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Registered number: 02211545
EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
UNAUDITED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
INFORMATION FOR FILING WITH THE REGISTRAR
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
REGISTERED NUMBER: 02211545
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AS AT 31 MARCH 2026
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Debtors: amounts falling due within one year
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Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
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Total assets less current liabilities
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Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
REGISTERED NUMBER: 02211545
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION (CONTINUED)
AS AT 31 MARCH 2026
The directors consider that the Company is entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 and members have not required the Company to obtain an audit for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with the provisions of FRS 102 Section 1A - small entities.
The financial statements have been delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
The Company has opted not to file the Statement of comprehensive income in accordance with provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the board and were signed on its behalf on 16 October 2026.
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V P Godfrey
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The notes on pages 3 to 11 form part of these financial statements.
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
Edward Stanford Limited is a company limited by shares, incorporated in England and Wales. The address of the registered office is 83-84 Third Floor, Long Acre, London, England, WC2E 9NG.
The company specialises in the retail sale of books in specialised stores.
2.Accounting policies
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Basis of preparation of financial statements
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The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention unless otherwise specified within these accounting policies and in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and the Companies Act 2006. The disclosure requirements of Section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.
The following principal accounting policies have been applied:
The company meets its day to day working capital requirements with the support of an intercompany loan from the parent company. At the year end, the balance owed to the parent company was £4,143,362 (2025 - £3,657,075).
The parent company is itself reliant on the support of loans from two of its directors, with loans of £3,824,056 (2025 - £3,330,056) outstanding as at 31 March 2026. These directors have provided an undertaking that the loans are subordinate to any amounts required to meet obligations to creditors, have guaranteed the recoverability of the intercompany loan against their loans, and have also made significant investment into the business to allow the company to support new activities.
These provisions, along with the probability of future capital raising efforts, substantiate the undertaking provided by the shareholders of the parent company that they will continue to provide financial support to the group, as necessary, and specifically for a period of not less than 12 months from the date of approval of these financial statements.
On the above basis, the directors consider that the preparation of the financial statements on a going concern basis is appropriate.
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
2.Accounting policies (continued)
Revenue is recognised to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to the Company and the revenue can be reliably measured. Revenue is measured as the fair value of the consideration received or receivable, excluding discounts, rebates, value added tax and other sales taxes. The following criteria must also be met before revenue is recognised:
Sale of goods
Revenue from the sale of goods is recognised when all of the following conditions are satisfied:
∙the Company has transferred the significant risks and rewards of ownership to the buyer;
∙the Company retains neither continuing managerial involvement to the degree usually associated with ownership nor effective control over the goods sold;
∙the amount of revenue can be measured reliably;
∙it is probable that the Company will receive the consideration due under the transaction; and
∙the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.
Intangible assets are stated at cost less amortisation. Amortisation is provided at rates calculated to write off the costs of the assets, over their expected useful life.
Tangible fixed assets under the cost model are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. Historical cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management.
Depreciation is charged so as to allocate the cost of assets less their residual value over their estimated useful lives.
Depreciation is provided on the following bases:
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7 to 10 years straight line or over remaining term of the lease if sooner
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5 to 10 years straight line or over remaining term of the lease if sooner
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Computer and office equipment
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3 to 5 years straight line
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Software costs are included in computer and office equipment and depreciated on a straight line basis over 3 to 5 years. Internal costs of website development are charged to the Statement of comprehensive income as incurred.
The assets residual values, useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed, and adjusted prospectively if appropriate, or if there is an indication of a significant change since the last reporting date.
Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing the proceeds with the carrying amount and are recognised in the Statement of comprehensive income.
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
2.Accounting policies (continued)
Stocks are valued at the lower of the cost and net realisable value after making due allowance for obsolete and slow-moving stocks. Cost includes all direct costs.
Short-term debtors are measured at transaction price, less any impairment. Loans receivable are measured initially at fair value, net of transaction costs, and are measured subsequently at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any impairment.
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Cash and cash equivalents
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Cash is represented by cash in hand and deposits with financial institutions repayable without penalty on notice of not more than 24 hours. Cash equivalents are highly liquid investments that mature in no more than three months from the date of acquisition and that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with insignificant risk of change in value.
The Company only enters into basic financial instruments transactions that result in the recognition of financial assets and liabilities like trade and other debtors and creditors, and loans from related parties.
Debt instruments (other than those wholly repayable or receivable within one year), including loans and other accounts receivable and payable, are initially measured at present value of the future cash flows and subsequently at amortised cost using the effective interest method. Debt instruments that are payable or receivable within one year, typically trade debtors and creditors, are measured, initially and subsequently, at the undiscounted amount of the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received. However, if the arrangements of a short-term instrument constitute a financing transaction, like the payment of a trade debt deferred beyond normal business terms or in case of an out-right short-term loan that is not at market rate, the financial asset or liability is measured, initially at the present value of future cash flows discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument and subsequently at amortised cost, unless it qualifies as a loan from a director in the case of a small company, or a public benefit entity concessionary loan.
Financial assets that are measured at cost and amortised cost are assessed at each reporting date for objective evidence of impairment. If objective evidence of impairment is found, an impairment loss is recognised in the Statement of comprehensive income.
For financial assets measured at amortised cost, the impairment loss is measured as the difference between an asset's carrying amount and the present value of estimated cash flows discounted at the asset's original effective interest rate. If a financial asset has a variable interest rate, the discount rate for measuring any impairment loss is the current effective interest rate determined under the contract.
For financial assets measured at cost less impairment, the impairment loss is measured as the difference between an asset's carrying amount and best estimate of the recoverable amount, which is an approximation of the amount that the Company would receive for the asset if it were to be sold at the reporting date.
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
2.Accounting policies (continued)
Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount reported in the Statement of financial position when there is an enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Short-term creditors are measured at the transaction price. Other financial liabilities, including bank loans, are measured initially at fair value, net of transaction costs, and are measured subsequently at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
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Foreign currency translation
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Functional and presentation currency
The Company's functional and presentational currency is GBP.
Transactions and balances
Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency using the spot exchange rates at the dates of the transactions.
At each year end foreign currency monetary items are translated using the closing rate. Non-monetary items measured at historical cost are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction and non-monetary items measured at fair value are measured using the exchange rate when fair value was determined.
Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of transactions and from the translation at year end exchange rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognised in the Statement of comprehensive income except when deferred in other comprehensive income as qualifying cash flow hedges.
Foreign exchange gains and losses that relate to borrowings and cash and cash equivalents are presented in the Statement of comprehensive income within 'finance income or costs'. All other foreign exchange gains and losses are presented in the Statement of comprehensive income within 'other operating income'.
Finance costs are charged to the Statement of comprehensive income over the term of the debt using the effective interest method so that the amount charged is at a constant rate on the carrying amount. Issue costs are initially recognised as a reduction in the proceeds of the associated capital instrument.
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Operating leases: the Company as lessee
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Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of comprehensive income on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Benefits received and receivable as an incentive to sign an operating lease are recognised on a straight-line basis over the lease term, unless another systematic basis is representative of the time pattern of the lessee's benefit from the use of the leased asset.
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
2.Accounting policies (continued)
Defined contribution pension plan
The Company operates a defined contribution plan for its employees. A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the Company pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. Once the contributions have been paid the Company has no further payment obligations.
The contributions are recognised as an expense in the Statement of comprehensive income when they fall due. Amounts not paid are shown in accruals as a liability in the Statement of financial position. The assets of the plan are held separately from the Company in independently administered funds.
Interest income is recognised in the Statement of comprehensive income using the effective interest method.
Tax is recognised in the Statement of comprehensive income except that a charge attributable to an item of income and expense recognised as other comprehensive income or to an item recognised directly in equity is also recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity respectively.
The current income tax charge is calculated on the basis of tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date in the countries where the Company operates and generates income.
In the research phase of an internal project it is not possible to demonstrate that the project will generate future economic benefits and hence all expenditure on research shall be recognised as an expense when it is incurred. Intangible assets are recognised from the development phase of a project if and only if certain specific criteria are met in order to demonstrate the asset will generate probable future economic benefits and that its cost can be reliably measured. The capitalised development costs are subsequently amortised on a straight-line basis over their useful economic lives, which range from 3 to 6 years.
If it is not possible to distinguish between the research phase and the development phase of an internal project, the expenditure is treated as if it were all incurred in the research phase only.
The average monthly number of employees, including directors, during the year was 52 (2025 - 57).
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
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Computer and office equipment
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Stock of goods for resale
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
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Prepayments and accrued income
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Cash and cash equivalents
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Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
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Other taxation and social security
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Accruals and deferred income
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There is an unlimited intercompany guarantee dated 27 January 2004 with Edward Stanford Group Limited securing the company's bank facilities.
There is a debenture dated 6 January 2003 that is secured over all the assets of the company.
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Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year
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Amounts owed to group undertakings
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EDWARD STANFORD LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
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Allotted, called up and fully paid
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The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the company to the fund and amounted to £27,886 (2025 - £30,400).
Included within creditors is £4,556 (2025 - £5,631) payable in respect of pension contributions.
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Commitments under operating leases
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At 31 March 2026 the Company had future minimum lease payments due under non-cancellable operating leases for each of the following periods:
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Later than 1 year and not later than 5 years
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Related party transactions
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During the year sales of £11,014 (2025 - £715) and purchases of £566 (2025 - £58,966) were made to and from Bluewater Books & Charts, an establishment in which one of the directors of the company has an interest. At the reporting date the amount owed to Bluewater Books & Charts was £74 (2025 - £260 owed by).
The company has taken advantage of the exemption allowed by Financial Reporting Standard 102 not to disclose any transactions with its parent company as it is wholly owned.
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Ultimate parent undertaking and controlling party
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The immediate and ultimate parent company is Edward Stanford Group Limited, a company registered in England and Wales.
The directors consider V P Godfrey and J P Godfrey to be the ultimate controlling parties of the company, by virtue of their majority shareholding in the ultimate parent company.
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