BEDFORD FABRICS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04644111 · ltd · incorporated 2003-01-22
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
—
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Turnover
—
year to Jan 2025
Net worth
£160.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Wholesale of textiles
Sector: Wholesale & retail
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 47510SIC 47510
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 79-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 79). 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

2 live charges · oldest 16.9y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 16.9 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, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (2 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
75 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102
Positive net assets
Net assets £160,301
Cash YoY
-22%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£8k
↓ 22% YoY
Net Worth
£160k
↑ 1.4% YoY
Current Assets
£97k
↓ 3.9% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£32k£64k£96k£128k£160kJan 2024Jan 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-01-312024-01-31
Total assets£175.0k£173.5k
Current assets£96.6k£100.5k
Cash£7.5k£9.7k
Net assets£160.3k£158.2k

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
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-10-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-10-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-08-09
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  5. 2023-08-09
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  6. 2023-06-07
    ➖
    BEDFORD, Brian resigned
    director
  7. 2023-02-14
    📄
    second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
    confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
  8. 2023-02-08
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  9. 2023-01-19
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  10. 2023-01-09
    ➕
    BEDFORD, Wayne Brian appointed
    director
  11. 2023-01-09
    ➖
    BEDFORD, Wayne Brian resigned
    director
  12. 2022-10-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-10-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-10-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2019-10-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2018-10-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2017-10-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2016-10-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  19. 2010-09-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  20. 2009-07-21
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  21. 2007-08-01
    ➕
    BEDFORD, Wayne Brian appointed
    secretary
  22. 2007-08-01
    ➖
    BEDFORD, Wayne Brian resigned
    secretary
  23. 2007-08-01
    ➖
    BEDFORD, Wayne Brian resigned
    director
  24. 2003-05-02
    ➕
    BEDFORD, Lillian appointed
    director
  25. 2003-05-02
    ➕
    BEDFORD, Wayne Brian appointed
    secretary
  26. 2003-05-02
    ➖
    MADHLOOM, Asya resigned
    secretary
  27. 2003-05-02
    ➖
    ALI, Madhloom resigned
    director
  28. 2003-05-02
    ➕
    BEDFORD, Brian appointed
    director
  29. 2003-05-02
    ➕
    BEDFORD, Wayne Brian appointed
    director
  30. 2003-01-23
    ➕
    MADHLOOM, Asya appointed
    secretary
  31. 2003-01-23
    ➖
    HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 2003-01-23
    ➕
    ALI, Madhloom appointed
    director
  33. 2003-01-23
    ➖
    HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  34. 2003-01-22
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BEDFORD FABRICS LIMITED
  35. 2003-01-22
    ➕
    HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  36. 2003-01-22
    ➕
    HANOVER DIRECTORS 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 "BEDFORD" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 79 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 79 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 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
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Lillian Bedford
Individual · British · DOB 07/1947 · age 79
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting01/06/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Brian Bedfordceased 07/06/2023· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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

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15867867 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
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16560971 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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
Incorporated2003-01-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46410 — Wholesale of textiles

Registered office

3 Haydock Street
St Helens
Merseyside
WA10 1DD

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-02
Last: 2026-01-19

Officers (2 active · 8 resigned)

BEDFORD, Wayne Brian→
secretary · appointed 2007-08-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BEDFORD, Lillian→
director · ~79y · appointed 2003-05-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BEDFORD, Wayne Brian→
secretary · appointed 2003-05-02 · resigned 2007-08-01
Resigned
MADHLOOM, Asya→
secretary · appointed 2003-01-23 · resigned 2003-05-02
Resigned
HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-01-22 · resigned 2003-01-23
Resigned
ALI, Madhloom→
director · ~46y · appointed 2003-01-23 · resigned 2003-05-02
Resigned
BEDFORD, Brian→
director · ~80y · appointed 2003-05-02 · resigned 2023-06-07
Resigned
BEDFORD, Wayne Brian→
director · ~57y · appointed 2023-01-09 · resigned 2023-01-09
Resigned
BEDFORD, Wayne Brian→
director · ~57y · appointed 2003-05-02 · resigned 2007-08-01
Resigned
HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-01-22 · resigned 2003-01-23
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Deed of charge over credit balances1 property02/09/2010—
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Deed of charge over credit balances1 property21/07/2009—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (75 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-31
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-08-09
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-08-09
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2023-02-14
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-02-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-19
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2023-01-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-31