64 to 68 High Town Road Luton

64 and 66 High Town Road June 2011

For much of its life 68 High Town Road has been a fruiterer or greengrocer's business. At the time of writing 64 and 66 are one unit and occupied by a firm of estate agents whilst 68 is vacant. 68 lies on the corner of High Town Road and Brunswick Street.

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 64 to 68 High Town Road has not survived. Nevertheless, an assessment of the whole of High Town Road [DV1/T38] shows that all three premises were owned by James W. Verran. Unusually, in this street of commercial premises, 64 was a private house occupied by Frederick Tottingham. Number 66 was occupied by George Philip Haines who, directories reveal, was a watch repairer and Number 68 was in the occupation of Sidney Charles Sinfield, a fruiterer.

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.

• 1890: 68 – Zebulun Timms, shopkeeper;
• 1894: 68 – Zebulon Timms, shopkeeper;
• 1898: 68 - Zebulon Timms, shopkeeper;
• 1903: 68 – Zebulon Timms, shopkeeper;
• 1906: 68 - Zebulun Timms, greengrocer;
• 1910: 68 – Zebulun Timms, greengrocer;
• 1914: 68 – Sidney Charles Sinfield, fruiterer;
• 1920: 66 – George P. Hains, watch repairer; 68 – Sidney Charles Sinfield, fruiterer;
• 1924: 66 - George P. Hains, watch repairer; 68 – Sidney Charles Sinfield, fruiterer;
• 1928: 66 - George P. Hains, watch repairer; 68 – Sidney Charles Sinfield, fruiterer;
• 1931: Sidney Charles Sinfield, fruiterer;
• 1936: Sidney Charles Sinfield, fruiterer;
• 1939: Sidney C. Sinfield;
• 1940: Sidney Charles Sinfield, fruiterer;
• 1950: S. G. Sinfield;
• 1960: 64-68 - S. C. Sinfield (Luton) Limited; 68 – Mrs. L. R. Barden;
• 1965: 64-68 - S. C. Sinfield (Luton) Limited; 68 – Mrs. L. R. Barden;
• 1968: 64-68 - S. C. Sinfield (Luton) Limited; 68 – Mrs. L. R. Barden;
• 1972: 64-68 - S. C. Sinfield (Luton) Limited; 68 – Mrs. L. R. Barden;
• 1974: 64-68 - S. C. Sinfield (Luton) Limited; 68 – Mrs. L. R. Barden;
• 1975: 64-68 - S. C. Sinfield (Luton) Limited; 68 – Mrs. L. R. Barden;
• 2011: 64-66 – London Edge Estates, estate agents; 68 – vacant.

68 High Town Road June 2011