CHRISTOPHER H SMITH DECORATING SERVICES LTD

⚰️Wound downdissolved
04506402 · ltd · incorporated 2002-08-08
Investment thesis
Company dissolved — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
63/100
Worth a look
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What this business does
Primary activity: Painting
Sector: Construction
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed unclear — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 63/100 (worth a look), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Company dissolved. Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: low (53/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 1 with DOB)
74
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
49 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
63/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.

Business quality
30
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
90
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 (31 events)Click to expand
  1. 2020-11-17
    📄
    gazette-dissolved-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ2(A)
  2. 2020-11-17
    🏁
    Company dissolved
  3. 2020-09-01
    📄
    gazette-notice-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ1(A)
  4. 2020-08-19
    📄
    dissolution-application-strike-off-company
    dissolution · DS01
  5. 2020-03-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2019-04-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2018-02-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2017-08-01
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  9. 2017-01-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  10. 2016-02-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  11. 2015-08-17
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  12. 2015-04-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  13. 2014-08-21
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  14. 2013-11-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2013-08-10
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2013-01-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2012-08-10
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  18. 2011-12-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  19. 2011-08-09
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  20. 2011-02-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  21. 2010-09-06
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  22. 2010-09-06
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  23. 2005-11-16
    ➕
    SMITH, Catherine Ann appointed
    secretary
  24. 2005-11-16
    ➖
    QUEEN SQUARE SECRETARIES LTD resigned
    corporate-secretary
  25. 2002-12-05
    ➖
    DOLAN, Paul Vincent resigned
    secretary
  26. 2002-12-05
    ➕
    QUEEN SQUARE SECRETARIES LTD appointed
    corporate-secretary
  27. 2002-08-08
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CHRISTOPHER H SMITH DECORATING SERVICES LTD
  28. 2002-08-08
    ➕
    SMITH, Christopher appointed
    director
  29. 2002-08-08
    ➕
    DOLAN, Paul Vincent appointed
    secretary
  30. 2002-08-08
    ➕
    QUEEN SQUARE HOLDINGS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-director
  31. 2002-08-08
    ➖
    QUEEN SQUARE HOLDINGS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-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 "SMITH" — 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.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.

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 66. 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 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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

1 high ·
Company dissolved
high

Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.

Evidence: Dissolved on 2020-11-17

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Christopher Smith
Individual · British · DOB 02/1960 · age 66
75–100%
75–100%board controlsig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · significant influence06/04/2016

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

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———————
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
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9 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.

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Company details

Statusdissolved
Typeltd
Incorporated2002-08-08
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC43341 — Painting

Registered office

20 Langdon Road
Bath
BA2 1LS
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: 2019-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: —
Last: —

Officers (0 active · 3 resigned)

SMITH, Catherine Ann→
secretary · appointed 2005-11-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SMITH, Christopher→
director · ~66y · appointed 2002-08-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DOLAN, Paul Vincent→
secretary · appointed 2002-08-08 · resigned 2002-12-05
Resigned
QUEEN SQUARE SECRETARIES LTD→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2002-12-05 · resigned 2005-11-16
Resigned
QUEEN SQUARE HOLDINGS LIMITED→
corporate-director · appointed 2002-08-08 · resigned 2002-08-08
Resigned

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

Recent filings (49 total)

gazette-dissolved-voluntary
gazette · GAZ2(A)
2020-11-17
gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2020-09-01
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2020-08-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-03-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-08-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-04-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-08-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2018-02-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2017-08-22
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2017-08-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2017-01-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2016-08-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2016-02-13
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2015-08-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2015-04-23