BARWICK MUSIC LTD
💤Zombieactive
03960344 · ltd · incorporated 2000-03-30
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 Feb 2026
Net worth
£56.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Retail sale of musical instruments and scores
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. 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. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 24.8y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 24.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (72/100)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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
84 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £56,500
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£57k
Current Assets
£60k
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2026-02-28 |
|---|---|
| Total assets | £56.5k |
| Current assets | £60.0k |
| Net assets | £56.5k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
6
filings
- • 2 accounts
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2026-02-28➖BARWICK, Ann resigneddirector
- 2026-02-28📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2026-02-14📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2026-02-04📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-02-04📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-04-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-28📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-06-21📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-04-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-04-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2017-12-30➖BARWICK, Paul Martin resigneddirector
- 2003-03-03🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2002-08-06🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2002-03-31➕BARWICK, James Peter appointeddirector
- 2001-10-24🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2001-09-12➕BARWICK, Ann appointeddirector
- 2000-04-06➕BARWICK, James Peter appointedsecretary
- 2000-04-06➕BARWICK, Paul Martin appointeddirector
- 2000-03-30🏢Company incorporatedAs BARWICK MUSIC LTD
- 2000-03-30➕M W DOUGLAS & COMPANY LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-03-30➖M W DOUGLAS & COMPANY LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-03-30➕DOUGLAS NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2000-03-30➖DOUGLAS NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
100/100
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.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BARWICK" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 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
cleanNo 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| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr James Peter Barwick Individual · British · DOB 07/1975 · age 51 | 50–75% | — | 50-75% shares | 01/02/2026 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mrs Ann Barwickceased 01/02/2026· 25-50% shares
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
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGNI FUELS LTD→ 15191434 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BABY WE CARE LIMITED→ 10924193 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| BANAOTH LTD→ 16145400 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BOYDS BIKES LIMITED→ 09431523 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| BRAMBLY HEDGE LIMITED→ 01568689 · est 1981 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 44y | — | — |
| BRIDPORT LIGHTING LTD→ 10363856 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| BROSCOTS LTD→ 11858851 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BUMBLES CHARMOUTH LIMITED→ 12379912 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| CADCO PRODUCTS LTD→ 16168849 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| CAFE BY THE LAKES LTD→ 09258529 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| CALICO AND COTTON LTD→ 07652052 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| CALLAWAYS LEISURE LTD→ 17018290 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Incorporated2000-03-30
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC47591 — Retail sale of musical instruments and scores
Registered office
1 Alington Hall
Durngate Street
Dorchester
DT1 1JP
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-11-30
Last made up to: 2026-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-16
Last: 2026-03-02
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
BARWICK, James Peter→
Activesecretary · appointed 2000-04-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BARWICK, James Peter→
Activedirector · ~51y · appointed 2002-03-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
M W DOUGLAS & COMPANY LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-03-30 · resigned 2000-03-30
BARWICK, Ann→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · appointed 2001-09-12 · resigned 2026-02-28
BARWICK, Paul Martin→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 2000-04-06 · resigned 2017-12-30
DOUGLAS NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2000-03-30 · resigned 2000-03-30
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 06/08/2002 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 24/10/2001 | 03/03/2003 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (84 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-03-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-02
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2026-02-28
change-account-reference-date-company-current-shortened
accounts · AA01
2026-02-14
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-02-04
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-02-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-05-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-04-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-10-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-02
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-06-28