84 High Town Road Luton

84 High Town Road June 2011

84 High Town Road has, for much of its existence been involved with clothing, first as a hat tip and lining manufactory, then as a boot repairer, a shoe dealer and a fabric dealer. At the time of writing [2011], however, it is a barber's 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. Sadly, a detailed inspection of 84 High Town Road has not survived. Nevertheless, an assessment of the whole of High Town Road [DV1/T38] shows that it was owned and occupied by Louisa Edmunds who, directories tell us, was a hat tip and lining manufacturer. The property had been in the family and dedicated to the same business since at least 1890.

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 Welch, shoemaker;
• 1890: George Thomas Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1894: Miss Ann Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1898: Miss Ann Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1903: Miss Ann Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1906: Miss Ann Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1910: Miss Ann Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1914: Miss Louisa Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1920: Miss Louisa Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1924: Miss Louisa Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1928: Miss Louisa Edmunds, hat tip and lining manufacturer;
• 1936: A. H. Norris, boot repairer;
• 1939: A. H. Norris (Luton) Limited;
• 1940: Albert H. Norris, boot repairer;
• 1950: A. H. Norris (Luton) Limited;
• 1960: A. H. Norris, boot and shoe dealer;
• 1965: Shoe Box, shoe dealers;
• 1968: Shoe Box, shoe dealers;
• 1972: vacant;
• 1974: Barbara Webb of Luton, fabric dealers;
• 1975: vacant;
• 1984: Star Enterprises, clothes shop;
• 2005: One-12, barbers;
• 2014: Black and Gold, tattoo shop;
• 2017: Cloudies Vape