96 High Town Road Luton
94 and 96 High Town Road June 2011
96 High Town Road has been both a bakery and a boot and shoe dealer's outlet. At the time of writing [2011] it is part of a fast food outlet, along with 94 High Town Road.
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 96 High Town Road has not survived. Nevertheless, an assessment of the whole of High Town Road [DV1/T38] shows that the premises, like 94, 98 and 100 High Town Road was owned by the trustees of William Farmer. 96 was in the occupation of Ernest Bliss & Company which, directories tell us, was a boot and shoe dealership.
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.
- 1894: A. Earl & Company, boot and shoe warehouse;
- 1898: A. Earl & Company, boot and shoe warehouse;
- 1903: A. Earl & Company, boot and shoe warehouse;
- 1906: A. Earl & Company, boot and shoe warehouse;
- 1910: A. Earl & Company, boot and shoe warehouse;
- 1914: Ernest Bliss & Company, boot and shoe dealers;
- 1920: Ernest Bliss & Company, boot and shoe dealers;
- 1924: E. Bliss & Company, boot and shoe dealers;
- 1928: E. Bliss & Company, boot and shoe dealers;
- 1931: E. Bliss & Company, boot and shoe dealers;
- 1936: Hickman & Son (Luton) Limited, bakers;
- 1939: Hickman & Son (Luton) Limited;
- 1940: Hickman & Son (Luton) Limited, bakers;
- 1950: Hickman & Son (Luton) Limited;
- 1960: Hickman & Son (Luton) Limited, bakers;
- 1965: Hickman & Son (Luton) Limited, bakers;
- 1968: Hickmans Bakeries (branch of Wonder baking (South-East) Limited);
- 1972: Hickmans Bakeries (branch of Wonder baking (South-East) Limited);
- 1974: Hickmans Bakeries (branch of Spillers – French Baking Limited);
- 1975: Hickmans Bakeries (branch of Spillers – French Baking Limited);
- 2011: Viva Pizza, takeaway.