Local Images
Updated regularly| Night-time National 14 May 2013, 7:41 pm  It's just before Christmas in Luton in 1985, and United Counties has only a week or so to go before operations in the area are transferred to Luton & District. Leyland National 577 loads in George Street, a thoroughfare long-since pedestrianised. Pentax K1000/50mm Ilford FP4 Purley Centre, Marsh Farm, Housing Estate, Luton 12 May 2013, 10:41 am  May 2013. More units closed than open in the centre nowadays. Depressing. Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire 9 May 2013, 10:52 am  Early History Luton Hoo is not mentioned in the Domesday book, but a family called de Hoo occupied a manor house on the site for four centuries, until the death of Lord Thomas Hoo in 1455. The manor passed through many notable Someries' families through the centuries, from the family de Hoo, to the family Rotherham, to the family Napier. Successive houses on the site seem to have changed hands several times until in 1762 the then owner, Francis Hearne (MP for Bedford), sold the estate for £94,700 to John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. Following an unhappy period as Prime Minister from 1762 to 1763, Bute decided to concentrate his energies on his Bedfordshire estate at Luton Hoo. More info at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luton_Hoo Luton Town Hall 6 May 2013, 8:23 pm  From Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luton_Town_Hall The original Town Hall was burnt down during a riot by ex-servicemen unhappy with unemployment and other grievances. Work finally started on a replacement town hall in 1930 and took until 1936 to complete. The new town hall is a steel-framed building clad in grey Portland Stone and used no fewer than seven million bricks. H.R.H. The Duke of Kent opened the town hall on 28 October 1936. The building has many typical Art Deco features, but is correctly described as neoclassical on account of the contrast between the classical and modern styles. In contrast to the bold vertical lines of the exterior, the principal interior rooms and corridors are very ornate. Many of the interior's original furnishings survive to this day and again are Art Deco in style, including the windows, staircase rails, door panels and radiator screens. Many of the features recall images from the town's coat of arms, which is displayed above the main entrance: the bee, the wheatsheaf, the rose and the thistle. The bell in the rebuilt town hall is the heaviest in the county weighing approximately two tonnes. During the Second World War, the clock tower was camouflaged in order to protect it during air raids as the bright white stonework would have been extremely visible from the air. In 1998 Luton Town Hall was given special protection and was listed as a Grade II listed building "of special architectural or historical interest". During the 1980s a modern extension was built on Manchester Street to provide additional office space. An extension was also added to the roof of the town hall, which is clearly visible in the photograph. Years of grime and exposure to the weather meant that by 2003 the building needed some restoration and cleaning, restoring the building to its bright white former glory. In 2005 a new side entrance was created in Upper George Street to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. At the same time a new customer services centre was also built inside the Town Hall. The old main door at the front is only used for ceremonial occasions. Blockers' Seaside, Leagrave Marsh, Luton 6 May 2013, 2:18 pm  2009 - Lovely bronze public art by Isabella Lockett to celebrate the Luton hat workers who would picnic here on their day off from work. Sadly 6 of the 9 were stolen and the council removed the remaining 3 for safekeeping. Mr Blue Sky!! 2 May 2013, 10:38 pm  Arndale House, Luton, England. Some see in black and white 2 May 2013, 10:04 pm  Whilst others see by touch. easyJet 1 May 2013, 2:08 pm  London Luton Airport, Bedfordshire, UNITED KINGDOM. easyJet registration G-EZUJ takes off. Our biggest local firm that flies the flag for Luton and England worldwide. Bottom right in the jet wash is the airport control tower. |
757 last day (or is it?) 30 April 2013, 10:28 pm  Operation of Arriva the Shire's Green Line service 757 between London and Luton Airport ended today, with National Express taking over from 1 May. This will end nearly 33 years of the 757s, which began with London Country back in 1980. Two Van Hool T917 Acrons, 4380/4379, are seen in Church Street, Luton, this afternoon, pictured through the glass of The Mall shopping centre 21.00hrs in Luton, England 29 April 2013, 9:52 am  Luton War Memorial in front of the Town Hall. Luton is paved with gold! 28 April 2013, 10:27 pm  Rain again tonight! Police Car Collision, Luton 18 April 2013, 8:04 pm  Oops! Thankfully, nobody was injured. GOC Leagrave to Harpenden 078: Vauxhall Motors 20 March 2013, 8:51 am  Griffin House, the headquarters of Vauxhall Motors, which Luton is quite famous for. This is the last photo I took within Luton; there wasn't a lot to see after that. Hertfordshire GOC's 9 March 2013 walk, which went from Leagrave in Luton to Harpenden, mostly following the Lea Valley Walk. I took lots of photos on the walk so please check out the other photos in the set! GOC Leagrave to Harpenden 077: Lea Valley swan sign 20 March 2013, 8:51 am  In Luton, some Lea Valley Walk signs are on the ground, such as this one. Hertfordshire GOC's 9 March 2013 walk, which went from Leagrave in Luton to Harpenden, mostly following the Lea Valley Walk. I took lots of photos on the walk so please check out the other photos in the set! GOC Leagrave to Harpenden 076: Wall of tyres 20 March 2013, 8:50 am  Hertfordshire GOC's 9 March 2013 walk, which went from Leagrave in Luton to Harpenden, mostly following the Lea Valley Walk. I took lots of photos on the walk so please check out the other photos in the set! |
GOC Leagrave to Harpenden 075: Tile pattern 20 March 2013, 8:50 am  Small wall tiles under an underpass in Luton. Hertfordshire GOC's 9 March 2013 walk, which went from Leagrave in Luton to Harpenden, mostly following the Lea Valley Walk. I took lots of photos on the walk so please check out the other photos in the set! GOC Leagrave to Harpenden 074: University of Bedfordshire 19 March 2013, 8:44 am  University of Bedfordshire Campus Centre, Luton. Hertfordshire GOC's 9 March 2013 walk, which went from Leagrave in Luton to Harpenden, mostly following the Lea Valley Walk. I took lots of photos on the walk so please check out the other photos in the set! GOC Leagrave to Harpenden 070: St Mary's Church, Luton 19 March 2013, 8:44 am  St Mary's Church, Luton (Grade I). Read more on Wikipedia. Hertfordshire GOC's 9 March 2013 walk, which went from Leagrave in Luton to Harpenden, mostly following the Lea Valley Walk. I took lots of photos on the walk so please check out the other photos in the set! GOC Leagrave to Harpenden 069: St Mary's Church, Luton 19 March 2013, 8:43 am  St Mary's Church, Luton (Grade I). Read more on Wikipedia. Hertfordshire GOC's 9 March 2013 walk, which went from Leagrave in Luton to Harpenden, mostly following the Lea Valley Walk. I took lots of photos on the walk so please check out the other photos in the set! GOC Leagrave to Harpenden 068: St Mary's Church, Luton 19 March 2013, 8:43 am  St Mary's Church, Luton (Grade I). Read more on Wikipedia. Hertfordshire GOC's 9 March 2013 walk, which went from Leagrave in Luton to Harpenden, mostly following the Lea Valley Walk. I took lots of photos on the walk so please check out the other photos in the set! |