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Last week local historian Jackie Gunn asked us to help find a former High Town deli owner called Stan for an A-Z she’s compiling of the area.

She told us he’d owned a delicatessen at 59a High Town Road in the 1960s/70s and added: “I have a lovely photo of him outside the shop and would dearly love to find out more.”

No sooner had the story gone online than Jackie had the information she required.

She says: “Three people got in touch, one a delightful octogenarian gentleman who’d known Stan personally. Sadly Stan passed away in 1980.

The picture of Stan the High Town deli man published last week to see if anyone knew his whereabouts

"He was of Dutch descent. His grandfather Benedict van der Schuit arrived in England in 1883 with two sons and a daughter.

"Benedict is described as an ‘eating house keeper’ and all three children (then in their 20s) helped in the shop.

"Some years later, Stan’s father Reinks – who changed his name to Frank - went on to work as a fish porter at Billingsgate.

“Stan was one of eight children, all born in England, and the family lived in Shoreditch.

Local historian Jackie Gunn who is compiling an A-Z of High Town in Luton

"Fast forward to 1939 when Stan, now a married man, follows in his father’s footsteps to become a fish porter. But he was also a member of the police reserve during the war.”

Jackie continues: “After the war, we find our Stan in Luton – the proud owner of his own pie and eel shop in High Town Road – and loved by all.”

She understands the shop closed about 1975-76.

Jackie says High Town ‘fades into the background’ when anyone mentions the town’s past – something she’s determined to rectify.

The mystery of Stan the Luton deli man is solved - thanks to the power of the Press