COLD FOUNTAINS MEDIA LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC277268 · ltd · incorporated 2004-12-09
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
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Publishing of consumer and business journals and periodicals
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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: strategic trade sale (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 16.7y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 16.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

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
9 officers (4 active, 9 linked, 4 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
102 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
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
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Average employees191700

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 signals 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 (38 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-06-24
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2025-06-24
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  4. 2024-09-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-12-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-12-08
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  8. 2021-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-01-25
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  10. 2021-01-19
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  11. 2021-01-19
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  12. 2020-11-13
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  13. 2020-11-13
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  14. 2020-11-13
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  15. 2020-06-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2020-06-08
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  17. 2020-04-28
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  18. 2020-03-31
    ➖
    PERMAN, Raymond John resigned
    director
  19. 2019-08-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Ryan Craig Howsam
  20. 2019-07-22
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  21. 2019-07-22
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  22. 2014-01-01
    ➕
    PELHAM, Corinne Mary appointed
    director
  23. 2013-07-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  24. 2013-04-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  25. 2009-10-23
    ➕
    WOOD, Haydn Calvin appointed
    secretary
  26. 2009-10-23
    ➖
    MACLAY MURRAY & SPENS LLP resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  27. 2009-08-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
  28. 2008-06-01
    ➕
    PELHAM, Mark John appointed
    director
  29. 2008-01-01
    ➕
    PERMAN, Raymond John appointed
    director
  30. 2006-07-17
    ➖
    BAUNACH, Emma resigned
    secretary
  31. 2006-07-17
    ➕
    MACLAY MURRAY & SPENS LLP appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 2004-12-09
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As COLD FOUNTAINS MEDIA LIMITED
  33. 2004-12-09
    ➕
    WALLER, John Owen Richard Marshall appointed
    director
  34. 2004-12-09
    ➕
    BAUNACH, Emma appointed
    secretary
  35. 2004-12-09
    ➕
    PARAMOUNT COMPANY SEARCHES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  36. 2004-12-09
    ➖
    PARAMOUNT COMPANY SEARCHES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  37. 2004-12-09
    ➕
    PARAMOUNT PROPERTIES(UK) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-director
  38. 2004-12-09
    ➖
    PARAMOUNT PROPERTIES(UK) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-director

Owner dependency

76/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

80/100
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 63. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 21 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
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr John Owen Richard Marshall Waller
Individual · British · DOB 07/1969 · age 57
50–75%
—50-75% shares06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Peter Anthony Fieldceased 13/08/2019· 25-50% shares

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

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

6 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
Incorporated2004-12-09
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC58142 — Publishing of consumer and business journals and periodicals

Registered office

C/O Srg Llp, 4th Floor, Turnberry House
175 West George Street
Glasgow
Lanarkshire
G2 2LB
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-27
Last: 2025-11-13

Officers (4 active · 5 resigned)

WOOD, Haydn Calvin→
secretary · appointed 2009-10-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
PELHAM, Corinne Mary→
director · ~52y · appointed 2014-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
PELHAM, Mark John→
director · ~63y · appointed 2008-06-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WALLER, John Owen Richard Marshall→
director · ~57y · appointed 2004-12-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BAUNACH, Emma→
secretary · appointed 2004-12-09 · resigned 2006-07-17
Resigned
MACLAY MURRAY & SPENS LLP→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2006-07-17 · resigned 2009-10-23
Resigned
PARAMOUNT COMPANY SEARCHES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2004-12-09 · resigned 2004-12-09
Resigned
PERMAN, Raymond John→
director · ~79y · appointed 2008-01-01 · resigned 2020-03-31
Resigned
PARAMOUNT PROPERTIES(UK) LIMITED→
corporate-director · appointed 2004-12-09 · resigned 2004-12-09
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Ryan Craig Howsam
A registered charge—09/08/2019—
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property18/07/2013—
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property24/04/201322/07/2019
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property03/08/200922/07/2019
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (102 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-06-24
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-06-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-12
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2022-12-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-30
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-01-25
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-01-19