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Luton is a town in the county of Bedfordshire, though it is technically an independent authority. It is famed for being voted Britains 'crappest town' in the 2004 book, 'Crap Towns II'. The population of the borough of Luton is 184,000 inhabitants. The area around Luton has been inhabited since the paleolithic era. Luton itself was mentioned in the Domesday book as 'Loitone', with a population of 700. The town held a weekly market for surrounding villages, and two fairs annually. At this point, the town was mainly concerned with agriculture. However, by the 16th century a brick-making industry started in the town, and in the 17th century, the first hat-making factory opened, and was later joined by many more hat-makers, which became Luton's primary industrial concern; even today, hats are still produced in the town albeit on a much smaller scale. Luton Town Football Club are still known as 'The Hatters'. By the 19th century, Luton had been overtaken in size by nearby Dunstable, but with the coming of the railways Luton began to grow rapidly. A town hall was opened in 1847, and Luton had a full water and sewage system by the late 1860's. In the 20th century, hat making in the town declined, but was replaced by various other industries, notably a Vauxhall factory and an Electrolux appliance factory, plus a number of small engineering firms. By 1914, the population of Luton had increased to 50,000. In 1919, the town hall was burnt down during a riot, caused when the town council refused the use of local parkland for a victory celebration of WWI. The airport at Luton was completed in 1938, and was owned by the council. It was used by the RAF during WWII, and as a result, the town suffered a number of air raids, partly due to the number of factories in the town as well. Only 107 people died, but substatial damage was done to the town. Post-war, a number of council estates were built and buildings had to be rebuilt. This has resulted in an absence of character in the town, for which Luton is much-derided. The airport is today the 4th busiest airport in London, and is a hub for low cost carrier easyJet. The charter airlines Monarch and Thomsonfly are based here also, though operate most flights out of Gatwick and Manchester. The airport has a rail station on the London-Nottingham and Leicester line; a shuttle bus operates between the station and terminal. Additionally, Luton sees trains betwen Bedford and Brighton, with less frequent trains to Sutton via London. Nearby towns to Luton include Dunstable, Milton Keynes, Hitchin, Tring, Leighton Buzzard, Harpenden, Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage.
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