BUCKINGHAM OF GUILDFORD LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04944958 · ltd · incorporated 2003-10-27
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
£479.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45112
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 68-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 68). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 21.5y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 21.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (76/100)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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
67 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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £479,819
Net assets shrinking
Down £155,646 YoY
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£480k
↓ 24% YoY
Current Assets
£331k
↓ 35% YoY
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £911.5k | £997.0k |
| Current assets | £331.2k | £507.2k |
| Debtors | £32.1k | £135.6k |
| Net assets | £479.8k | £635.5k |
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
3
filings
- • 3 mortgage
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-02📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-03-02🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2026-02-25📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-02-25📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-02-25🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2026-02-25🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2025-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-11-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2016-11-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2016-11-29🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 2016-11-29🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 2016-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2007-03-01🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Martin Robert Brewer
- 2005-02-01🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2004-05-10➕LOBATTO, Katherine appointedsecretary
- 2004-05-10➕GALLON, William appointeddirector
- 2003-10-28➖HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-10-28➖HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-10-27🏢Company incorporatedAs BUCKINGHAM OF GUILDFORD LIMITED
- 2003-10-27➕HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-10-27➕HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 68. 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 22 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
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr William Gallon Individual · British · DOB 02/1968 · age 58 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
Mrs Katherine Gallon Individual · British · DOB 08/1958 · age 68 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATO TECHNOLOGY LTD→ 12851758 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| AUTO FILMS DIRECT LIMITED→ 03304107 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 29y | — | — |
| BEAUTIFUL BODIES (KENT) LIMITED→ 09563505 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| BLACKLINE TRACTION SYSTEMS LIMITED→ 10610233 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| BOOST BROTHERS ECU & TCU REMAPPING LIMITED→ 14912015 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BOURNE PERFORMANCE LIMITED→ 05402788 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| BRINTON MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED→ 13231877 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BROADSTAIRS ACCIDENT REPAIRS LIMITED→ 07356573 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| BROADWAY GARAGE (HERNE BAY) LIMITED→ 01113398 · est 1973 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 52y | — | — |
| BROWNHILL CONSULTING LTD→ 04232620 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| BUSHELLS MOTORSPORT LIMITED→ 14096617 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| BUSHELLS RESTORATIONS LTD→ 13749631 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-10-27
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45112 — SIC 45112
Registered office
8a Alfred Square
Deal
Kent
CT14 6LU
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-10
Last: 2025-10-27
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
LOBATTO, Katherine→
Activesecretary · appointed 2004-05-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GALLON, William→
Activedirector · ~68y · appointed 2004-05-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-10-27 · resigned 2003-10-28
HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-10-27 · resigned 2003-10-28
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 29/11/2016 | 25/02/2026 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 29/11/2016 | 25/02/2026 | |
| outstanding | Martin Robert Brewer | Rental deposit deed | 1 property | 01/03/2007 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 01/02/2005 | 02/03/2026 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (67 total)
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-03-02
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-25
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-12-30