Sometimes it is hard to imagine a time when there wasn’t the M1, or Yorkshire Motorway as it was known then, but some of these pictures show the motorway being built, and how it looked going through Luton.
These images, from Getty, date back to the 1920s – when hat factories dominated the town. The first Vauxhall cars, a visit from Winston Churchill and the old Bute Hospital all feature in his retro roundup.
Get scrolling and go back in time.
Get scrolling and go back in time.
![A group of housewives from France, Germany, Holland and Belgium were flown to Luton to visit the Tesco supermarket in the Arndale Centre to compare the price and choice available for the British and the European shopper.](https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjIwYmI2N2UzLTU1NDAtNGFmZi1hYmY4LTk0ZjA2NjY5MGEzZToxM2JhMjlmNy01MTIyLTRhYmEtOWY1Zi05OTRkNzQzOGNjMWM=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
17. Housewives from France, Germany, Holland and Belgium visit Luton's Tesco
A group of housewives from France, Germany, Holland and Belgium were flown to Luton to visit the Tesco supermarket in the Arndale Centre to compare the price and choice available for the British and the European shopper.Photo: Keystone
![1958: Actress Una Stubbs and actor Peter Gilmore pose for a picture after getting married at the Luton register office.](https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmFjZDJjZWU5LWIxMTItNDI5Yi04NDQzLTJmZWY4NjBlZjg0MjpmMDNiNDc2Ny0wMDc3LTQwOGUtYTc1YS0yMjViYWI4NjUzZWM=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
18. Una Stubbs weds Peter Gilmore at Luton register office
1958: Actress Una Stubbs and actor Peter Gilmore pose for a picture after getting married at the Luton register office.Photo: Evening Standard
![1930: Draughtsmen in the drawing office of Vauxhall Motors in Luton.](https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjRkODM5ZmM3LWFlMWYtNDA1My04MzkzLWYyMDBiZTZhYzc3YTpkMzYwZGJjMS0wMDdmLTQ3ZWUtYmM5My03ZTdlN2Y4OTVlNDk=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
19. Vauxhall Motors' drawing office
1930: Draughtsmen in the drawing office of Vauxhall Motors in Luton.Photo: Heritage Images
![1935: Hundreds of people wave at French actor and singer Maurice Chevalier in Luton.](https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjM2ZWI5YzVkLTdiY2MtNDE5ZC05YzlhLTRlNGUzMmQ5OGMwZDphYjUwZjIzOS1iYmY5LTQ4MDYtYmYyNi03NTA0YTFlM2Q4M2Y=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
20. Maurice Chevalier waving at fans
1935: Hundreds of people wave at French actor and singer Maurice Chevalier in Luton.Photo: brandstaetter images