Yahoo Finance Spike Milligan’s mansion to become embassy for Kosovo
Kosovo is moving its London embassy to a £6.5m Hyde Park mansion once owned by the comedian Spike Milligan.
The arts-and-crafts property in Bayswater has been bought by Kosovo after a deal agreed by the country's ambassador Ilir Kapiti. Kosovo’s embassy is currently located on John Street in Holborn.
Milligan and fellow writer Eric Sykes bought the 5,697 sq ft property in 1962, making it the headquarters for their comedy co-operative Associated London Scripts.
The Doctor Who writer Terry Nation came up with the idea for the Daleks while working on the building's second floor, and it was used by Dennis Spooner to draft scripts for the Thunderbirds and Stingray series.
Milligan – co-creator of The Goon Show and the author of Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall – sold his interest in the mansion at 9 Orme Court in the early 1970s to Sykes, who continued to work in its first floor office until shortly before his death in 2012. The property then passed to the Sykes family.
The mansion, which was built in the 1890s, has a series of large rooms on the ground and first floor, high ceilings and tall windows, and is located in one of the most sought after embassy areas.
Kosovan embassy staff intend to move into the building after renovation work is complete.
The deal was arranged by Beauchamp Estates.
Gary Hersham, founding director, said: “This grand townhouse has the benefit of a long history of being used as both offices and living accommodation making a transformation into an Embassy a logical step.
“The spacious interiors and prime location, on the doorstep of Hyde Park and just a short drive to Buckingham Place, makes it a perfect venue for a diplomatic mission.”
The Embassy of Kosovo did not respond to a request for comment.
