Acqn, Placing & EGM

Artisan (UK) PLC
16 February 2000


                       Artisan (UK) plc
                 ('Artisan' or 'the Company')
                               
               Proposed Acquisition and Placing
      and Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting ('EGM')

The Placing

The Directors of Artisan announce today that the Company plans
to  raise  approximately £2.7 million (prior to  expenses)  by
means of a Placing 16,363,636 new Ordinary Shares at 16.5p per
share.   The  issue  has been underwritten by  Seymour  Pierce
Limited.

The  net  proceeds of the Placing, or so much as are required,
will  be  used  by the Company as security for  the  Artisan
loan  notes to be issued pursuant to the Company's  offer  for
Bickerton Group plc and the balance will be used to strengthen
the Company's working capital position.

The Acquisition

The  Company has conditionally agreed to purchase a  portfolio
of  seven  investment properties which in aggregate have  been
independently valued at £9.415 million.  The consideration for
these  properties of £9.75 million is to be satisfied  by  the
issue  of  29,300,000 new Ordinary Shares and the  payment  of
£4,915,500 in cash.  The cash element of the consideration  is
to  be  financed  by  way of a loan from Baymont  Developments
Limited.

The Directors have agreed to acquire the investment properties
with  a  view  to  liquidating them to realise  cash  for  the
Company to use in developing the existing business or  to  use
for further acquisitions.

Extraordinary General Meeting

The  Extraordinary  General Meeting  of  Shareholders  of  the
Company  has  been convened to be held at Bridewell  House,  9
Bridewell Place, London EC4V 6AW at 11.00 am on 13 March 2000.

Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for  the
new   Ordinary  Shares  to  be  admitted  to  trading  on  the
Alternative  Investment Market and dealings  are  expected  to
commence on 14 March 2000.

The new Ordinary Shares will rank pari passu with the existing
Ordinary Shares of the Company.

Copies of the document regarding the Placing and Extraordinary
General  Meeting have been sent to shareholders  and  will  be
available to the public, for a period of 14 days following the
date  of this announcement, from the offices of Seymour Pierce
Limited, 29/30 Cornhill, London EC3V 3NF.

For further information, please contact:

Artisan  (UK) plc                              01480 436666
Stephen Dean, Chairman

Seymour  Pierce  Limited                       0171 648 8700
Richard Feigen / Jonathan Wright

Boswell City Financial PR                      0171 583 2001
Glenda Boswell