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Luton Leasing

Did You Know?

Luton was founded in the 6th century during the Saxon era, and it is approximately 250,000 years old. Many people in the UK have heard of the town of Luton, but many are unfamiliar with its past and present traditions. It’s mainly known as a London commuter town in the county of Bedfordshire.

Luton wasn’t always just a commuter town for professionals working in London. It has a thriving industry of its own. Throughout the 1930s Luton produced as many as 70 million hats a year. Its abundance of factories, warehouses and workshops likened it to a town in the north, even though it is in southern England.

Luton Town Football Club was founded in 1885, and having enjoyed a few seasons in top-flight football, have earned themselves the nickname “The Hatters”, supporters are called “Hatters” and the club released a song called “Hatters, Hatters” in 1978.

On the day before the last Monday in May, the Luton International Carnival is held. It’s held on a public holiday and it’s a cultural event featuring a wide variety of music and performances and Brazilian-style dancing. The carnival was held for the first time in 1976, and by 1998 it received international status.

Luton is home to Vauxhall Factory which during the Second World War manufactured Churchill tanks for the British army. Unfortunately, Vauxhall failed to camouflage the tanks and Luton suffered numerous air strikes from the Luftwaffe.

London Luton Airport is the fourth largest of the six London airports and the fifth busiest in the UK. Per year, London Luton airport handles almost 17 million passengers and flies to 60 destinations across the world.

Famous English cricketer Monty Panesar was born in Luton. He began his cricketing career at Northamptonshire and that was the club he last played for too. Monty has enjoyed a long career in international cricket, debuting with England in 2007 for the One Day Internationals.

Upset over the lavish spending on London’s Peace Parade, servicemen began to riot between the 19th – 21st July 1919, arguing that money would have been better spent reintegrating soldiers after the war. During the riots, Luton Town Hall was burnt down and afterwards all of those that were involved received severe penalties.

Long famous for the manufacture of straw hats, Luton developed into an industrial town dominated by the motor vehicle industry. The hat industry still prospers, with felt hats as the principal product.

The club's nickname, "the Hatters", reflects Luton's historical connection with the hat making trade, which has been prominent there since the 17th century. The nickname was originally a variant on the now rarely seen straw-plaiters. Supporters of the club are also called Hatters.