A.E.BARTHOLOMEW & COMPANY LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
00713308 · ltd · incorporated 1962-01-19
Investment thesis
Looks cheap but ownership + security both unclear — probable value trap.
Why interesting: Headline metrics may be attractive.
Why risky: No PSC visibility combined with multiple live charges; transacting likely slow and expensive.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
44/100
Watch
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 4521
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed admin-neglect survivor — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 44/100 (watch), bankability 2/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: File overdue accounts. Clears statutory overdue flag — immediate bankability uplift for refinance conversations. Most likely exit: asset disposal / carve-out (80/100). Current lenders should be on immediate intervention.
🏦
Refinance opportunity
15 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 62.5y
25/100
too messy
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 62.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 70/100 (specialist).
Data confidence
Overall: low (49/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
15 charges (15/15 with lender, 15/15 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (4 active, 12 linked, 8 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
106 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
44/100Watch
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Not actionable now, but monitor — distressed, succession, or structural changes could flip this into a real opportunity.
Business quality
15
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
12
Multiple red flags — proceed with caution.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (67 events)Click to expand
- 2018-04-06📄restoration-order-of-courtrestoration · AC92
- 2017-01-03📄gazette-dissolved-compulsorygazette · GAZ2
- 2017-01-03🏁Company dissolved
- 2016-10-18📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2016-09-01📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2014-07-25📄restoration-order-of-courtrestoration · AC92
- 2006-03-14📄gazette-dissolved-compulsarygazette · GAZ2
- 2005-11-29📄gazette-notice-compulsarygazette · GAZ1
- 2005-01-18⚠️legacyinsolvency · 405(2)
- 2004-06-16⚠️liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-paymentsinsolvency · 3.6
- 2003-07-10⚠️liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-paymentsinsolvency · 3.6
- 2003-05-23📍legacyaddress · 287
- 2002-07-10⚠️liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-paymentsinsolvency · 3.6
- 2001-07-11⚠️liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-paymentsinsolvency · 3.6
- 2000-10-12⚠️liquidation-receiver-administrative-receivers-reportinsolvency · 3.10
- 2000-08-24⚠️liquidation-receiver-statement-of-affairsinsolvency · 3.3
- 2000-07-11⚠️legacyinsolvency · 405(1)
- 2000-06-26📍legacyaddress · 287
- 2000-06-12➖PAGE, Michael Leonard resigneddirector
- 2000-05-18📄legacyofficers · 288b
- 2000-05-05📍legacyaddress · 287
- 2000-04-28📄legacyofficers · 288b
- 2000-04-18➖GRIFFITHS, Gerald Elwyn resigneddirector
- 2000-03-30📄legacyofficers · 288a
- 2000-03-29➖FAIRBAIRN, Lindsay resigneddirector
- 2000-03-08📄legacyofficers · 288b
- 2000-02-29➕PAGE, Michael Leonard appointedsecretary
- 2000-02-29➖HATLEM, Rognald resignedsecretary
- 2000-02-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2000-01-26📄legacycapital · 88(2)R
- 1999-11-03📄legacyannual-return · 363s
- 1998-08-06➕GRIFFITHS, Gerald Elwyn appointeddirector
- 1998-03-23➕ARNOTT, Jon appointeddirector
- 1998-03-23➕PAGE, Michael Leonard appointeddirector
- 1998-03-10🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Confidential Invoice Discounting Limited
- 1998-02-18➖BROWN, Steven Seth resignedsecretary
- 1998-02-18➕HATLEM, Rognald appointedsecretary
- 1997-09-22➖JUDGE, Alan Alfred resigneddirector
- 1997-09-12🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 1997-09-12🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 1997-09-12🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 1997-09-12🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 1997-09-12🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 1997-09-12🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 1997-09-12🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 1997-09-12🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1997-07-09➖ODONNELL, Anthony resigneddirector
- 1997-05-28🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Confidential Invoice Discounting Limited
- 1997-04-01➕ODONNELL, Anthony appointeddirector
- 1997-02-05➕BROWN, Steven Seth appointeddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 67 events
Owner dependency
75/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 86 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
85/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 86 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 64 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
3 high · 2 med · 1 lowAccounts overdue
highStatutory accounts have not been filed by their due date. Can indicate admin breakdown, cash preservation, or deliberate delay.
Evidence: Next due: 2002-01-31
Confirmation statement overdue
highAnnual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2016-10-18
8 insolvency-related filings on record
highFilings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2005-01-18: legacy; 2004-06-16: liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments
Has insolvency history
mediumCompanies House flags prior insolvency events. Review the insolvency filings for context.
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
7 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
🔒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
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 139 & LENOX MEDIA LTD→ 16558975 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A M TYRES & MOTOR REPAIRS LTD→ 15074339 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AB CAPITAL DRIVE LTD→ 16820363 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AERO DRIVE LTD→ 16916757 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AGTRANZ LOGIX LIMITED→ 14418603 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AJB COACHWORKS LTD→ 16299439 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AJR CAR SALES LIMITED→ 17081732 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALAN TAYLOR REPAIRS UK LIMITED→ 13888890 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ALAYAN LTD→ 14061394 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ALBERRYS LIMITED→ 04525823 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| ALDRIDGE VEHICLE SERVICES LIMITED→ 01861365 · est 1984 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 41y | — | — |
| ALL LANDY UK LTD→ 13359181 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
13 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
Incorporated1962-01-19
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC4521 — SIC 4521
Registered office
Sherlock House
73 Baker Street
London
W1U 6RD
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2002-01-31OVERDUE
Last made up to: —
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2016-10-18OVERDUE
Last: —
Officers (4 active · 8 resigned)
PAGE, Michael Leonard→
Activesecretary · appointed 2000-02-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
Active
BROWN, Steven Seth→
Activedirector · ~86y · appointed 1997-02-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BROWN, Steven Seth→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1997-02-05 · resigned 1998-02-18
HATLEM, Rognald→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1998-02-18 · resigned 2000-02-29
JUDGE, Alan Alfred→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1997-02-05
FAIRBAIRN, Lindsay→
Resigneddirector · ~74y · appointed 1997-02-05 · resigned 2000-03-29
GRIFFITHS, Gerald Elwyn→
Resigneddirector · ~88y · appointed 1998-08-06 · resigned 2000-04-18
JUDGE, Alan Alfred→
Resigneddirector · ~93y · resigned 1997-09-22
ODONNELL, Anthony→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · appointed 1997-04-01 · resigned 1997-07-09
PAGE, Michael Leonard→
Resigneddirector · ~72y · appointed 1998-03-23 · resigned 2000-06-12
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
15
Total charges
7
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:15 of 15 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Confidential Invoice Discounting Confidential Invoice Discounting Limited | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 10/03/1998 | — | |
| outstanding | Confidential Invoice Discounting Confidential Invoice Discounting Limited | Fixed charge on discounted debts and a floating charge on the receipts of other debts | 1 property | 28/05/1997 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Deposit agreement | 1 property | 07/03/1994 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 29/05/1991 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 28/05/1991 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 12/02/1991 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Counter indemnity & charge on deposit | 1 property | 06/04/1990 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 03/06/1987 | 12/09/1997 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 03/06/1987 | 12/09/1997 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 03/06/1987 | 12/09/1997 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 02/12/1985 | 12/09/1997 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Charge | 1 property | 03/04/1984 | 12/09/1997 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Charge | 1 property | 03/04/1984 | 12/09/1997 | |
| satisfied | Westminster Bank Westminster Bank LTD | Legal charge | 1 property | 12/05/1965 | 12/09/1997 | |
| satisfied | Westminster Bank Westminster Bank LTD | Legal charge | 1 property | 29/10/1963 | 12/09/1997 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (106 total)
restoration-order-of-court
restoration · AC92
2018-04-06
gazette-dissolved-compulsory
gazette · GAZ2
2017-01-03
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2016-10-18
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2016-09-01
restoration-order-of-court
restoration · AC92
2014-07-25
gazette-dissolved-compulsary
gazette · GAZ2
2006-03-14
gazette-notice-compulsary
gazette · GAZ1
2005-11-29
legacy
insolvency · 405(2)
2005-01-18
liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments
insolvency · 3.6
2004-06-16
liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments
insolvency · 3.6
2003-07-10
legacy
address · 287
2003-05-23
liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments
insolvency · 3.6
2002-07-10
liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments
insolvency · 3.6
2001-07-11
liquidation-receiver-administrative-receivers-report
insolvency · 3.10
2000-10-12
liquidation-receiver-statement-of-affairs
insolvency · 3.3
2000-08-24