory at Hastings, during which period, as the book would suggest, much destruction and death took place. Besides Luton, Biscot and Caddington also have entries in the Domesday Book for the surrounding area and in both these cases the value of the lands are much lower than their pre-invasion state, indicating a loss of households, livestock and crops.

StMarysLuton
St Mary's Church, Luton town centre
Wenlock chapel, Luton
The Wenlock chapel within St Mary's

In 1121 Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester started work on St Mary's Church in the centre of the town. The work was completed by 1137. A motte-and-bailey castle which gives its name to the modern Castle Street was built in 1139. The castle was demolished in 1154 and the site is now occupied by a Matalan store. During the Middle Ages Luton is recorded as having six watermills. Mill Street, in the town centre, takes its name from one of them.

King John (1166–1216) had hired a mercenary soldier, Falkes de Breauté, to act on his behalf. (Breauté is a small town near Le Havre in France.) When he married, Falkes de Breauté acquired his wife's house which came to be known as "Fawkes Hall", subsequently corrupted over the years to "Foxhall", then to "Vauxhall". In return for his services, King John granted Falkes the manor of Luton, where he built a castle alongside St Mary's Church. He was also granted the right to bear his own coat of arms and chose the mythical griffin as his heraldic emblem. The griffin thus became associated with both Vauxhall and Luton in the early 13th century.

By 1240 the town is recorded as "Leueton". One "Simon of Luton" was Abbot of Bury St Edmunds from 1257 to 1279. The town had a market for surrounding villages in August each year, and with the growth of the town a second fair was granted each October from 1338.

In 1336 a large fire destroyed much of Luton; however, the town was soon rebuilt.

The agriculture base of the town changed in the 16th century with a brick-making industry developing around Luton; many of the older wooden houses were rebuilt in brick.

17th century

During the English Civil War of the 17th century, in 1645, royalists entered the town and demanded money and goods. Parliamentary forces arrived and during the fighting four royalist soldiers were killed and a further twenty-two were captured. A second skirmish occurred three years later in 1648 when a royalist army passed through Luton. A number of royalists were attacked by parliamentary soldiers at an inn on the corner of the current Bridge Street. Most of the royalists escaped but nine were killed.

18th century

The hat making industry began in the 17th century and became synonymous with the town. By the 18th century the industry dominated the town. Hats are still produced in the town but on a much smaller scale.

The first Luton Workhouse was constructed in the town in 1722.

Luton Hoo, a nearby large country house, was built in 1767 and substantially rebuilt after a fire in 1843. It is now a luxury hotel.

19th century

Lutonmap1888
A map of Luton from 1888

The town grew strongly in the 19th century. In 1801 the population was 3,095. By 1850 it was over 10,000 and by 1901 it was almost 39,000. Such rapid growth demanded a railway connection but the town had to wait a long time for one. The London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) had been built through Tring in 1838, and the Great Northern Railway was built through Hitchin in 1852, both bypassing Luton, the largest town in the area. A branch line connecting with the L&BR at Leighton Buzzard was proposed, but because of objections to release of land, construction terminated at Dunstable in 1848. It was another ten years before the branch was extended to Bute Street Station, and the first train to Dunstable ran on 3 May 1858. The line was later extended to Welwyn and from 1860 direct trains to King's Cross ran. The Midland Railway was extended from Bedford to St Pancras through Leagrave and Midland Road station and opened on 9 September 1867.

Luton received a gas supply in 1834. Gas street lights were erected and the first town hall was opened in 1847.

Following a cholera epidemic in 1848 Luton established a water company and had a complete water and sewerage system by the late 1860s. Newspaper printing arrived in the town in 1854. The first public cemetery was opened in the same year. The first covered market was built (the Plait Halls – now demolished) in 1869. Luton was made a borough in 1876. A professional football club – the first in the South of England – was founded in 1885 following a resolution at the town hall that a 'Luton Town Club be formed'.

The crest also includes a hand holding a bunch of wheat, either taken as a symbol of the straw-plaiting industry, or from the arms of John Whethamsteade, Abbott of St Albans, who rebuilt the chancel of St Mary's Church in the 15th century.

20th century

Wardownmuseum

In the 20th century, the hat trade severely declined and was replaced by other industries. In 1905, Vauxhall Motors opened the largest car plant in the United Kingdom in Luton. In 1914 Hewlett & Blondeau aviation entrepreneurs built a factory in Leagrave which began aircraft production built under licence for the war effort; the site was purchased in 1920 by new proprietors Electrolux domestic appliances, and this was followed by other light engineering businesses.

In 1901 the Bailey Water Tower was built on the edge of what was to become Luton Hoo memorial park. It is now a private residence.

In 1904 councillors Asher Hucklesby and Edwin Oakley purchased the estate at Wardown Park and donated it to the people of Luton. Hucklesby went on to become Mayor of Luton. The main house in the park became Wardown Park Museum.

The town had a tram system from 1908 until 1932, and the first cinema was opened in 1909. By 1914 the population had reached 50,000.

The original town hall was destroyed in 1919 during Peace Day celebrations at the end of the First World War. Local people, including many ex-servicemen, were unhappy with unemployment and had been refused the use of a local park to hold celebratory events. They stormed the town hall, setting it alight (see Luton Town Hall). A replacement building was completed in 1936. Luton Airport opened in 1938, owned and operated by the council.

LutonTownHallOld
The first town hall was destroyed in 1919

The pre-war years, even at the turn of the 1930s when a Great Depression saw unemployment reach record levels nationally, were something of an economic boom for Luton, as new industries grew and prospered. New private and council housing was built in the 1920s and 1930s, with Luton growing as a town to incorporate nearby villages Leagrave, Limbury and Stopsley between 1928 and 1933.

In the Second World War, the Vauxhall Factory built Churchill tanks as part of the war effort. Despite heavy camouflage, the factory made Luton a target for the Luftwaffe and the town suffered a number of air raids. 107 died and there was extensive damage to the town (over 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed). Other industry in the town, such as SKF, which produced ball bearings, made a vital contribution to the war effort. Although a bomb landed at the SKF Factory, no major damage was caused. Post-war, the slum clearance continued, and a number of substantial estates of council housing were built, notably at Farley Hill, Stopsley, Limbury, Marsh Farm and Leagrave (Hockwell Ring). The M1 motorway passed just to the west of the town, opening in 1959 and giving it a direct motorway link with London and – eventually – the Midlands and the North. In 1962 a new library (to replace the cramped Carnegie Library) was opened by the Queen in the corner of St George's Square.

In the late 1960s a large part of the town centre was cleared to build a large covered shopping centre, the Arndale Centre, which was opened in 1972. It was refurbished and given a glass roof in the 1990s.

LutonTownCentre
The town centre still has some of the old hat factories

In 2000, Vauxhall announced the end of car production in Luton; the plant closed in March 2002. At its peak it had employed in excess of 30,000 people. Vauxhall's headquarters remain in the town, as does its van and light commercial vehicle factory.

21st century

A major regeneration programme for the town centre is under way, which will include upgrades to the town's bus and railway stations as well as improvements to the town's urban environment. St George's Square has been rebuilt and reopened in 2007. The new design won a Gold Standard Award for the Town Centre Environment from the annual British Council of Shopping Centres awards.

Work was completed on an extension to the Mall Shopping Centre facing St George's Square, the largest of the new units to was taken by TK Maxx. Planning applications for a much larger extension to the Mall Arndale Shopping Centre (In the Northern Gateway area – Bute Street, Silver Street and Guildford Street) and also for a new centre in Power Court (close to St Mary's Church) have been submitted. On the edge of Luton at Putteridge Bury a high-technology office park, Butterfield Green, is under construction. The former Vauxhall site is also to be re-developed as a mixed use site called Napier Park. It will feature housing, retail and entertainment use, including a new casino.

Geography

WardownLake
A pedestrian suspension bridge spans the River Lea in Wardown Park.

Luton is located in a break in the Eastern part of the Chiltern Hills. The Chilterns are a mixture of chalk from the Cretaceous period (about 66 – 145 million years ago) and deposits laid at the southernmost points of the ice sheet during the last ice age (the Warden Hills area can be seen from much of the town).

Bedfordshire had a reputation for brick making but the industry is now significantly reduced. The brickworks at Stopsley took advantage of the clay deposits in the east of the town.

The source of the River Lea, part of the Thames Valley drainage basin, is in the Leagrave area of the town. The Great Bramingham Wood surrounds this area. It is classified as ancient woodland; records mention the wood at least 400 years ago.

There are few routes through the hilly area for some miles, this has led to several major roads (including the M1 and the A6) and a major rail-link being constructed through the town.

Climate

Luton has a temperate marine climate, like much of the British Isles, with generally light precipitation throughout the year. The weather is very changeable from day to day and the warming influence of the Gulf Stream makes the region mild for its latitude. The average total annual rainfall is 698 mm (27.5 in) with rain falling on 117 days of the year.

Lutonsnowoct08
Snow accumulation over the Chiltern hills during October 2008 snowfall, Luton is denoted by the yellow dot.

The local climate around Luton is differentiated somewhat from much of South East England due to its position in the Chiltern Hills, meaning it tends to be 1–2 degrees Celsius cooler than the surrounding towns – often flights at Luton airport, lying 160 m (525 ft) above sea level, will be suspended when marginal snow events occur, while airports at lower elevations, such as Heathrow, at 25 m (82 ft) above sea level, continue to function. An example of this is shown in the photograph to the right, the snowline being about 100 m (328 ft) above sea level. Absolute temperature extremes recorded at Rothamsted Research Station, 5 miles (8 km) south south east of Luton town centre and at a similar elevation range from −17.0 °C (1.4 °F) in December 1981 and −16.7 °C (1.9 °F) in January 1963 to 36.0 °C (96.8 °F) in August 2003 and 33.8 °C (92.8 °F) in August 1990 and July 2006. Records for Rothamsted date back to 1901.

Climate data for Rothamsted 1971–2000 (Weather station 5 miles (8 km) to the south of Luton)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 6.3
(43.3)
6.7
(44.1)
9.5
(49.1)
11.9
(53.4)
15.7
(60.3)
18.6
(65.5)
21.4
(70.5)
21.4
(70.5)
18.0
(64.4)
13.8
(56.8)
9.4
(48.9)
7.2
(45.0)
13.4
(56.1)
Average low °C (°F) 0.9
(33.6)
0.7
(33.3)
2.3
(36.1)
3.6
(38.5)
6.3
(43.3)
9.2
(48.6)
11.4
(52.5)
11.4
(52.5)
9.5
(49.1)
6.7
(44.1)
3.3
(37.9)
1.9
(35.4)
5.6
(42.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 69.5
(2.74)
47.3
(1.86)
54.0
(2.13)
53.1
(2.09)
49.8
(1.96)
60.4
(2.38)
41.2
(1.62)
53.6
(2.11)
60.9
(2.40)
74.4
(2.93)
66.0
(2.60)
67.6
(2.66)
697.8
(27.47)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 55.2 70.6 107.3 146.7 194.7 190.2 203.4 196.5 142.2 112.2 70.2 48.1 1,537.2
Source: Met Office

Areas

The Victorian expansion of Luton focused on areas close to the existing town centre and railways. In the 1920s and 1930s growth typically was though absorbing neighbouring villages and hamlets(an example being Leagrave) and infill construction between them and Luton. After the Second World War there were several estates and developments constructed both by the local council such as Farley Hill or Marsh Farm, or privately such as Bushmead.

  1. Barnfield
  2. Biscot
  3. Bramingham
  4. Challney
  5. Crawley
  6. Dallow
  7. Farley Hill
  8. High Town
  9. Icknield
  10. Leagrave
Lutonwardmap.jpg
  1. Lewsey
  2. Limbury-cum-Biscot
  3. Northwell
  4. Round Green
  5. Saints
  6. South ward
  7. Stopsley
  8. Sundon Park
  9. Wigmore

More about Places within Luton

Demography

The United Kingdom Census 2011 showed that the borough had a population of 203,201, a 10.2% increase from the previous census in 2001, when Luton was the 27th largest settlement in the United Kingdom. In 2011, 46,756 were aged under 16, 145,208 were 16 to 74, and 11,237 were 75 or over. The latest population figure for the borough is 213,052 (2020).

Local inhabitants are known as Lutonians.

Ethnicity

Luton: Ethnicity: 2011 Census
Ethnic group Population  %
White 111,079 54.7
Mixed 8,281 4.1
Asian or Asian British 60,952 30.0
Black or Black British 19,909 9.8
Other Ethnic Group 2,980 1.5
Total 203,201 100

Luton has seen several waves of immigration. In the early part of the 20th century, there was internal migration of Irish and Scottish people to the town. These were followed by Afro-Caribbean and Asian immigrants. More recently immigrants from European countries have made Luton their home. As a result of this Luton has a diverse ethnic mix, with a significant population of Asian descent, mainly Pakistani 29,353 (14.4%) and Bangladeshi 13,606 (6.7%). The latter two also make up most of the Muslim religious population in Luton, which is the third highest for a town or city in England by proportion.

Since the 2011 census, Luton has had a white British population less than 50%, one of three towns in the United Kingdom along with Leicester and Slough. Luton has a majority white population when non-British white people are included, such as the Irish and Eastern Europeans. 81% of the population of Luton define themselves as British.

Religion

Religion Population  %
Christian 96,271 46.4
Muslim 51,992 25.6
Hindu 6,749 3.5
Sikh 2,347 1.0
Buddhist 652 0.3
Jewish 326 0.2
Other 898 0.4
No religion 33,594 16.5
Religion not stated 12,373 6.1
High Town Methodist church, Luton
The Methodist Chapel in High Town (built 1897)
Sikh temple, luton
The Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh Temple

Transport

Meridian Luton Airport Parkway
Midland Mainline Class 222 at Luton Airport Parkway in April 2006

Luton is situated less than 30 miles (50 km) north of the centre of London, giving it good links with the City and other parts of the country via rail and major roads such as the M1 (which serves the town from junctions 10 and 11) and A6. Luton has three railway stations: Luton, Leagrave, and Luton Airport Parkway that are served by East Midlands Railway and Thameslink services. Luton is also home to London Luton Airport, one of the major feeder airports for London and the southeast. A new light metro people mover track, Luton DART, is currently under construction, which will link the airport and the Airport Parkway railway station when it opens in 2022.

A network of bus services run by Arriva Shires & Essex, Grant Palmer, and Centrebus serves the urban area of Luton and Dunstable, and in 2013 a bus rapid transit route opened, the Luton to Dunstable Busway, connecting the town with the airport, Dunstable and Houghton Regis.

Luton is also served by a large taxi network. As a unitary authority, Luton Borough Council is responsible for the local highways and public transport in the borough and licensing of taxis.

Culture and leisure

Sport

Kenilthworth Road
Kenilworth Road, home to Luton Town Football Club

Luton is the home town of Luton Town Football Club who currently play in the Football League 2, Their nickname, "The Hatters", dates back to when Luton had a substantial millinery industry. The club began the 2008/09 season with a thirty-point deficit, and were consequently relegated from the Football League to the Conference Premier on 13 April 2009.[4] However, Luton did win the Football League Trophy that year in front of 42,000 Luton fans at Wembley, despite being the lowest placed team in the competition for the whole season, Conference Premier after failing to win automatic promotion to Football League Two during the 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons. Luton were beaten 2–0 on aggregate by York City in the semi finals of the playoffs, and therefore failed to progress to the final at Wembley Stadium. The following season Luton progressed to the final of the playoffs, losing to Wimbledon on penalties. In 2011–12 once again the team reached the final of the play-offs, only to lose 2–1 to York. Luton were promoted back to the football league as champions of the Conference in 2014

Bedfordshire County Cricket Club is based at Wardown Park and is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Bedfordshire and competing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy.

Speedway racing was staged in Luton in the mid-1930s.

The town has three rugby union clubs – Stockwood Park Rugby Club who play in Midlands 3 SE, Luton Rugby Club who play in London 1 North, and Vauxhall Motors RFC who do not currently play in the RFU league structure.

Wardown Park

Daisy-Chain-Walk-standard
The Daisy-Chain Wall in Wardown Park.

Wardown Park is situated on the River Lea in Luton. The park has sporting facilities, is home to the Wardown Park Museum and contains formal gardens. The park is located between Old Bedford Road and the A6, New Bedford Road and is within walking distance of the town centre.

Stockwood Park

Stockwood Park is a large municipal park near Junction 10 of the M1. Located in the park is Stockwood Discovery Centre a free museum that houses the Mossman Collection and Luton local social history, archaeology and geology. There is an athletics track, an 18-hole golf course, several rugby pitches and areas of open space.

The park was originally the estate and grounds to Stockwood house, which was demolished in 1964.

Carnival

Luton International Carnival is the largest one-day carnival in Europe. It usually takes place on the late May Bank Holiday. Crowds can reach 150,000 on each occasion.

The procession starts at Wardown Park and makes its way down New Bedford Road, around the town centre via St George's Square, back down New Bedford Road and finishes back at Wardown Park. There are music stages and stalls around the town centre and at Wardown Park.

Luton is home to the UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA), the country's first purpose-built facility of its kind.

Due to budget cuts, the most recent carnival was run on a significantly smaller scale, with approximately one third of the typical attendance – most of the attendees were residents of the Luton area.

Luton St. Patrick's Festival

The festival celebrating the patron saint of Ireland and organised by Luton Irish Forum, St Patrick, is held on the weekend nearest to 17 March. In its 15th year in 2014, the festival includes a parade, market stalls and music stands as well as Irish themed events.

Theatre

Luton is home to the Library Theatre, a 238-seat theatre located on the 3rd floor of the town's Central Library. The theatre's programme consists of local amateur dramatic societies, pantomime, children's theatre (on Saturday mornings) and one night shows of touring theatre companies.

Luton is also home to the Hat Factory, originally as its name suggests, this arts centre was in fact a real hat factory. The Hat Factory is a combined arts venue in the centre of Luton. It opened in 2003 and since then has been the area’s main provider of contemporary theatre, dance and music. The venue provides live music, club nights, theatre, dance, films, children's activities, workshops, classes and gallery exhibitions.

Museums

Luton Museum

Wardown Park Museum previously known as Luton Museum and Art Gallery, is housed in a large Victorian mansion in Wardown Park on the outskirts of the town centre. The museum collection focusses on the traditional crafts and industry of Luton and Bedfordshire, notably lace-making and hat-making. There are samples of local lace from as early as the 17th century.

Stockwood Craft Museum

Based in Stockwood Park, Luton, the collection of rural crafts and trades held at Stockwood Park Museum was amassed by Thomas Wyatt Bagshawe, who was a notable local historian and a leading authority on folk life. Bagshawe was born in Dunstable in 1901 and became a director of the family engineering firm.

The collection only contains examples from Bedfordshire and the borders of neighbouring counties, giving the collection a very strong regional identity.

Mossman Collection

Part of the Mossman Collection (1) - geograph.org.uk - 1548315
Part of the Mossman Collection.

The Mossman Carriage collection is held at Stockwood Park, Luton and is the largest and most significant vehicle collection of its kind in the country, including originals from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

The Mossman collection of horse-drawn vehicles was given to Luton Museum Service in 1991. It illustrates the development of horse-drawn road transport in Britain from Roman times up until the 1930s.

Local attractions

Key
National Trust Owned by the National Trust
English Heritage Owned by English Heritage
Forestry Commission Owned by the Forestry Commission
Country Park A Country Park
Accessible open space An Accessible open space
Museum (free) Museum (free)
Museum Museum (charges entry fee)
Heritage railway Heritage railway
Historic house Historic House

Twin towns

Luton participates in international town twinning; its partners are:

Country Place County / District / Region / State Date
Germany DEU Bergisch Gladbach COA.svg Bergisch Gladbach Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westfalia.svg North Rhine-Westphalia 1956
France Blason Bourgoin Jallieu.svg Bourgoin-Jallieu Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 1956
Sweden Eskilstuna vapen.svg Eskilstuna Södermanland vapen.svg Södermanland 1949
Germany Coat of arms of borough Spandau.svg Berlin-Spandau Coat of arms of Berlin.svg Berlin 1959
Germany DEU Wolfsburg COA.svg Wolfsburg Coat of arms of Lower Saxony.svg Lower Saxony 1950

Lutonians

People who were born in Luton or are associated with the town.

By birth

  • Mick Abrahams, guitarist for Jethro Tull
  • David Arnold, composer
  • Emily Atack, actress
  • Keshi Anderson, footballer
  • John Badham, film director
  • Clive Barker, sculptor and artist
  • Jonathan Barnbrook, graphic designer, typographer
  • Leon Barnett, footballer
  • John D. Bernard, businessman
  • Kevin Blackwell, goalkeeper, football manager
  • Dean Brill, footballer
  • Clive Bunker, drummer for Jethro Tull
  • Danny Cannon, screenwriter, director and producer
  • Ian Cashmore, actor
  • Gerald Anthony Coles, artist
  • Natasha Collins, actress and TV presenter
  • Steve Dillon, comic artist
  • Kerry Dixon, footballer
  • Stacey Dooley, journalist and television presenter
  • Simon Fenton, actor
  • Kevin Foley, footballer
  • Sean Gallagher, actor
  • Liam George, footballer
  • John Hagan, 8th master chief petty officer, US Navy
  • Arthur Hailey, novelist
  • Neil Halstead, musician
  • Jaymi Hensley, singer of Union J
  • Nadiya Hussain, winner of The Great British Bake Off
  • Neil Jackson, actor
  • Stephen Kelman, novelist
  • Ronnie Lee, founder of the Animal Liberation Front
  • Sir Frederick Mander, General Secretary of the NUT
  • Monty Panesar cricketer
  • John Payne, musician
  • Phil Read, motorcycle racer
  • David Renwick, scriptwriter
  • Stu Riddle, footballer
  • Vaughan Savidge, announcer
  • Billy Schwer, boxer
  • Andy Selway, drummer
  • Gavin Shuker, Labour party politician
  • Junior Simpson, comedian
  • Will Smith, cricketer
  • Paul Sinha, one of the Chasers on The Chase
  • David Stoten, artist
  • Mark Titchner, artist
  • UK Decay, band
  • Jamie Woolford, musician for The Stereo, Animal Chin and Let Go, music producer
  • Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, political activist
  • Paul Young, singer
  • Jonathan Edwards, footballer

By association

  • Ian Anderson, leader of British rock band Jethro Tull
  • Stefan Bailey, footballer
  • Rodney Bewes, actor
  • Charles Bronson, prisoner
  • Mo Chaudry, entrepreneur
  • Diana Dors, actress
  • Ian Dury, singer
  • Danny Dyer, actor
  • John Hegley, poet
  • Hilda Hewlett, UK's first female pilot
  • Sir Alec Jeffreys, geneticist
  • Sarfraz Manzoor, author and columnist, The Guardian
  • Elizabeth Price, artist
  • Eric Morecambe, entertainer
  • Lee Ross, actor
  • Colin Salmon, actor
  • Edward Tudor-Pole, singer and actor
  • Kenneth Williams, actor
  • Richard Wiseman, psychologist

Economy

VauxhallGriffinHouse
Griffin House, former headquarters of Vauxhall Motors
EasyJetHQ
Hangar 89, EasyJet headquarters

Luton's economy has traditionally been focused on several different areas of industry, including car manufacturing, engineering and millinery. However, today, Luton is moving towards a service based economy mainly in the retail and the airport sectors, although there is still a focus on light industry in the town.

Notable firms with headquarters in Luton include:

  • EasyJet – head office (originally EasyLand, later moved into Hangar 89) and main base at London Luton Airport
  • Impellam Group – headquarters at Capability Green
  • TUI UK (TUI Airways) – travel (Wigmore House)
  • Vauxhall Motors – headquarters (Chalton House)

Notable firms with offices in Luton include:

  • Anritsu – electronics
  • AstraZeneca – pharmaceuticals
  • Selex ES – aerospace
  • Ernst & Young – accountants
  • Whitbread – hospitality
  • Stonegate Pub Company – hospitality

Luton's post-war and more recent industrial decline has been compared to that of similar towns in northern England.

Employment

Of the town's working population (classified 16–74 years of age by the Office for National Statistics), 63% are employed. This figure includes students, the self-employed and those who are in part-time employment. 11% are retired, 8% look after the family or take care of the home and 5% are unemployed.

Education

Universityofbeds
University of Bedfordshire – Luton

Luton is one of the main locations of the University of Bedfordshire. A large campus of the university is in Luton town centre, with a smaller campus based on the edge of town in Putteridge Bury, an old Victorian manor house. The other campuses of the university are located in Bedford, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury.

The town is home to Luton Sixth Form College and Barnfield College. Both have been awarded Learning & Skills Beacon Status by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Luton's schools and colleges had also been earmarked for major investment in the government scheme Building Schools for the Future programme, which intends to renew and refit buildings in institutes across the country. Luton is in the third wave of this long-term programme with work intending to start in 2009. Some schools were rebuilt before the programme was scrapped by the coalition government.

There are 98 educational institutes in Luton – seven nurseries, 56 primary schools (9 voluntary-aided, 2 special requirements), 13 secondary schools (1 voluntary-aided, 1 special requirements), four further educational institutes and four other educational institutes.

Notable people

People who were born in Luton or are associated with the town.

By birth

  • Mick Abrahams, guitarist for Jethro Tull
  • Keshi Anderson, footballer
  • David Arnold, composer
  • Emily Atack, actress
  • John Badham, film director
  • Lewis Baker, footballer
  • Clive Barker, sculptor and artist
  • Jonathan Barnbrook, graphic designer and typographer
  • Josh Bassett, rugby player
  • Kevin Blackwell, goalkeeper and football manager
  • Dean Brill, footballer
  • Charles Bronson, born Michael Peterson, prisoner
  • William Brown, footballer
  • Clive Bunker, drummer for Jethro Tull
  • Danny Cannon, screenwriter, director and producer
  • Gerald Anthony Coles, artist
  • Natasha Collins, actress and television presenter
  • Andy Day, television presenter
  • Steve Dillon, comic artist
  • Kerry Dixon, footballer
  • Stacey Dooley, journalist, television presenter and Strictly Come Dancing winner
  • Jamal Edwards, entrepreneur, author, director, DJ and founder of SB.TV
  • Jonathan Edwards, footballer
  • Kevin Foley, footballer
  • Sean Gallagher, actor
  • Liam George, footballer
  • John Hagan, 8th master chief petty officer, US Navy
  • Arthur Hailey, novelist
  • Nadiya Hussain, The Great British Bake Off winner
  • Neil Jackson, actor
  • Sharna Jackson, children's writer
  • James Justin, footballer
  • Stephen Kelman, novelist
  • Stuart Lewis-Evans, Formula One driver
  • Sean Maguire, footballer for Preston North End
  • Frederick Mander, General Secretary of the NUT
  • Sarfraz Manzoor, journalist and author
  • Herbert Moody, Luton Town footballer
  • Monty Panesar, cricketer
  • David Price, cricketer
  • Phil Read, motorcycle racer
  • David Renwick, scriptwriter
  • Stu Riddle, footballer
  • Tommy Robinson, born Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, far-right activist
  • Lee Ross, actor
  • Billy Schwer, boxer
  • Andy Selway, drummer
  • Gavin Shuker, politician
  • Junior Simpson, comedian
  • Paul Sinha, comedian and quizzer
  • Zena Skinner, television chef and author
  • Steven M Smith, biologist
  • Will Smith, cricketer
  • David Stoten, storyboard artist
  • Jordan Thomas, World and European karate champion
  • Mark Titchner, artist
  • UK Decay, band
  • Richard Wiseman, psychologist
  • Jamie Woolford, rock musician for The Stereo, Animal Chin and Let Go
  • Paul Young, pop rock singer

By association

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Luton para niños

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Luton Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.