HAMISH HAMILTON CHILDREN'S BOOKS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
00700925 · ltd · incorporated 1961-08-15
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Book publishing
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: high (82/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
15 officers (3 active, 15 linked, 12 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
11 connected companies via shared directors
78
Filing history
119 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Average employees00

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (40 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-11-04
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2024-06-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-09-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-10-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-09-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-11-30
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  10. 2018-05-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  11. 2017-09-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  12. 2016-10-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  13. 2016-07-20
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  14. 2016-07-18
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  15. 2016-06-30
    ➕
    MARTIN, Sinead Mary appointed
    secretary
  16. 2016-06-30
    ➖
    PEACOCK, Helena Caroline resigned
    secretary
  17. 2016-04-12
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  18. 2014-03-31
    ➕
    GARDINER, Mark William appointed
    director
  19. 2014-03-31
    ➖
    BRENNAN, Suzanne Margaret resigned
    director
  20. 2010-12-31
    ➕
    WELDON, Thomas Daryl appointed
    director
  21. 2010-12-31
    ➖
    FIELD, Peter resigned
    director
  22. 2009-07-31
    ➖
    LANDERS, Brian James resigned
    director
  23. 2009-07-06
    ➕
    BRENNAN, Suzanne Margaret appointed
    director
  24. 2007-01-01
    ➕
    FIELD, Peter appointed
    director
  25. 2007-01-01
    ➖
    MAKINSON, John Crowther resigned
    director
  26. 2005-02-28
    ➖
    FORBES WATSON, Anthony David resigned
    director
  27. 2005-02-28
    ➕
    MAKINSON, John Crowther appointed
    director
  28. 2003-05-20
    ➕
    LANDERS, Brian James appointed
    director
  29. 2003-05-20
    ➖
    PEACOCK, Helena Caroline resigned
    director
  30. 2003-02-28
    ➕
    PEACOCK, Helena Caroline appointed
    director
  31. 2003-02-28
    ➖
    POWER, Charles Richard resigned
    director
  32. 2001-03-31
    ➖
    MILNES-SMITH, Philippa Jean resigned
    director
  33. 2001-03-30
    ➕
    POWER, Charles Richard appointed
    director
  34. 1998-09-14
    ➖
    ENGLE, Cecily Julia resigned
    secretary
  35. 1998-09-14
    ➕
    PEACOCK, Helena Caroline appointed
    secretary
  36. 1998-06-30
    ➖
    NISSEN, Jane Bird resigned
    director
  37. 1997-05-01
    ➕
    FORBES WATSON, Anthony David appointed
    director
  38. 1995-09-18
    ➖
    ATTENBOROUGH, Elizabeth Margaret resigned
    director
  39. 1995-09-18
    ➕
    MILNES-SMITH, Philippa Jean appointed
    director
  40. 1961-08-15
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As HAMISH HAMILTON CHILDREN'S BOOKS LIMITED

Owner dependency

83/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 15 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

79/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 65 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Group structure

Hamish Hamilton Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Hamish Hamilton Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
HAMISH HAMILTON CHILDREN'S BOOKS LIMITED
This company · 00700925

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Hamish Hamilton Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Similar companies

Active · Technology · SW postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
ACT 6 LIMITED→
14881609 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ACT THE FOOL LTD→
15452298 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ACTING ON A DREAM LIMITED→
09216625 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————11y——
ACUBED IT SOLUTIONS LIMITED→
12285965 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
ACURA GLOBAL LIMITED→
14541890 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ADAGIO MUSIC ACADEMY LTD→
14320121 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ADAM PLOWDEN DIT LIMITED→
14814399 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ADAM STYLE LIMITED→
11853840 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————7y——
ADAMANISAR LTD→
13961836 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————4y——
ADAPT TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION LTD→
14591983 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ADAPTAVIST GROUP LTD→
06878779 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
————17y——
ADDUP LIMITED→
11244434 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————8y——
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1961-08-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC58110 — Book publishing

Registered office

One Embassy Gardens
8 Viaduct Gardens
London
SW11 7BW
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-14
Last: 2026-03-31

Officers (3 active · 12 resigned)

MARTIN, Sinead Mary→
secretary · appointed 2016-06-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GARDINER, Mark William→
director · ~65y · appointed 2014-03-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WELDON, Thomas Daryl→
director · ~63y · appointed 2010-12-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ENGLE, Cecily Julia→
secretary · resigned 1998-09-14
Resigned
PEACOCK, Helena Caroline→
secretary · appointed 1998-09-14 · resigned 2016-06-30
Resigned
ATTENBOROUGH, Elizabeth Margaret→
director · ~74y · resigned 1995-09-18
Resigned
BRENNAN, Suzanne Margaret→
director · ~57y · appointed 2009-07-06 · resigned 2014-03-31
Resigned
FIELD, Peter→
director · ~80y · appointed 2007-01-01 · resigned 2010-12-31
Resigned
FORBES WATSON, Anthony David→
director · ~72y · appointed 1997-05-01 · resigned 2005-02-28
Resigned
LANDERS, Brian James→
director · ~77y · appointed 2003-05-20 · resigned 2009-07-31
Resigned
MAKINSON, John Crowther→
director · ~72y · appointed 2005-02-28 · resigned 2007-01-01
Resigned
MILNES-SMITH, Philippa Jean→
director · ~66y · appointed 1995-09-18 · resigned 2001-03-31
Resigned
NISSEN, Jane Bird→
director · ~91y · resigned 1998-06-30
Resigned
PEACOCK, Helena Caroline→
director · ~73y · appointed 2003-02-28 · resigned 2003-05-20
Resigned
POWER, Charles Richard→
director · ~62y · appointed 2001-03-30 · resigned 2003-02-28
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (119 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-09-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-31
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-11-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-06-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-09-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-10-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-09-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2020-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-04-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2019-09-25