42a High Town Road is first listed in a directory in 1903 when occupuied by a house decorator. It has had a number of uses since including, most notably, as a cafe. At the time of writing [2011] it is a clothing store.

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. The valuer visiting 42a High Town Road found it owned and occupied by Edwin J. Brown, a furniture dealer, who also had premises at 26 Park Street.

His ground floor shop occupied two areas measuring, respectively, 11 feet 6 inches by 14 feet and 9 feet 9 inches by 13 feet. A living room and a scullery also lay on the ground floor. A reception room, a bathroom and three bedrooms comprised the first floor. A showroom lay over a gate at the rear and measured 8 feet by 28 feet. A work shop lay outside measuring 12 feet 6 inches by 30 feet on both ground and first floors.

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.

• 1903: Edward Kiteley, house decorator;
• 1906: Edward Kiteley & Son, house decorators;
• 1910: Edward Kiteley & Son, house decorators;
• 1914: Edward Kiteley & Son, house decorators;
• 1920: Edward Kiteley & Son, house decorators;
• 1924: Edward Kiteley & Son, house decorators;
• 1928: Edwin Joseph Brown, furniture dealer;
• 1931: Sidleys (Tailors) Limited, outfitters;
• 1936: Lacy’s (Luton) Limited, outfitters;
• 1939: Walter Norman; Laceys (Luton) Limited;
• 1940: Lacey’s (Luton) Limited, outfitters;
• 1950: Victory Café;
• 1960: 42a - Victory Restaurant; 42b – W. Fosse;
• 1965: 40-42a - D. I. Y. & Handyman Centre do-it-yourself supplies; 42a – Victory Restaurant;
• 1968: Victory Restaurant;
• 1972: Angelo Café;
• 1974: Victory Café;
• 1975: vacant;
• 2011: The Social Centre, clothes shop.