Searchlight Company Information
– a brief resumé

 

The following information has been extracted from Companies House microfiches and papers. It is probably as accurate as the information typically filed by private limited companies, and probably just as important.


The Searchlight Association Limited

 

The current writer obtained the company papers in the 1990s from Companies House in Cardiff. These papers are hard copy, not from a microfiche.

The Searchlight Association Limited was incorporated as a “COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE AND NOT HAVING A SHARE CAPITAL”.

Its “Memorandum of Association” (840295) is sealed (stamped) by Companies House “REGISTERED ‐ 9 MAR 1965”. *

This contains a considerable amount of blurb running to over a dozen pages, but it is standard and is not specific to the company.

The original subscribers are listed on page 18 in the following order:

Benjamin Mark Goodman, barrister of Pump Court
Maurice Orbach, MP
Frederick Lionel Tonge of London NW3, retired trade union official **
Reginald Freeson, MP ***
Baron Moss, company director
Philip Ian Page, historian
and William Douglas McClelland, economist

The Particulars of Directors and Secretaries (sealed 16 JUN 1965) gives the Company Secretary as Norman James Stenner.

The Annual Return made up to the 28th day of February 1970 lists the directors in the following order:

Maurice Orbach
Benjamin Mark Goodman
Frederick Leonard Tonge
Philip Ian Page
William McClelland
Baron Moss
Joan Lester MP ****

“Sales and Donations Received” for the period March 9, 1965 to December 31, 1967 were £3,618. “Salaries and National Insurance” came to £1,744.

At December 31, 1970, the company held £86 “Cash at Bank”

The Searchlight Association Limited was dissolved by notice in the London Gazette, October 3, 1975.

* The Certificate of Incorporation is dated the same day.
** His name is given later as Frederick Leonard Tonge, see above.
*** Freeson resigned as a director January 12, 1967.
**** Lestor is the correct spelling. She was appointed a director March 2, 1967.


Searchlight Information
Services Limited

 

Searchlight Information Services Ltd is a Private Company limited by guarantee.

At December 31, 1987, the directors of SIS were Gerry Gable and Michael Cohen; Cohen was also Company Secretary.

For the year ended 31/12/90, wages, salaries and freelance were £22,276; Social Security Costs were £1,114; average staff employed (administration) = 3.

At 24.01.94, Sonia Kathleen Emma Gable was Secretary; Directors were Michael Cohen, address given as Searchlight’s office. Cohen was born 24/07/1935; nationality: British, profession: photographer.

Searchlight Information Services for Year Ending December 31, 1990,

Their grant from the London Boroughs Grants Unit was spent as follows:


Item                               £

Salaries                           11,403
Printing, postage and stationery    2,680
Telephone                           2,500
Hire of equipment                   1,500
Travelling expenses                 2,000
Insurance                             679
Freelance and research                500

Total                              21,262
Staff costs                        23,390


Searchlight Magazine Limited

 

Showorder was incorporated June 29, 1990; its Company Number was 2516837.

The name was changed to Searchlight Magazine Limited on July 30, 1990; the Company Number was of course retained: 2516837 (or 02516837).

From 4 SEP 1990, Swift Incorporations Limited resigned as Company Secretary in favour of Sonia Gable.

Sonia Gable was appointed a director of Searchlight Magazine Limited on 11.7.90.

Gerry Gable was appointed a director of Searchlight Magazine Limited on 11.7.90.

The Auditor was Monty Goldman.

Sonia Gable resigned as a director on 31.1.91.

At 27.7.90 Searchlight Magazine Ltd accounts showed the following:

1 share was transferred from Instant Companies Ltd, 2 Baches Street, London N1.

1 share was transferred from Swift Incorporation Ltd, 2 Baches Street, London N1.

At this time Gerry Gable held 80 shares; Stephen Silver held 10 shares; Michael Billig held 5 shares; David Edgar held 5 shares.

At June 29, 1991, the shareholders were as follows:


Gerry Gable: 75 shares
Stephen Silver: 10 shares
Michael Billig: 5 shares
David Edgar: 5 shares
Elizabeth Ludmer: 5 shares


1990 accounts were:

Dec. 31 ’90 ‐ Period Ended
Turnover £14,423
Cost of Sales £15,859
Gross Loss £1,436
Administrative Expenses £3,479

Operating Loss £4,915 
Fixed Assets £3,053
Current Assets ‐ Stock   £3,000
                 Debtors £6,559
Cash at back and in hand £2,054
                  Total £11,613

Creditors  

Assets falling due within one year     £19,481
Net Current Liabilities                 £7,868

Total Assets Less Current Liabilities   £4,815

Called Up Share Capital                   £100
Profit and Loss Account                 £4,915
Total                                   £4,815


Funds generated by operations           £4,479
Issue of Shares                           £100

Total                                   £4,379

Purchase of Tangible Fixed Assets       £3,489
                                        £7,868

Stock Increase (magazines and booklets) £3,000 


Debtors’ Increases                      £6,559
Creditors’ Increase                    £19,481
                                        £9,922

Movement in Net Liquid Prices 

Cash Increase                           £2,054
                                        £7,868 (suspect should be minus)


Period Ended 31 December 91
Loss on ordinary activities             £4,915
Depreciation                              £436


Profit and Loss account for year ended 31 December 1991 

Turnover £27,345                    Fixed Assets
                                    Tangible       £2,290
                                    Current Assets
Cost of Sales 29,747                Debtors         4,094
Gross Loss 2,402                    Stock           3,000
Admin Expenses 5,057                Cash at bank    3,270
Operating Loss 7,459                               10,364(sic)
Creditors: Amount falling due within one year     £24,968
(this is dated 29 September, 1992)
                           
Net current liabilities                  £14,564
Total assets less current liabilities    £12,274
Called up share capital                     £100
Profit and Loss Account                  £12,274

Loss on ordinary activities               £7,459

Annual return sealed 28 SEP 1992 COMPANIES HOUSE 

Gable 75 shares 
Silver 10
Billig 5
Edgar 5

The above shareholding is take from Companies House records 06/06/92, made up to not later than 29/06/92.


Further Searchlight Accounts

 

At 01-09-95, the shareholders were:


Stephen Silver  10
Michael Billig  5
David Edgar     5
Sonia Gable    80

Gerry Gable transferred his 80 shares to Sonia on 10.06.95
Gerry Gable signed the Balance sheet October 3, 1995

Sonia Gable was the Company Secretary; Gerry Gable was the Director at 10-09-96.


Searchlight Publishing Limited

 

Searchlight Publishing Ltd was incorporated September 2, 1981; its main activity is said to be publishing Searchlight magazine.

Searchlight Publishing Limited: Memorandum of Association is sealed (stamped) 3 AUG 1981, by the Clifton Secretarial Agency Ltd of London N16, ie Stamford Hill.

The Articles of Association are dated 6 JAN 1981; the company address is given as 21 Great Western Buildings, 6 Livery Street, Birmingham 3.

Gable’s address is given as Kent House, Upper Ground, London SE1.

For the year ended December 31, 1982 the following:


Gerry Gable: Chairman
Michael Cohen: Secretary

Both men owned 40 X £1 shares.

The company made £450 from exports, presumably overseas subscriptions, and donated £60 to the Council for Community Relations in Lambeth. The company made a net loss of £223.

At 31/12/82, there was £1,815 in stock (magazines and pamphlets)

Debtors and prepayments amounted to £4,693

Cash was £1,805

Liabilities were £9,031

Net current liabilities were £7,438 (this figure is not clear)

Net liabilities = £128.

On January 11, 1983, the shares of Searchlight Publishing Limited were alloted as follows:


Gerry Gable 40
Michael Cohen 40
Michael Billig 5
David Edgar 5
Elizabeth Ludmer 5

The Searchlight Educational Trust

 

The Directors of the Searchlight Educational Trust were


Carrie Supple 
26 Hazlewood Avenue
Jesmond
Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 3HX
teacher - born November 2, 1958  
At June 14, 1992


Robert Purkiss
182 Rownhams Lane
n Baddersley
Southampton
Hants
trade union official and a director of Ocean Sound Radio
- born November 11, 1945 
As of June 22, 1992


At June 25, 1992
Dr Anthony Kushner
28 University Road
Highfield
Southampton SO9 5NH
historian, librarian and author ‐ born May 30, 1960


At June 26, 1992
Kenneth Leech
St Botolph’s Church
Aldgate 
London EC3N 1AB
clerk in holy orders ‐ born June 15, 1939


At June 30, 1992 
Baron Moss 
Pipers Dene
Southfield Road
Caterham CR3 7BQ 
- born June 30, 1923


David Herman
4 Jesmond Way
Stanmore
Middlesex
lecturer, born August 21, 1964
As of July 31, 1992

And Sweet Sonia, of course!


Accounts for Searchlight Magazine Limited can be found in the Searchlight Critical Bibliography for the relevant years. For example, the accounts for 2003 – year ending December 31, 2003 – is the last entry in this file.

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