On 16th May the Three Kings, once a local pub in Mitcham, where the last orders have long since rung, was opened as a new office by the Worshipful Mayor of the London Borough of Merton, Councillor Krystal Miller. The office and its views of the common are now enjoyed by staff at M3, a company that creates products and services for property development and maintenance teams. M3 welcomed the mayor and local community for a party to share memories and stories of the pub. A jazz band played and old friends and new friends chatted happily together, discussing the Three Kings of days-gone-by and its new life as an office.
The new office is the result of a six month refurbishment. Before you protest, you should know that there are six other pubs within walking distance of the Three Kings so the area will not be dry as a result of our intervention. The building had been derelict for two years before M3 decided to save it. The many site visits arising from the builders regular calls announcing, ‘I think you should come and see what we’ve found’’, would have been hard to manage if they hadn’t been just round the corner. The move took M3 100 yards from number 5 to number 23 Commonside East in Mitcham, Surrey.
The Three Kings has taught M3 much more than could have been predicted. M3’s neighbours have welcomed it, and told the staff at the company about many, happy stories about celebrations of birthdays, jubilees and weddings held at the pub, counterbalanced by tales of anger, violence and wrong doing within its walls. M3 are very alert to the changes that have taken place since it was first built in 18th century and rebuilt in 1926. It is a clear reminder of how buildings depend on people to maintain them and bring them to life.
