70 High Town Road Luton

70 High Town Road June 2011

70 High Town Road is younger than much of the erst of the southern part of High Town Road. Whereas most of the other buildings are mid 19th century 70 High Town Road was built in 1907 by Luton Industrial Co-Operative Society Limited. At the time of writing [2011] it is a convenience 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 70 High Town Road found it owned and occupied by Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, which also had premises at 22, 75 and 77 High Town Road as well as numerous other places in the town.

A boot shop measured 28 feet by 20 feet and a grocery shop 21 feet 6 inches by 29 feet. An office measured 18 feet by 10 feet, a store 20 feet 6 inches by 13 feet and a back store 20 feet 6 inches by 11 feet. On the first floor lay a showroom measuring 31 feet by 20 feet, a boot room measuring 21 feet 6 inches by 23 feet and three stores measuring, respectively, 10 feet by 4 feet, 10 feet by 9 feet and 7 feet 6 inches by 14 feet.

Two back stores, presumably in the yard, measured 20 feet 6 inches by 11 feet, and 20 feet 6 inches by 13 feet. A store room over the gate measured 20 feet 6 inches by 10 feet. Two brick and corrugated iron open sheds measured 12 feet by 14 feet and 34 feet by 10 feet 6 inches. The valuer commented: “Fine shop ad 10% Loftier than other in street. Built 1907”.

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has a Borough of Luton Public Health Department Shops Act 1934 Section 10 inspection book [BorL/EH/14/1]. This book reveals that on 22nd February 1937 ventilation was provided by a fanlight and a continuous grille. Two radiators and pipes formed a low pressure hot water system for heating and a radiator stood in the cashier’s office. A men’s toilet stood in the yard and served the grocery, outfitters and boot and shoe departments. A women’s toilet stood “in room behind”. Natural lighting of the premises was fair and electric lighting was provided. A heated messroom on the first floor was available for meals fro the staff which then comprised eight men, two women and three boys under eighteen.

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.

• 1885: Thomas Bates, grocer; William Fox, draper;
• 1890: Albert Charles Barton, pork butcher;
• 1894: Albert Charles Barton, pork butcher;
• 1898: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited (James Thomas Cookson, manager);
• 1903: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited (George Edwin Trantum, manager);
• 1906: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited (Hugh B. Ball, manager);
• 1910: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1914: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1920: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1924: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1928: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1931: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1936: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1939: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1950: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited;
• 1960: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, grocers;
• 1965: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, grocers;
• 1968: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, grocers;
• 1972: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, grocers;
• 1974: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, grocers;
• 1975: Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, grocers;
• 2011: Best-One convenience store