in the last part of the 19th century and for much of the 20th, 57 High Town Road was a butcher's shop. At the time of writing [2011] it is a chemist's.

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 57 High Town Road found it owned and occupied by George A. Waller who was a butcher. Private accommodation included a cellar and a living room, kitchen and scullery above. One reception room and three bedrooms lay on the floor above. The ground floor shop measured 17 feet 9 inches by 13 feet 6 inches.

A brick and slate cold store stood outside and measured 10 feet by 15 feet. It contained a two horsepower motor and switch. There were also wood and corrugated iron cattle sheds and pigsties. A brick and slate store wit ha loft over measured 29 feet by 15 feet and a brick and slate slaughterhouse measured 19 feet 6 inches by 15 feet, it included a “Gut Room and old copper”. A brick and slate boiler house measured 12 feet by 8 feet and contained a boiler of 5 feet by 2 feet 6 inch diameter weighing thirty pounds. There were also two open wood and corrugated iron cart sheds.

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 but it looks as if there was some renumbering of properties on the odd side of the road between 1890 and 1894.

• 1894: John Davis Poulton, butcher;
• 1898: John Davis Poulton, butcher;
• 1903: John Davis Poulton, butcher;
• 1906: Arthur Poulton, butcher;
• 1910: Arthur Poulton, butcher;
• 1914: Arthur Poulton, butcher;
• 1920: Arthur Poulton, butcher;
• 1924: George A. Waller, butcher;
• 1928: George A. Waller, butcher;
• 1931: George A. Waller, butcher;
• 1936: George A. Waller, butcher;
• 1939: G. A. Waller;
• 1940: George A. Waller, butcher;
• 1950: G. A. Waller;
• 1960: 57 - G. A. Waller Limited, butchers, pie and sausage makers; 57a – John Cowleyshaw;
• 1965: 57 - G. A. Waller Limited, butchers, pie and sausage makers; 57a – John Cowleyshaw;
• 1968: 57 – G. A. Waller Limited, butchers; 57a – Alfred Welch;
• 1972: Becks baby wear dealers;
• 1974: Becks baby wear dealers;
• 1975: Landore & Company, wholesale clothing;
• 2011: Royal Pharmacy.