LADYBIRD BOOKS LIMITED
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Cash
—
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
£5.7M
+16.6% vs 2023
Employees
0
Average over period
Profit before tax
£3.8M
+45.7% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2022-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £21,420,369 | £27,510,187 | £34,153,243 | +24.1% | |
| Operating profit | £612,864 | £2,773,973 | £3,932,753 | +41.8% | |
| Profit before tax | £319,791 | £2,582,015 | £3,761,101 | +45.7% | |
| Net profit | £255,146 | £1,972,830 | £2,816,985 | +42.8% | |
| Cash | — | — | — | — | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £6,086,807 | £5,453,930 | £6,214,684 | +13.9% | |
| Net assets | £5,943,923 | £4,916,753 | £5,733,738 | +16.6% | |
| Equity | £5,943,923 | £4,916,753 | £5,733,738 | +16.6% | |
| Average employees | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| Wages | — | £1,020,143 | £1,014,141 | -0.6% | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | £121,822 | £119,589 | -1.8% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2022-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 2.9% | 10.1% | 11.5% | |
| Net margin | 1.2% | 7.2% | 8.2% | |
| Return on capital employed | 10.1% | 50.9% | 63.3% | |
| Current ratio | — | 1.38x | 1.38x | |
| Interest cover | 2.09x | 14.45x | 22.91x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Abridged
- Yes — abridged accounts (limited disclosure)
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton UK LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“Based on the Company's current trading performance, the sensitivity and reverse stress testing scenarios performed, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, being a period of no less than twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.”
Significant events
- “The Company's turnover for the year was £31,794,587 which was 15.6% higher compared to the previous year (2023: £27,510,187). This was driven by a growth of book sales. Operating profit for the year increased by £1,094,861 to £3,868,834 (2023: £2,773,973).”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 22 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARTIN, Sinead Mary | Secretary | 2016-06-30 | — | — |
| DOW, Francesca | Director | 2010-12-31 | Aug 1963 | British |
| GARDINER, Mark William | Director | 2014-03-31 | Apr 1961 | British |
| WELDON, Thomas Daryl | Director | 2010-12-31 | Aug 1963 | British |
Show 22 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEWIS, David Frank | Secretary | — | 1999-04-30 |
| PEACOCK, Helena Caroline | Secretary | 1999-05-01 | 2016-06-30 |
| BARTON, Stephanie | Director | 2008-01-07 | 2010-12-31 |
| BRENNAN, Suzanne Margaret | Director | 2010-06-14 | 2014-03-31 |
| COLLINGTON, David Patrick | Director | — | 1992-12-31 |
| COTTON, Brian Douglas Louis | Director | — | 1992-12-31 |
| FIELD, Peter | Director | 2007-01-01 | 2010-12-31 |
| FLOYER, Sally Margaret Doris | Director | 2002-08-20 | 2008-03-31 |
| FORBES WATSON, Anthony David | Director | — | 2005-02-28 |
| GABB, Michael Hugh | Director | — | 1992-12-31 |
| GLOVER, Trevor David | Director | 1995-07-03 | 1995-11-24 |
| HERRIDGE, Michael Geoffrey | Director | 1999-01-19 | 2002-04-15 |
| HOWARTH, William Edward | Director | 1995-03-01 | 1999-04-30 |
| JAMES, Laurence | Director | 1996-11-04 | 1998-08-14 |
| KAHN, Paula | Director | — | 1994-12-31 |
| LANDERS, Brian James | Director | 2003-05-20 | 2009-07-31 |
| MAKINSON, John Crowther | Director | 2005-02-28 | 2007-01-01 |
| MAYER, Peter Michael | Director | 1994-12-21 | 1996-12-31 |
| POWER, Charles Richard | Director | 2002-04-05 | 2003-02-28 |
| ROLFE, John Henry | Director | 1995-07-03 | 1997-08-01 |
| WARREN, Alan Trueman | Director | — | 1994-12-21 |
| WILLIAMSON, John David | Director | — | 1994-12-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penguin Books Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 162 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-28 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-09-18 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-03-31 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-11-25 | ANNOTATION | miscellaneous | Legacy | |
| 2024-10-30 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2024-09-23 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-04-04 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-10-11 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-03-29 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-10-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-03-28 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-12-21 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-03-29 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-02-10 | AUD | auditors | Auditors resignation company | |
| 2020-12-22 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2020-03-27 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2019-09-26 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2019-03-27 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2018-11-30 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2018-09-28 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 2
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.