Holding in Company

Nichols PLC
21 August 2000


LETTER TO: NICHOLS J N VIMTO PLC

NICHOLS J N VIMTO PLC (the 'Company')

This notification supersedes our previous notification to you.

This notification relates to issued ordinary shares of 10p each in the capital
of the Company (the 'shares') and is given in fulfilment of the obligations
imposed by sections 198 to 202 of the Companies Act 1985 (the 'Act').

1.    Notification on behalf of Norwich Union Investment Management Limited (a
subsidiary of CGNU plc).

1.1   We hereby notify you on behalf of Norwich Union Investment Management
Limited that immediately after the time when the obligation to make this
notification arose Norwich Union Investment Management Limited were interested
in 1,416,255 shares.

1.2   The identify of the registered holders of the shares to which this
notification relates and the number of shares held by each of them are set out
in the Appendix below.


2.    Aggregate holding of CGNU plc

We hereby notify you that the aggregate holding of CGNU plc in the shares is
1,416,255 giving the CGNU group a total percentage interest in the shares of
3.82%. 

LETTER FROM:  CGNU PLC


APPENDIX

REGISTERED HOLDERS                    NUMBER OF SHARES HELD

Norwich Union Life & Pensions Ltd     1,332,038 (material)

Norwich Union Pension Management Ltd     84,217 (material)

TOTAL PERCENTAGE INTEREST:  3.83%

ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL ON ;WHICH THIS NOTIFICATION IS BASED: 36,968,772