62 High Town Road Luton
62 High Town Road June 2011
62 High Town Road was not always a business, being a private house in the first part of the 20th century. When it was a business it sold either footwear, clothes or hats though, at the time of writing [2011] it is a Chinese takeaway.
The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. Sadly, a detailed inspection of 62 High Town Road has not survived. Nevertheless, an assessment of the whole of High Town Road [DV1/T38] shows that both premises were owned by James W. Verran, who also owned 58, 60 and 64 to 68 High Town Road, and occupied by Joseph Bates. Unusually, in this street of commercial premises, the property was a private house.
Directories for Bedfordshire were published every few years from 1839, for example, the beginning of the 20th century has directories for 1903, 1906, 1910 and 1914. Countywide directories ceased to be published during the Second World War, the last for Bedfordshire being in 1940. Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has directories just for Luton for 1939, 1950, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1974 and 1975. The first street numbers in High Town Road begin to appear in directories in 1885.
- 1894: George Spittles, boot maker;
- 1898: George Spittles, boot maker;
- 1903: George Spittles, boot maker;
- 1931: Mrs. Alice Seabrook, milliner;
- 1936: Mrs. Alice Seabrook, milliner;
- 1939: L. A. Seabrook;
- 1940: Leslie A. Seabrook, milliner;
- 1950: A. Seabrook;
- 1960: Moyra, ladies’ outfitter;
- 1965: Moyra, gents’ outfitter; Leslie Seabrook;
- 1968: Leslie Seabrook; Leslie A. Seabrook;
- 1972: Moyra, draper; Leslie Seabrook;
- 1974: Moyra, draper; Seabrooks, men’s outfitters; Leslie Seabrook;
- 1975: Moyra, draper; Seabrooks, men’s outfitters; Leslie Seabrook;
- 2011: How Cha, Chinese takeaway.