82 High Town Road Luton

82 High Town Road June 2011

For much of the 20th century 82 High Town Road was a newsagent's shop. At the time of writing [2011] it is a cafe and coffee shop.

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 82 High Town Road [DV1/R59/34] found it owned and occupied by John Unwin. The corner shop was a newsagent. The return frontage to Welbeck Road measured 10 feet.

The shop measured 15 feet by 10 feet. The rest of the premises was taken up by two store rooms and attics. A barn or store lay at the rear.

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: John Cain, greengrocer;
• 1894: Zephaniah Stanford, baker;
• 1898: George Major, shopkeeper;
• 1903: Jesse Fountain, boot maker;
• 1906: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1910: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1914: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1920: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1924: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1928: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1931: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1936: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1939: John Unwin;
• 1940: John Unwin, newsagent;
• 1950: John Unwin;
• 1960: W. J. Unwin, newsagent;
• 1965: E. J. White, newsagent;
• 1968: E. J. White, newsagent;
• 1972: E. J. White, newsagent; James Nann;
• 1974: E. J. White, newsagent; James Nann;
• 1975: E. J. White, newsagent; James Nann;
• 2011: Mediterranean Coffee Shop. 

82 High Town Road August 2011