APPLEBY BOWERS CREATIVE ASSOCIATES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03945107 · ltd · incorporated 2000-03-10
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 Mar 2025
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: Artistic creation
Sector: Arts, entertainment & recreation
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 3 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
68 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
—
-£49k-£37k-£26k-£14k-£2k£10kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets—£-49.1k
Current assets—£9.9k
Cash—£48
Debtors—£9.9k
Net assets—£-49.1k
Average employees1—

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 signals 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
1
filing
  • • 1 address
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 address
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 1 address
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-21
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  2. 2025-12-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-12-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2021-03-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-12-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2017-12-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2016-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  12. 2016-03-31
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  13. 2015-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2015-03-31
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  15. 2014-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2009-11-24
    ➖
    LOMAS, Anthony resigned
    director
  17. 2003-01-01
    ➕
    LOMAS, Anthony appointed
    director
  18. 2001-03-08
    ➕
    BOWERS, Rachael Vanessa appointed
    secretary
  19. 2001-03-08
    ➖
    BOWERS, Bernard Gerard resigned
    secretary
  20. 2001-03-08
    ➖
    HALLAS-APPLEBY, Diane Christine resigned
    director
  21. 2000-03-24
    ➕
    BOWERS, Bernard Gerard appointed
    director
  22. 2000-03-24
    ➕
    BOWERS, Bernard Gerard appointed
    secretary
  23. 2000-03-24
    ➖
    WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  24. 2000-03-24
    ➕
    HALLAS-APPLEBY, Diane Christine appointed
    director
  25. 2000-03-24
    ➖
    WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  26. 2000-03-10
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As APPLEBY BOWERS CREATIVE ASSOCIATES LIMITED
  27. 2000-03-10
    ➕
    WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  28. 2000-03-10
    ➕
    WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BOWERS" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
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 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 26 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.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Bernard Gerard Bowers
Individual · British · DOB 01/1962 · age 64
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting05/03/2017

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 · Leisure & entertainment · M postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
AKAI LIVE LTD→
16003404 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ALISTAIR MILLS FITNESS LTD→
10398988 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
ALPHA LEISURE AMUSEMENTS LTD→
07899405 · est 2012 · no financials extracted
————14y——
AMEER TRAVELLERS LIMITED→
16780029 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
ANITA RYAN EVENTS LIMITED→
16439165 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
ANOTHER KIND OF WORLD PRODUCTIONS LIMITED→
14466715 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ANTHONY THE WITNESS LTD→
15926911 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
AP CHORAL LTD→
16076678 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
APEX NUTRITION & PERFORMANCE LTD→
14863278 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
APEX TRAVEL SERVICE LTD→
03556303 · est 1998 · no financials extracted
————27y——
APPLEBY CASTLE ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED→
08610962 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
————12y——
AQIB FIAZ BOXING LTD→
15721747 · est 2024 · 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
Incorporated2000-03-10
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC90030 — Artistic creation

Registered office

6 Glebelands Road
Prestwich
Manchester
M25 1NE
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-19
Last: 2026-03-05

Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)

BOWERS, Rachael Vanessa→
secretary · appointed 2001-03-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BOWERS, Bernard Gerard→
director · ~64y · appointed 2000-03-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BOWERS, Bernard Gerard→
secretary · appointed 2000-03-24 · resigned 2001-03-08
Resigned
WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-03-10 · resigned 2000-03-24
Resigned
HALLAS-APPLEBY, Diane Christine→
director · ~82y · appointed 2000-03-24 · resigned 2001-03-08
Resigned
LOMAS, Anthony→
director · ~72y · appointed 2003-01-01 · resigned 2009-11-24
Resigned
WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2000-03-10 · resigned 2000-03-24
Resigned

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

Recent filings (68 total)

change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-05-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-03-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-12-23