Luton
Luton’s vibrancy lasts all year round, and is textured by hints of heritage. Check out the shopping, the nightlife and the arts scene; visit the Victorian gardens of Wardown Park, the colourful gipsy caravan at Stockwood Craft Museum or the pure white marble halls of Luton Hoo, an exciting five star hotel. Find out why the arts centre is called ‘The Hat Factory’, what wealth gave historic St Mary’s its impressive size and stunning chequerboard façade and how the transport exhibits and horse-drawn carriages of the Mossman Collection are a link with the town’s more recent industrial past.
Top tip
Wardown Park Gallery has some excellent art exhibits. The Hat Factory is full of arts offerings – alternative film, children’s productions, dynamic dance and cutting edge theatre.
Shopping time
You’ll find indoor markets, the twice weekly Purley Market, regular farmers’ markets plus a good crop of shops around the streets of Luton, but shopaholics just can’t resist the pull of The Mall Arndale.
The recently refurbished time-honored shoppers’ paradise, is home to big name stores who sit alongside specialist shops in abundance. The town-based multiplex and entertainment hub, the Galaxy Centre, is just around the corner too.
Things to do
Did they really test amphibious Bedford trucks in Wardown Park’s picturesque boatinglake during the war? Today the Victorian Gardens make a peaceful spot by the River Lea to let the kids run off some energy.
The Wardown Park Museum and Stockwood Craft Museum describes Luton’s millinery, lace making, trades and rural history. But it’s the live bees exhibit here that steals the whole how.
The adjacent Mossman Collection of horse-drawn vehicles is the most comprehensive of its kind in the country. Outside, period settings lead you down the garden paths of history. There’s a Dutch garden too, a sculpture garden with works by the famed Hamilton Finlay and national plant collections.
For collections of a wilder kind nearby ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is a firm family favourite. Watch the chimpanzees smile back, admire the lions, and let the lemurs run rings around you. Sign up to be a keeper for the day for some real hands-on fun. (Must be booked in advance).
New for 2008, Cheetah Rock will knock your spots off and there’s a new pool-filled rhino enclosure too. Don’t forget the special travel by train offer!
> View special offers in and around Luton