Offer Partly Uncondition1,etc

BIRKBY PLC
25 August 1999


Mentmore Abbey plc
('Mentmore Abbey' or 'the Company')

Merger with Birkby PLC

Offer unconditional as to acceptances

As at 3.00pm on 24 August 1999, being the first closing date of the Offer,
valid acceptances of the Offer had been received in respect of 44,354,201
Birkby Shares, representing 90.83 per cent. of the issued ordinary share
capital of Birkby.  As the acceptance condition of the Offer has been
satisfied, the Offer is now unconditional as to acceptances. The Offer and the
mix and match facility remain open for acceptance.

Prior to announcing the Offer on 27 July 1999, Mentmore Abbey had received
irrevocable undertakings to accept the Offer in respect of 17,834,654 Birkby
Shares (representing approximately 36.5 per cent. of the issued share capital
of Birkby).  Mentmore Abbey has now received valid acceptances in respect of
all of these Birkby Shares, which are included in the figures stated above.
Except as stated above, neither Mentmore Abbey nor any person acting in
concert with it, has acquired or agreed to acquire any Birkby Shares or rights
over Birkby Shares since the commencement of the Offer Period.

Save for 1,348 Birkby Shares held by Singer & Friedlander Investment
Management Limited neither Mentmore Abbey nor any persons acting or deemed to
be acting in concert with Mentmore Abbey held, or held any rights over, any
Birkby Shares immediately prior to the commencement of the Offer Period. Save
for those controlled by Singer & Friedlander Investment Management Limited no
acceptances of the Offer have been received from any person acting or deemed
to be acting in concert with Mentmore Abbey.

Terms defined in the Offer Document dated 3 August 1999 have the same meanings
when used herein unless the context requires otherwise.

Enquiries

Mentmore Abbey                          0171 720 5067
Nick Smith
Chairman

Singer & Friedlander Limited            0171 523 5000
Greg Aldridge
Director


Singer & Friedlander Limited, which is regulated by The Security and Futures
Authority Limited, is acting for Mentmore Abbey and for no one else in
connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than
Mentmore Abbey for providing the protections afforded to customers of Singer &
Friedlander Limited or for giving advice in relation to the Offer.