RNS Number:5275O
AIM
11 August 2003


              ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE MADE BY AIM APPLICANT AT LEAST 10 BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO ADMISSION

ALL APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING:

COMPANY NAME:

The Hartstone Group PLC

COMPANY ADDRESS:

17 Chiltern Business Centre, 63/65 Woodside Road, Amersham, Bucks,

COMPANY POSTCODE:

HP6 6AA

COUNTRY OF INCORPORATION:

England

COMPANY BUSINESS:

The Company is a holding company, the subsidiaries of which design, market and distribute branded leather goods,
mainly ladies shoes, handbags and other fashion accessories

DETAILS OF SECURITIES TO BE ADMITTED (i.e. where known, number of shares, nominal value and issue price):

435,000,000 ordinary shares of 1p each

16,265,184 8% cumulative convertible redeemable preference shares of 10p each

CAPITAL TO BE RAISED ON ADMISSION:

N/A

FULL NAMES AND FUNCTIONS OF DIRECTORS AND PROPOSED DIRECTORS:

Shaun Coleman Dowling           Chairman

William Struan McBride          Non-executive director

John Foster Bray Hunter         Non-executive director

PERSON(S) INTERESTED IN 3% OR MORE OF THE ISSUER'S CAPITAL, EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL
AS AT 14 JULY 2003

J O Hambro and associates                                         26.1%

Schroders Investment Management Ltd                                6.7%

Veer Palthe Voute                                                  4.2%

Shaun Dowling                                                      4.1%

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF ALL PERSONS TO BE DISCLOSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHEDULE 2, PARAGRAPH (G) OF THE AIM RULES:

N/A

ANTICIPATED ACCOUNTING REFERENCE DATE:

31 March

EXPECTED ADMISSION DATE:

10 September 2003

NAME AND ADDRESS OF NOMINATED ADVISER:

Collins Stewart Limited, 88 Wood Street, London EC2V 7QR

NAME AND ADDRESS OF BROKER:

Collins Stewart Limited, 88 Wood Street, London EC2V 7QR

DETAILS OF WHERE (POSTAL OR INTERNET ADDRESS) THE ADMISSION DOCUMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM, WITH A STATEMENT
THAT THIS WILL CONTAIN FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE APPLICANT AND THE ADMISSION OF ITS SECURITIES:

N/A

DATE OF NOTIFICATION:

11 August 2003

NEW/ UPDATE (see note):

NEW

QUOTED APPLICANTS MUST ALSO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING:

THE NAME OF THE AIM DESIGNATED MARKET UPON WHICH THE APPLICANT'S SECURITIES HAVE BEEN TRADED:

Official list of the London Stock Exchange

THE DATE FROM WHICH THE APPLICANT'S SECURITIES HAVE BEEN SO TRADED:

25 July 1989

CONFIRMATION THAT THE APPLICANT HAS ADHERED TO ANY LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS INVOLVED IN HAVING ITS
SECURITIES TRADED UPON SUCH A MARKET:

Confirmed

AN ADDRESS OR WEB-SITE ADDRESS WHERE ANY DOCUMENTS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS WHICH THE APPLICANT HAS MADE PUBLIC OVER THE
LAST TWO YEARS (IN CONSEQUENCE OF HAVING ITS SECURITIES SO TRADED) ARE AVAILABLE:

Collins Stewart, 88 Wood Street, London EC2V 7QR

DETAILS OF THE APPLICANT'S STRATEGY FOLLOWING ADMISSION INCLUDING, IN THE CASE OF AN INVESTING COMPANY, DETAILS
OF ITS INVESTMENT STRATEGY:

The Group's strategy is to develop its accessories and retail business in the USA thereby enhancing their value
to shareholders. The board continues to consider all options relating to its US operations, including but not
limited to the sale and / or licensing of part of the US business and to developing those parts that are not sold
or licensed.

A DESCRIPTION OF ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN FINANCIAL OR TRADING POSITION OF THE APPLICANT, WHICH HAS OCCURRED
SINCE THE END OF THE LAST FINANCIAL PERIOD FOR WHICH AUDITED STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED:

Other than as disclosed in the Company's interim results for the 6 months ended 30 September 2002, announced on
13 December 2002 and in the Company's final results for the year ended 31 March 2003, announced on 29 July 2003,
there has been no significant change in the financial or trading position of the Company since the end of the
last financial period for which audited statements have been published.

A STATEMENT THAT THE DIRECTORS OF THE APPLICANT HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT ITS WORKING CAPITAL WILL BE
INSUFFICIENT FOR AT LEAST TWELVE MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF ITS ADMISSION:

The directors of the Company believe that its working capital will be sufficient for at least twelve months from
the date of its admission.

DETAILS OF ANY LOCK-IN ARRANGEMENTS PURSUANT TO RULE 7 OF THE AIM RULES:

N/A

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR SETTLING THE APPLICANT'S SECURITIES:

The Company's shares are settled though CREST.

ADDRESS WHERE DOCUMENTS DETAILING THE RIGHTS ATTACHING TO THE APPLICANT'S SECURITIES CAN BE VIEWED:

Travers Smith Braithwaite, 10 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AL

INFORMATION EQUIVALENT TO THAT REQUIRED FOR AN ADMISSION DOCUMENT WHICH IS NOT CURRENTLY PUBLIC:

All such information is public and is available for inspection at the offices of Travers Smith Braithwaite, 10
Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AL

A WEBSITE ADDRESS OF A PAGE CONTAINING THE APPLICANT'S LATEST ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS WHICH MUST HAVE A
FINANCIAL YEAR END NOT MORE THEN NINE MONTHS PRIOR TO ADMISSION.  THE ACCOUNTS MUST BE PREPARED ACCORDING TO UK
OR US GAAP OR INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS.

From 20 August 2003, the annual report for the Company for the year ended 31 March 2003 will be found on
www.etienneaigner.com

                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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