ASSOCIATED TOYS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
01563873 · ltd · incorporated 1981-05-26
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 52103
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · oldest 44.0y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 44.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 4 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
103 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 0 |
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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-02-12📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-01-11➖PITTFIELD, Jean Irene resigneddirector
- 2024-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-23📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-04-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-04-08📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-09-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-10-10📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2017-10-10📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-10-10📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-04-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2012-05-01➕PITTFIELD, Barry James appointeddirector
- 2012-05-01➖PITTFIELD, Neville Stanley resigneddirector
- 2001-07-04➕CLIFFORD FRY & CO (COMPANY SECRETARIAL) LTD appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2001-07-04➖PITTFIELD, Jean Irene resignedsecretary
- 2000-02-19🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1998-07-01➖HUGHES, Stephen Robert resigneddirector
- 1995-11-29🔒Charge registered #3Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1989-08-29🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1982-07-05🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1981-05-26🏢Company incorporatedAs ASSOCIATED TOYS LIMITED
Owner dependency
83/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
78/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 14 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 45 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Barry James Pittfield Individual · British · DOB 01/1966 · age 60 | 50–75% | 50–75% | board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control | 12/06/2017 |
Ian Pittfield Individual · British · DOB 06/1961 · age 65 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 12/06/2017 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mrs Jean Irene Pittfieldceased 12/06/2017· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATRYDA LTD→ 15012062 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
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| BUSEXPRESS LTD→ 12321206 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| CAELUM TRAINING LIMITED→ 09334483 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| CARGOJET LIMITED→ 17012847 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CARISMA PRIVATE HIRE LTD→ 09827918 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| CC TOWING SERVICES LTD→ 12770583 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| CHARLIES CABS LTD→ 16272566 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1981-05-26
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC52103 — SIC 52103
Registered office
Oakwood Wildhern Lane
Wildhern
Andover
Hampshire
SP11 0JE
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-21
Last: 2025-10-07
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
CLIFFORD FRY & CO (COMPANY SECRETARIAL) LTD→
Activecorporate-secretary · appointed 2001-07-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PITTFIELD, Barry James→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2012-05-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PITTFIELD, Jean Irene→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2001-07-04
HUGHES, Stephen Robert→
Resigneddirector · ~106y · resigned 1998-07-01
PITTFIELD, Jean Irene→
Resigneddirector · ~89y · resigned 2025-01-11
PITTFIELD, Neville Stanley→
Resigneddirector · ~92y · resigned 2012-05-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 2 properties | 29/11/1995 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 29/08/1989 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 05/07/1982 | 19/02/2000 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (103 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-29
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-02-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-25
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-06-23
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-04-08
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-04-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-14