BELLSHELF (NINETY SEVEN) LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC271323 · ltd · incorporated 2004-07-29
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
£370.1k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Activities of head offices
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 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

1 live charge · oldest 21.7y

45/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 21.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
81 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 · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £370,126

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£370k
~ YoY
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£74k£148k£222k£296k£370kDec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Total assets£370.1k£370.1k
Net assets£370.1k£370.1k

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 (32 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-07-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-09-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-11-22
    📄
    second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
    confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
  4. 2023-10-11
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  5. 2023-10-04
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  6. 2023-10-03
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  7. 2023-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-04-20
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  9. 2023-04-20
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  10. 2023-04-20
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  11. 2023-04-19
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  12. 2023-04-18
    ➖
    STIRLING, James Spalding resigned
    director
  13. 2022-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2021-09-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2020-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2019-08-15
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  18. 2019-08-15
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  19. 2019-08-15
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  20. 2019-03-14
    ➕
    STIRLING, James Spalding appointed
    director
  21. 2018-12-14
    ➖
    INGLIS, Douglas Allan resigned
    director
  22. 2011-04-12
    ➖
    CHALMERS, Brian resigned
    director
  23. 2004-09-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  24. 2004-08-05
    ➕
    MCGOULDRICK, Jacqueline Marshall appointed
    secretary
  25. 2004-08-05
    ➕
    MCGOULDRICK, Jacqueline Marshall appointed
    director
  26. 2004-08-05
    ➖
    BLACKADDERS resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  27. 2004-08-05
    ➕
    CHALMERS, Brian appointed
    director
  28. 2004-08-05
    ➖
    CLARK, Campbell John Scott resigned
    nominee-director
  29. 2004-08-05
    ➕
    INGLIS, Douglas Allan appointed
    director
  30. 2004-07-29
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BELLSHELF (NINETY SEVEN) LIMITED
  31. 2004-07-29
    ➕
    BLACKADDERS appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 2004-07-29
    ➕
    CLARK, Campbell John Scott appointed
    nominee-director

Owner dependency

93/100
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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
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 64. 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 22 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.)

Group structure

Bellshelf (Ninety Eight) Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Bellshelf (Ninety Eight) Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
BELLSHELF (NINETY SEVEN) LIMITED
This company · SC271323

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Bellshelf (Ninety Eight) Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
—75-100% shares14/12/2018
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr James Spalding Stirlingceased 18/04/2023· significant influence · firm interest
  • Mrs Jacqueline Marshall Mcgouldrickceased 18/04/2023· significant influence · firm interest
  • Mr Douglas Allan Inglisceased 14/12/2018· significant influence · firm interest

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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£3.19M
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———15y8279y
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——5319y8869y
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——416y8264y
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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
Typeltd
Incorporated2004-07-29
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC70100 — Activities of head offices

Registered office

58 Long Lane
Broughty Ferry
Dundee
DD5 1HH
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-02
Last: 2025-07-19

Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)

MCGOULDRICK, Jacqueline Marshall→
secretary · appointed 2004-08-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MCGOULDRICK, Jacqueline Marshall→
director · ~64y · appointed 2004-08-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BLACKADDERS→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-07-29 · resigned 2004-08-05
Resigned
CHALMERS, Brian→
director · ~74y · appointed 2004-08-05 · resigned 2011-04-12
Resigned
CLARK, Campbell John Scott→
nominee-director · ~55y · appointed 2004-07-29 · resigned 2004-08-05
Resigned
INGLIS, Douglas Allan→
director · ~68y · appointed 2004-08-05 · resigned 2018-12-14
Resigned
STIRLING, James Spalding→
director · ~85y · appointed 2019-03-14 · resigned 2023-04-18
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property30/09/2004—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (81 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-18
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2023-11-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-11
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-10-11
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2023-10-04
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2023-10-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2023-04-20
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-04-20
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-04-20
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-04-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-09-29