65 High Town Road Luton

65 High Town Road June 2011

65 High Town Road has known a variety of businesses. For much of the 20th century an engineering business operated from peremises behind the shop.

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: Alfred Toyer, drysalter and post office;
• 1898: Alfred Toyer, drysalter and post office;
• 1903: Ephraim Hall, chemist; Bone Brothers, engineers;
• 1906: Ephraim Hall, chemist; Bone Brothers, engineers;
• 1910: Ephraim hall, chemist; Bone Brothers, engineers;
• 1914: Ephraim Hall, chemist; Bone Brothers, engineers;
• 1920: John Baxter, tobacconist; Bone Brothers, engineers;
• 1924: Gilbert H. Cleverley, tobacconist; Bone Brothers, engineers;
• 1928: Gilbert H. Cleverley, tobacconist; Bone Brothers, engineers;
• 1931: Gilbert H. Cleverley, tobacconist; Acedic (G. H. Cleverley proprietor), ladies’ hosiery; Bone Brothers, engineers;
• 1936: Ascedes (Gilbert H. Cleverley, proprietor), ladies’ hosiery; Bone Brothers, engineers; Gilbert H. Cleverley, tobacconist;
• 1939: Acedes (G. H. Cleverley); Gilbert H. Cleverley; rear – Bone Brothers;
• 1940: Acedes (Gilbert H. Cleverley, proprietor), ladies’ hosiery; Bone Brothers, engineers; Gilbert H. Cleverley, tobacconist;
• 1950: 65 - G. H. Cleveley; 65a – A. E. Waller;
• 1960: Acedes, hosiers; Gilbert H. Cleverley, wholesale and retail tobacconist; 65a – A. E. Waller (Engineers) Limited;
• 1965: Sheelagh, ladies’ outfitter; Gilbert H. Cleverley, wholesale and retail tobacconist; 65a - A. E. Waller (Engineers) Limited;
• 1968: 65 - Dalziel (Luton) Limited, credit drapers, watches, hardware etc.; 65a – A. E. Waller (Engineers) Limited;
• 1972: 65 – Dalziel (Luton) Limited, credit drapers; 65a – A. E. Waller (Engineers) Limited;
• 1974: 65 – Dalziel (Luton) Limited, credit drapers; 65a – A. E. Waller (Engineers) Limited;
• 1975: 65 – Dalziel (Luton) Limited, credit drapers; 65a – A. E. Waller (Engineers) Limited;
• 2011: Surf Central (vacant).

A commercial catalogue for Bedfordshire of about 1890 gives details of Alfred Toyer's business: "The civic chair of the important town of Luton has never been more worthily filled than is the case at the present time, when its occupant is one who has long commanded the liking and esteem of all sections of society, and long been known as an honourable and upright member of an increasingly important profession - the present Mayor, Mr. A. Toyer, Chemist, etc., fills this honourable office with dignity to himself and credit to the community at large. But it is in his capacity as a pharmacist that he have more especially to speak of this gentleman. Mr. Toyer opened his business about seventeen years ago, and has long conducted a large and valuable trade. The premises are situated at High Town Road, and are two stories in height, having a large frontage. Here also is the branch Post Office; and Mr. Toyer's business is what chemists call a "mixed" one - that is, comprising drysaltery etc., and not exclusively devoted to pure pharmacy, although Mr. Toyer has a large and influential drysaltery conenction. The shop is spacious and well appointed, and at the rear there are large warehouses, in which there is a very valuable stock of merchandise, of a most comprehensive nature. This capital concern, therefore, merits a prominent place in the pages of this work".

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 65 High Town Road [DV1/R59/21] found it owned by John Baxter and leased by Gilbert H. Cleverley, a tobacconist, who paid £65 per annum of a 21 year lease beginning in 1922. His accommodation comprised a cellar (“not used”), measuring 12 feet 9 inches by 13 feet, a shop measuring 19 feet 6 inches by 13 feet, an office measuring 12 feet 6 inches square, a store measuring 12 feet 3 inches by 12 feet 6 inches, a back store measuring 12 feet 6 inches square, another store measuring 7 feet 6 inches by 6 feet 6 inches, a washhouse measuring 10 feet 6 inches by 10 feet and two wood and felt sheds measuring 14 feet by 17 feet and 17 feet by 9 feet. Equipment included a ½ horsepower motor.

Cleverley sub-let living accommodation to T. Horn for 10/- per week. This comprised a living room measuring 19 feet 6 inches by 13 feet, a kitchen measuring 12 feet 6 inches square and two bedrooms both measuring 12 feet 6 inches square.

The rear of the premises was owned and occupied by G. W. and A. R. Bone, who were engineers. They had an engine shop measuring 49 feet by 24 feet and an office measuring 4 feet 6 inches by 25 feet. Their equipment included a six horsepower gas engine with forty feet of two inch shafting. There were also “Very Old Sheds and Forge in Yard”. Bone Brothers’ premises formed an L-shape and, as well as lying behind 65 High Town Road also ran along the rear of 67 to 71 High Town Road. A later visit, in 1928 [DV1/AP9/9] noted that Bones worked mostly on straw hat machines.