'I love my town, warts and all'

A graphic designer has said he has created works of art about his beloved town to show its "massive heart" - even though he believes some buildings are a "bit of a carbuncle".

Ed Smith said he is proud to be from Luton and has made a series of illustrations that show the town he loves, "warts and all".

He said he was inspired to focus on Luton because artists tended to showcase "quaint market towns" and picturesque places like St Albans and Hitchin.

His creations have been made into a calendar.

"We went to Falmouth, Cornwall, for half term with my wife and two children and while we were staying there we saw posters of the River Fal.

"You never see any of those for Luton, you see them for quaint market towns."

"I then remembered I had this photo of the 'Curly Wurly' car park (known as the Mall car park on John Street) that I took years ago and I first started working for Luton Town Football Club, and I thought it would be fun to do one for Luton that would be a scene that people would recognise and would love, even it's a bit of a carbuncle."

He started off creating four pieces, showing the Telford Way Bridge, the Hat Factory area, the Mall car park and the Marsh Farm flats.

He said when he posted his creations on Twitter the "reaction was really surprising, really bright, people seemed to really love them".

Mr Smith said his aim was never to sell them - but he did offer them for sale.

With the cost of everything going up, he said it helped him to "make a little bit of hay while the sun shines".

"I'm very passionate about Luton, I love the town warts and all and I think most people who live here and understand the town know it's not the most beautiful places in the world," he said.

"But it's got a massive heart and the people in Luton are really great. Even without loads of natural beauty in the town centre there are loads of places that people feel affectionate about.

"I was trying to get people to look at their town through different lenses and judging by the reaction to the illustrations, it's done that."

Sinead McNamara, director of Love Luton, who worked with Mr Smith on the calendar, said: "Luton is steeped in history, and this calendar truly showcases our stunning architecture, with St. Mary’s Church, the Town Hall and Wardown House Museum.

"Ed’s work celebrates our amazing town and supports our mission to improve the image and perception of Luton.

"He is so passionate about the town and is truly making a difference to instil civic pride in our community and celebrate Luton’s iconic locations.”

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