LUTON...

I have lived in Luton since birth and today feel that I must try and defend our town from it's ever increasing negative reputation. As I type this, police have cordoned off an area of the town at the railway station ready to used a controlled explosion to destroy explosives found in a car. Five controlled explosions have already gone ahead throughout the day.

Luton is a great, culturally diverse town and faces the same difficulties that all areas face such as crime, however people seem to be more than willing to slag off our town without even visiting the place or even knowing it's whereabouts. A friend once told me that Luton's worst enemy was itself and I refused to believe this, however in recent times I am inclined to agree. Those who live in Luton (Lutonians) complain so much that news of the smallest incidents (most of which untrue or heavily embelished) seem to spread far and wide yet those responsible for the talk aren't even aware of many of the facilites the town has to offer. Most of whom chose to live here because of it's useful transport links to London and the airport.

I meet a great range of people on a daily basis and growing up in Luton, a place with a wide ethnic population, I have learnt that racism should not be tolerated as these people are my friends rather than in recent times it seems we are expected to see them as foe. Do i get bored of the town, of course but there are some big plans to give the area of the town centre a facelift as well as community areas such as Bury Park. Can the area be so bad, even though it's attracting the attention of filmmakers wishing to shoot films here, such as the forthcoming 'Colour Me Kubrick'.


Luton like any other place differs vastly depending on where you travel, with the main focus always being on the centre itself other locations such as those around the airport and further out show a more greener side, however those who criticise seem unaware of these areas. How can a town improve itself if it is constantly being knocked especially from those who live there? I simply ask poeple that before they slag off Luton, to simply visit the area and explore not only the centre with it's Multiplex cinema, Library with theatre and Hat Factory Arts venue, recreation centres, rising football team and high achieving academic places of study but to look outside of this and take view of the wider picture that is Luton.

We should always think about the impact of our words before we say them, not after.