The Forgotten Irish_2. The Forgotten Irish 1. East Anglian Film Archive: Luton '76, 1976. Documentary charting the progress and development of Luton in its official centenary year, from the dominance of the hat trade in the late nineteenth century, to the car manufacturing of the twentieth century. Genre: Documentary; Portrait of a Place; Television Panoramic shots of Luton show its industrial and urban development amidst rural Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The 'Red Arrows' air display team fly past to mark the hundredth anniversary of Luton's first charter in 1876. But the commentary notes a lack of 'civic pride' over shots of the busy town centre. Tony Hutt, an ex-councillor, bemoans the demolition of buildings 'central to the character of the town'. A sequence of archive stills shows the Luton of 100 years ago; the whole town involved in the straw hat trade, and the bustling scenes in George Street.
New housing at various stages of construction and panoramic views of Luton, with its problematic layout, illustrate the interview with Tony Lines, ex-leader Luton Council. DVR.