Rearsby
Encyclopedia
Rearsby is a village and civil parish
in the Charnwood
district of Leicestershire
, England
. The parish has a population of about 1,000. It is on the A607 road between Leicester
and Melton Mowbray
, and is just south of the River Wreake
. Nearby places are East Goscote
, Thrussington
and Rotherby. In 2000, villagers got the approval of building a bypass for Rearsby, work started in August 2003 and by the following year the bypass was open allowing traffic to pass Rearsby without going through the village, the estimated cost of the bypass was £5.9 million. It is a village with a strong community spirit which has been shown through a long standing publishing of the Rearsby Scene (the local village newspaper).
The County Flying Club moved there in 1938 on land owned by Sir William Lindsay Everard
. Rearsby airfield soon became the home of the Taylorcraft aircraft factory, which began light aircraft manufacture in 1939. The basic aircraft design was modified to become the British Army A.O.P. (Air Observation Post), the model being named the Auster. Following W.W.II, Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Ltd changed its name to The Auster
Aircraft Company Ltd. The aircraft was known as 'The All Steel Aeroplane". After initial success with the Autocrat
and other models, post war civil aircraft sales slowed down, particularly as there were many ex-military surplus aircraft available.
The company began using its manufacturing skills to supply the re-emerging UK motor industry. Auster Commercial, as this arm of the business was known, changed its name to Rearsby Automotive Ltd in 1966. Auster was now part of Pressed Steel Company which in turn was a division of the British Motor Corporation
. In 1968, Auster Aircraft/Rearsby Automotive became part of British Leyland. Aircraft manufacture ceased in 1969. Rearsby Automotive expanded its sales quickly in order to occupy the whole site before British Leyland sold off the former aircraft factory and landing field. The automotive business, under the name, Rearsby Components, traded successfully winning business with Ford, Chrysler UK
and G.M.
, British Leyland's competitors. The business became highly profitable. Meanwhile, its parent company went from strife and crisis to crisis throughout the 70s. In 1981, British Leyland, as part of its consolidation process, announced to the Rearsby management, the plant was to close. The management team, led by Ivor Vaughan, believed in the future of the business and orgainised/created the first British Leyland Management Buy Out in 1982, indeed one of the very early UK MBO
s. Rearsby Automotive Ltd was resurrected. The business continued to expand winning business with Nissan, Honda
, Toyota and VW, designing and developing all the products it supplied for its customer vehicles. This included supplying vehicle plants in Japan. The company also adopted lean manufacturing
philosophies. The original MBO team sold the business in 1996 to Adwest group and the business failed on the site in 2003. The site now a series of industrial units, Rearsby Business Park.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Charnwood
Charnwood (borough)
Charnwood is a borough of northern Leicestershire, England. It is named after Charnwood Forest, which it contains. Loughborough is the largest town in the district and serves as the borough's administrative and commercial centre.-History:...
district of Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The parish has a population of about 1,000. It is on the A607 road between Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
, and is just south of the River Wreake
River Wreake
The River Wreake is a river in Leicestershire, England. It is a tributary of the River Soar. The river between Stapleford Park and Melton Mowbray is known as the River Eye and becomes the Wreake below Melton Mowbray....
. Nearby places are East Goscote
East Goscote
East Goscote is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England, just north of Syston. It is a medium sized village with a population of approximately 3,000. The village is twinned with Fleury-sur-Andelle, France....
, Thrussington
Thrussington
Thrussington is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It is on the River Wreake, near to Rearsby, Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Hoby and Brooksby, and not far from the path of the Fosse Way-Events:...
and Rotherby. In 2000, villagers got the approval of building a bypass for Rearsby, work started in August 2003 and by the following year the bypass was open allowing traffic to pass Rearsby without going through the village, the estimated cost of the bypass was £5.9 million. It is a village with a strong community spirit which has been shown through a long standing publishing of the Rearsby Scene (the local village newspaper).
The County Flying Club moved there in 1938 on land owned by Sir William Lindsay Everard
William Lindsay Everard
Sir William Lindsay Everard was a brewer, politician, and philanthropist from Leicestershire, United Kingdom. As the founder and supporter of the Ratcliffe Aerodrome, Sir Lindsay was a pioneer aviator, knighted for his crucial efforts in World War II with the Air Transport Auxiliary...
. Rearsby airfield soon became the home of the Taylorcraft aircraft factory, which began light aircraft manufacture in 1939. The basic aircraft design was modified to become the British Army A.O.P. (Air Observation Post), the model being named the Auster. Following W.W.II, Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Ltd changed its name to The Auster
Auster
Auster Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1938 to 1961.-History:The company began in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited, making light observation aircraft designed by the Taylorcraft Aircraft Corporation of...
Aircraft Company Ltd. The aircraft was known as 'The All Steel Aeroplane". After initial success with the Autocrat
Auster Autocrat
-External links:*...
and other models, post war civil aircraft sales slowed down, particularly as there were many ex-military surplus aircraft available.
The company began using its manufacturing skills to supply the re-emerging UK motor industry. Auster Commercial, as this arm of the business was known, changed its name to Rearsby Automotive Ltd in 1966. Auster was now part of Pressed Steel Company which in turn was a division of the British Motor Corporation
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
. In 1968, Auster Aircraft/Rearsby Automotive became part of British Leyland. Aircraft manufacture ceased in 1969. Rearsby Automotive expanded its sales quickly in order to occupy the whole site before British Leyland sold off the former aircraft factory and landing field. The automotive business, under the name, Rearsby Components, traded successfully winning business with Ford, Chrysler UK
Chrysler UK
Chrysler UK was the British division of the American car-maker Chrysler. It was founded in 1970 when the Chrysler-owned Rootes Group was renamed to reflect its ownership.-Models:...
and G.M.
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, British Leyland's competitors. The business became highly profitable. Meanwhile, its parent company went from strife and crisis to crisis throughout the 70s. In 1981, British Leyland, as part of its consolidation process, announced to the Rearsby management, the plant was to close. The management team, led by Ivor Vaughan, believed in the future of the business and orgainised/created the first British Leyland Management Buy Out in 1982, indeed one of the very early UK MBO
Mbo
MBO may be:* Mbo language , a language spoken in Cameroon* Mbo language , spoken by the Mbo people of Ituri Province, Mambasa Territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
s. Rearsby Automotive Ltd was resurrected. The business continued to expand winning business with Nissan, Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, Toyota and VW, designing and developing all the products it supplied for its customer vehicles. This included supplying vehicle plants in Japan. The company also adopted lean manufacturing
Lean manufacturing
Lean manufacturing, lean enterprise, or lean production, often simply, "Lean," is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination...
philosophies. The original MBO team sold the business in 1996 to Adwest group and the business failed on the site in 2003. The site now a series of industrial units, Rearsby Business Park.