John Towers (businessman) Nick Stephenson and John Edwards, Towers formed Phoenix Venture Holdings (PVH) which bought Rover Group for £10 in April 2000. In addition they also bought the Studley Castle, a conference hotel. They subsequently purchased Midland Powertrain, MG Rover's engine plant from BMW for £20. Finally, for £50 along with an undisclosed sum from the Royal Bank of Scotland, they purchased Rover Capital, (now MG Rover Capital) a book of Rover car loans. Kevin Howe was appointed MG Rover's Managing Director in July 2000. In April 2005, MG Rover went into administration, following the collapse of takeover talks with Shanghai Automotive
John Beale (writer) John Beale (writer) John Beale (c.1608-1683) was an English clergyman, scientific writer, and early Fellow of the Royal Society. He contributed to John Evelyn's "Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber", and was an influential author on orchards and cider. He was also a member of the Hartlib Circle. He was born in Yardley, Herefordshire, the son of Thomas Beale, a lawyer and farmer, and Joanna Pye; he was a nephew of Robert Pye and Walter Pye. He was educated at King's College, Worcester by Henry Bright, who is thought to have nurtured his early study