HOPPA BAG READING LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
05974971 · ltd · incorporated 2006-10-23
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
£3.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 38110
Sector: Water supply & waste
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 49410Freight transport by road
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 78/100 (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: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
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, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
55 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £3,820
Cash YoY
+292%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£20k
↑ 292% YoY
Net Worth
£4k
↑ 357% YoY
Current Assets
£25k
↑ 46% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £54.7k | £53.1k |
| Current assets | £24.8k | £16.9k |
| Cash | £19.9k | £5.1k |
| Debtors | £4.9k | £5.5k |
| Net assets | £3.8k | £835 |
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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (26 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-30📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-10-30📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-08-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-03📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2021-11-03📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-11📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-03-11📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-03-11📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-12-26➖HULSE, Helen resigneddirector
- 2020-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2015-09-08➖HULSE, Danuta resignedsecretary
- 2013-09-16➕HULSE, Paul Anthony appointeddirector
- 2013-03-12➕HULSE, Helen appointeddirector
- 2013-03-11➖HULSE, Helen resigneddirector
- 2007-12-17➖DONLAN, Mark Stephen resignedsecretary
- 2007-12-17➕HULSE, Danuta appointedsecretary
- 2006-10-23🏢Company incorporatedAs HOPPA BAG READING LIMITED
- 2006-10-23➕DONLAN, Mark Stephen appointedsecretary
- 2006-10-23➕HULSE, Helen appointeddirector
Owner dependency
83/100
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.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
88/100
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 63. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 13 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 20 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 · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Paul Anthony Hulse Individual · British · DOB 05/1963 · age 63 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 28/10/2020 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mrs Danuta Hulseceased 28/10/2020· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEFINITIVE ELECTRICAL LIMITED→ 12581325 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| GOOD WITH WASTE LTD→ 17061721 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GRABLOADER LIMITED→ 04722993 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| GREENCYCLE RECYCLING LIMITED→ 14585710 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| HAZELL AND JEFFERIES LIMITED→ 01029519 · est 1971 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 54y | — | — |
| HAZSAFE LIMITED→ 06536326 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| HD TECHNICAL LTD→ 15520524 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| HEAT COLLECTOR LTD→ 07678189 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| HIGH BARNS RENEWABLE ENERGY LIMITED→ 15047706 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| HORUS PARTNERS UK LIMITED→ 13378521 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| HOWE'S CLEARANCE LIMITED→ 09993448 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| HUBBA LIMITED→ 10847677 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2006-10-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC38110 — SIC 38110
Registered office
81 Birdhill Avenue
Reading
Berkshire
RG2 7JU
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-06
Last: 2025-10-23
Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)
HULSE, Paul Anthony→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2013-09-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DONLAN, Mark Stephen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-10-23 · resigned 2007-12-17
HULSE, Danuta→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2007-12-17 · resigned 2015-09-08
HULSE, Helen→
Resigneddirector · ~85y · appointed 2013-03-12 · resigned 2020-12-26
HULSE, Helen→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · appointed 2006-10-23 · resigned 2013-03-11
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (55 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-10-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-30
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-10-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-12
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-08
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2021-11-03
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2021-11-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-29
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-03-11