Lots of these comments describe English 3 speeds as being upright riding cruisers whereas internally geared road bikes were still the norm in England until the 50's when derailer gearing started to become very popular for the masses.
I am presently working on a 1954 Raleigh Sports road model with a 3 speed hub that will also be getting a vintage early 60's Cyclo Benelux 3 speed dual drive conversion to give it 9 speeds.
It will be a nice stable mate to my 1955 Lenton which is a fixed gear model... the IG hub option cost a few pounds more.