Noel Mobbs

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Sir Arthur Noel Mobbs KCVO, OBE (1878 - 1959) was the founder of Slough Estates, one of the largest property businesses in Britain He was an active class warrior being a co-founder of Aims of Industry in 1942.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

Career

Brought up in Northampton, Noel Mobbs, together with his brother, Herbert, founded the Pytchley Autocar Company in 1903 to sell private vehicles: the business was later bought by Mercantile Credit.[1] Another of Noel's brothers, Edgar, was a well-known Rugby player.[2]

In 1920 he and Sir Percival Perry acquired Slough Depot, a vehicle park where thousands of disused military vehicles had been abandoned.[1] First they sold the vehicles and then they converted the factories and let them out for industrial use, so establishing the Slough Trading Estate.[1]

He was also keen to establish sporting and social facilities for the people of Slough and in 1928 he bought Stoke Park Golf Club for £30,000 and reformed it.[3] He also established the Stoke Poges Garden which is open to the public[4] as well as the Slough Community Centre which opened in 1936.[3]

He was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1948.[5]

Mobbs was an avid bridge player[1] and in 1950 he chaired the British Bridge League.[6] He died in Bournemouth in 1959.[1]

Family

He married Francis.[1] His grandson was Nigel Mobbs, a more recent Chairman of Slough Estates.[7]

References