AFRICAN OYSTER TRUST

🌳Matureactive
05354736 · private-limited-guarant-nsc-limited-exemption · incorporated 2005-02-07
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 77-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 77). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

Data confidence

Overall: low (46/100)

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
16 officers (5 active, 16 linked, 14 with DOB)
88
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
88 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (47 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-10-17
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  3. 2025-10-17
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  4. 2025-10-12
    ➕
    BAILEY, David William appointed
    director
  5. 2025-06-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2024-09-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-04-26
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  8. 2023-07-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-10-24
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  10. 2022-10-24
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  11. 2022-10-24
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  12. 2022-10-16
    ➕
    MAYBURY, Margaret Mary appointed
    director
  13. 2022-10-16
    ➖
    EVANS, Gillian Eileen resigned
    secretary
  14. 2022-10-16
    ➖
    HOLDEN, James Bryan resigned
    director
  15. 2022-04-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2021-10-03
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  17. 2021-09-19
    ➕
    DALE-HARRIS, Jonathan Roderick appointed
    director
  18. 2021-04-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2021-02-07
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  20. 2021-02-07
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  21. 2021-02-06
    ➕
    EVANS, Gillian Eileen appointed
    secretary
  22. 2020-11-07
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  23. 2020-11-07
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  24. 2020-11-07
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  25. 2020-09-17
    ➖
    BIXLEY, Dorothy Marion resigned
    director
  26. 2020-09-17
    ➕
    HOLDEN, James Bryan appointed
    director
  27. 2020-03-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  28. 2019-09-29
    ➖
    CHERRY, Shirley Maureen Gray resigned
    director
  29. 2018-09-02
    ➕
    CHERRY, Shirley Maureen Gray appointed
    director
  30. 2016-09-18
    ➖
    EVANS, Gillian Eileen resigned
    secretary
  31. 2016-09-18
    ➖
    BARBROOK, George Robert resigned
    director
  32. 2016-09-18
    ➖
    HOLDEN, James Bryan resigned
    director
  33. 2015-10-11
    ➕
    DALTON, Kira appointed
    director
  34. 2015-10-11
    ➕
    BIXLEY, Dorothy Marion appointed
    director
  35. 2014-08-31
    ➕
    BARBROOK, George Robert appointed
    director
  36. 2014-08-31
    ➖
    DICK, Alan John resigned
    director
  37. 2013-10-06
    ➕
    EMERY, Stephen Christopher appointed
    director
  38. 2013-10-06
    ➖
    DALTON, Kira resigned
    director
  39. 2008-09-30
    ➖
    COCKER, Michael Frederick, Mr. resigned
    director
  40. 2008-08-30
    ➕
    DALTON, Kira appointed
    director
  41. 2008-08-30
    ➕
    DICK, Alan John appointed
    director
  42. 2008-08-30
    ➖
    GEORGE, Karl Alexander resigned
    director
  43. 2005-02-07
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As AFRICAN OYSTER TRUST
  44. 2005-02-07
    ➕
    EVANS, Gillian Eileen appointed
    secretary
  45. 2005-02-07
    ➕
    COCKER, Michael Frederick, Mr. appointed
    director
  46. 2005-02-07
    ➕
    GEORGE, Karl Alexander appointed
    director
  47. 2005-02-07
    ➕
    HOLDEN, James Bryan appointed
    director

Owner dependency

55/100
Moderate — manageable with handover

Some founder dependency, but not acute. A structured handover period should cover most risk.

FACTORS
  • -5 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 77 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

73/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 77 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 13 years.
  • 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.)

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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
Typeprivate-limited-guarant-nsc-limited-exemption
Incorporated2005-02-07
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.

Registered office

Quarry Cottage Coston
Aston-On-Clun
Craven Arms
Shropshire
SY7 8EJ
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-21
Last: 2026-02-07

Officers (5 active · 11 resigned)

BAILEY, David William→
director · ~68y · appointed 2025-10-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DALE-HARRIS, Jonathan Roderick→
director · ~71y · appointed 2021-09-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DALTON, Kira→
director · ~77y · appointed 2015-10-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
EMERY, Stephen Christopher→
director · ~72y · appointed 2013-10-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MAYBURY, Margaret Mary→
director · ~71y · appointed 2022-10-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
EVANS, Gillian Eileen→
secretary · appointed 2021-02-06 · resigned 2022-10-16
Resigned
EVANS, Gillian Eileen→
secretary · appointed 2005-02-07 · resigned 2016-09-18
Resigned
BARBROOK, George Robert→
director · ~74y · appointed 2014-08-31 · resigned 2016-09-18
Resigned
BIXLEY, Dorothy Marion→
director · ~74y · appointed 2015-10-11 · resigned 2020-09-17
Resigned
CHERRY, Shirley Maureen Gray→
director · ~65y · appointed 2018-09-02 · resigned 2019-09-29
Resigned
COCKER, Michael Frederick, Mr.→
director · ~74y · appointed 2005-02-07 · resigned 2008-09-30
Resigned
DALTON, Kira→
director · ~77y · appointed 2008-08-30 · resigned 2013-10-06
Resigned
DICK, Alan John→
director · ~75y · appointed 2008-08-30 · resigned 2014-08-31
Resigned
GEORGE, Karl Alexander→
director · ~58y · appointed 2005-02-07 · resigned 2008-08-30
Resigned
HOLDEN, James Bryan→
director · ~66y · appointed 2020-09-17 · resigned 2022-10-16
Resigned
HOLDEN, James Bryan→
director · ~66y · appointed 2005-02-07 · resigned 2016-09-18
Resigned

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

Recent filings (88 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-06-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-14
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-10-17
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-16
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-04-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-07-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-08
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-10-24
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-10-24
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-10-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-11