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14 February 05 - Love in Luton

The Bedfordshire town reports on why it is every bit as romantic as anywhere else in the world.

LUTON has chosen St Valentine’s Day this year to combat past criticisms that the town lacks romance - with a counter claim that it is every bit as romantic as anywhere else in the world. And, to prove the point, the Bedfordshire town has prepared a special romantic dossier on the subject.

Luton First, the promotional consortium which includes Luton Borough Council, London Luton Airport and the University of Luton, has produced the report which is entitled ‘Love in Luton’ and turns the spotlight on some key indicators that romance is alive and well in the town. 

The number of Lutonians getting married jumped by 38% during the year to April 2004 while the national increase across the rest of the UK was only 4.5%. And the demand for romantic novels at the local library was up by 35% - and rising – compared with a modest 8% rise in the demand for fiction as a whole.

In a vox pops poll among 500 Lutonians, 84% of men and 96% of women considered themselves to be romantic. Nearly 70% of women thought Luton men were romantic - although only 32% of men said that they’d been called romantic by a woman.

And Luton has more than its fair share of lyrical, love-lorn poets – not least William Greig who has written a number of romantic poems for his partner Gill Cliff. The most recent was written when he found the local flower shop shut and was unable to buy her some roses, so he wrote her a poem instead.

But Luton’s lovers who can’t quite aspire to poetry have others ways to impress their partners. Luton First set up a special web site for tongue tied lovers to report their romantic deeds – at www.loveluton.com. More than 30 romantic tales were recorded in just a few weeks. See page 4.


Seven Sure Signs


1. MARRIAGE BOOM
The number of marriages taking place in Luton each year is well above the national average. In the last recorded full year to April 2004 there were 750 marriages in Luton – a 38% leap on the previous 544 to April 2003, representing a massive rise compared to the national increase in the period of just 4.5%.

Luton has a population of 185,000
Marriages in Luton. Marriages in United Kingdom 
Year to April 2004 750 Year to April 2004 306,200
Percentage Rise 38% Percentage Rise 4.5%


2. ROMANTIC READING
The demand for romantic novels at Luton’s library during 2004 rose by a staggering 35% on the previous year while demand for general fiction rose by only 8% and just 2% on books as a whole. Principal Librarian, adult services, Fiona Marriott believes that the trend seems likely to continue.

15,000 books were loaned out from Luton library in 2004.
Demand for Romantic Fiction was up by 35%
Demand for General Fiction was up by 8%
Demand for all books was up by 2%.

3. A QUESTION OF ROMANCE
500 Lutonians, equal numbers of men and women, were asked:-
Do you consider yourself romantic? Men 84% Women 96% 
The women were asked:-
Do you think Luton men are romantic? Yes 68% No/Unsure 32% 
The men were asked:-
Has any woman said you’re romantic? Yes 32% No/Unsure 68%


4. SAYING IT WITH FLOWERS
Luton men are becoming more romantic, according to local florists. 
The Fleurette florists in Hitchin Road reports that men between the ages of 20 and 50 are sending more Valentine’s flowers than last year and considerably more than the year before. “We been much busier than usual,” they say, “with an increased number of women sending flowers to men too.”



The Aroma florist in Dunstable Road reports on a man who last week purchased an expensive bouquet of flowers for his wife - having last bought her flowers when their son was born 18 years ago. “But he says he is changing his ways and intends to become more romantic and buy flowers more regularly in future,” says Aroma. “Probably influenced by his more romantic mates.”

Jeans florist in Mart Hill helped to inspire a romantic poem………………..


5. SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER’S DAY?
Poetry for the people.
Local Luton poet William Greig, 48, has a number of romantic poems in his published anthology ‘Waiting for the Words’ – including ‘Emotional Electricity’, a poem he wrote for his partner of 12 years Gill Cliff the day after they met, and another called ‘The Poem that is a Bouquet of Flowers’ which was written after he arrived home in Luton too late to buy flowers at Jeans florist in Mart Hill. [William is a member of the local poetry society]

‘The Poem that is a Bouquet of Flowers’ - by Luton poet William Greig
For Gill Cliff

I wanted to give you a bouquet of flowers
But wrote a poem instead;
I hope it has all the rainbow’s colours
And says what red roses would have said.

I was travelling home as the florists closed;
‘I was too late’, I sighed;
Then I thought I’d try to write
A literary surprise!

I wanted to say, ‘Well done!’
For the Christmas concert show;
To congratulate your playing
Both on flute and piano.

I wanted to say ‘I love you’,
And for your heart with pleasure to fill;
To write words with such verve
They would dance like the daffodils.

Cut flowers bloom for a while;
Then, eventually, they die;
But this poem is yours forever
Beyond eternity.



6. LUTON LOVES Two of the Town’s Many Tales of Romance

* Brenda and Tony Clarke celebrate their Ruby Anniversary in March this year. They have three grown up children and six grandchildren.

“We met on a blind date,” says Brenda. “It was back in February 1961 when he was 18 and I was 16. He was an apprentice at Vauxhall with day release to a local technical college. I worked at Electrolux.”

But Brenda admits it wasn’t quite love at first sight. “Although not particularly enamoured of Tony, we used to enjoy going to the cinema together. Then, suddenly, I realised that I was growing to like him more and more…..and now I realise that he is the love of my life, my soulmate.”

*************************
* Charmaine and Gordon Brady have been married for seventeen years. She says he swept her off her feet when they met and had a very special surprise in store for their sixteenth wedding anniversary on September 24th last year.

“He telephoned from the Midlands, where he was working, on the Thursday evening and told me to pack an overnight bag. Then he turned up the next day, at noon with sixteen red roses and said we were leaving [having already cleared it with my manager]. He’d arranged it all. The children were with our parents, my car was picked up from the office car park, and my overnight bag had been picked up from home.”

Charmaine and Gordon stayed at the Hilton Waldorf in London, dined at Claridges, went on to the theatre and front row seats, and ended a perfect evening with a walk along the Thames.

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7. SHY ROMANTICS 

Six of the Best

Some of Luton’s slightly more bashful lovers logged on to the official LOVE LUTON web site www.loveluton.com to tell their romantic tales. Six of the best include:-

* Danielle who says her boyfriend of just over a month took her out for a romantic dinner at the end of January to celebrate the first ‘anniversary’ of their meeting. He says he hopes to do it every month.

* Michael who was taking his girlfriend to London for a special meal to celebrate Chinese New Year last week.


* Sarah who is in for a surprise in March. Her boyfriend is borrowing a sports car for a weekend away together in the Lake District.

* Guy who is having his wife’s portrait painted as an anniversary present. They’ve been married six years in June and have two children.

* Dan who has sent partner Suzanne long-stem red roses on birthdays and anniversaries for the past five years.

* Not so shy ‘Pooch’ who is getting an ‘all-over’ tan on a sun bed for boyfriend ‘Rover’. She says she’ll be ready by April.


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