SFM Technology was founded in 1985 and was awarded a Royal Warrant in 2012

An agricultural machinery company in Somerset that once supplied goods to the Royal Family has fallen into administration.

SFM Technology was established in the village of Martock in 1985 as a fruit harvesting equipment business but by the late 1990s had expanded into other sectors, such as aerospace and automotive, as it developed its engineering offering.

In 2012, the firm was awarded a Royal Warrant – a document that permits a company to use the Royal Arms in connection with its business and supply goods or services to the royal household.

The company now offers a number of services including design, research and development, manufacturing, 3D printing and powder coating, and counts the Ministry of Defence and Orchard Pig Cider among its customers.

A recent notice on the Gazette – the official public record – states that SFM Technology Limited appointed Andy John and Miles Needham of FRP Advisory as joint administrators on May 15. It follows a petition to wind up the company in October 2025 that was launched by HMRC.

According to Companies House, compulsory action to strike the business off the register was suspended in March. If a company is struck off, it ceases to exist as a legal entity.

SFM Technology’s status on Companies House currently says there is an ‘active proposal to strike off’. Its latest accounts are also overdue.

The director of the company is Richard Whittington who was appointed to the business in 1996 and is based in Yeovil.

Latest available accounts for SFM Technology, which are for the year ending December 2023, show the company had £2.1m owing to creditors falling due within one year of that period – up from £1.75m in 2022. At the time, the company had net assets of £1.76m.

The accounts also reveal there were 33 employees working for the company in 2023 – down from 38 in 2022.

It is not known what will happen to the business following the administration or whether jobs are at risk. FRP Advisory and SFM Technology have not responded to a request for comment from Business Live.

The notice on the Gazette says the company’s address at Martock Trading Estate is in the the process of being changed to c/o FRP Advisory Trading Limited, 2nd Floor, Churchill House, 26-30 Upper Marlborough Road, St Albans, AL1 3UU.

Anyone wanting to get in touch with the business is being advised to contact the joint administrators on 01727 811111 or to email Oliver Mulvaney at cp.stalbans@frpadvisory.com.

James Mallender to lead new division formed after DSW’s deal for DR Solicitors

Business advisory firm Dow Schofield Watts (DSW) is launching its own “challenger” legal platform.

The Daresbury group first entered the legal market with the acquisition of Guildford-headquartered DR Solicitors in 2024. Now it is opening a dedicated new division, DSW Legal, led by new managing director James Mallender.

He called DSW Legal a “true challenger platform” and said he wanted to attract lawyers looking to set up their own businesses rather than joining traditional partnerships.

Mr Mallender qualified as a real estate lawyer with SJBerwin before moving to international firm Womble Bond Dickinson, becoming a partner in 2008.

In 2012 he left the traditional partnership model to help grow legal start-up, The Legal Director, where he ran its recruitment function alongside developing its strategy. By 2025, that business had grown to a team of more than 50 lawyers and turned over some £7m a year.

Guildford’s DR Solicitors focuses on the medical profession, with consultants acting on a flexible basis for people including GPs and dentists. DSW says that since it acquired DR Solicitors the business has added 10 consultants, with revenues rising 11%.

Mr Mallender said: “Having built my career on both sides of the legal profession, I’ve seen first-hand how ambitious professionals are increasingly looking to alternative models to take control of their career. DR Solicitors has already proven itself as a model that can stand up against traditional models, providing the flexibility and control many look for, so the opportunity to expand this track record across DSW Legal provides a true challenger platform for the industry.

“I’m now focused on building out the offering, recruiting ambitious legal professionals who want the opportunity to be more entrepreneurial while still benefiting from a supportive environment with a strong brand and back office.”

Shru Morris, CEO of Dow Schofield Watts, added: “Building on the progress we’ve made in our legal offering through the acquisition of DR Solicitors, DSW Legal provides a strong platform to continue building out that capability and better meeting client demand. It also offers an attractive home for top legal talent seeking an alternative career path, enabling them to establish their own business under a recognised brand, with the benefit of back‑office support, strategic input and start‑up funding.

“With his strength of expertise in growing challenger legal platforms, James is an excellent addition and will be integral to building this new division out further, leveraging the power of DR Solicitors to attract new talent and create a full service offering.”

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NEW YORK — The New York Times Connections Sports Edition puzzle No. 605 for Thursday, May 21, 2026, featured 16 sports-related words grouped into four categories centered on college game elements, pitching mound synonyms, Alpine skiing disciplines and Charlotte-based teams.

The puzzle, available through The Athletic, challenged players to sort the words into four groups of four. It carried a difficulty rating consistent with recent editions in the sports-themed variant.

The yellow category, typically the easiest, was “Seen at a college sporting event”: BAND, CHEERLEADERS, DANCE TEAM, STUDENT SECTION.

The green category was “Pitching mound”: BUMP, HILL, MOUNT, RUBBER.

The blue category was “Alpine skiing disciplines”: COMBINED, DOWNHILL, SLALOM, SUPER-G.

The purple category, often the hardest, was “Charlotte ____”: 49ERS, FC, HORNETS, NORTH.

Connections Sports Edition, a collaboration between The New York Times and The Athletic, adapts the original Connections format with a sports focus. Players identify connections drawing from athletics, teams, rules and sports culture. The game resets daily at midnight local time and allows four mistakes.

Hints for puzzle 605 included “Spotted at a game” for the yellow group, “Charlie Brown’s baseball home” for the green group, “Snow sport” for the blue group and “Queen City teams” for the purple group.

Yesterday’s puzzle on May 20, No. 604, included categories such as actions on a field goal attempt, U.S. Olympic host cities, Triple-A baseball teams and words ending in an NFL quarterback’s name.

The sports edition launched from beta and remains accessible via The Athletic’s platform or app, separate from the main NYT Games app. It targets fans with knowledge spanning multiple sports.

Players shared solve grids on social media, with many noting the college atmosphere group as accessible due to familiar game-day elements. The skiing disciplines required specific winter sports knowledge, while the Charlotte reference drew on NFL, MLS, NBA and college teams.

The pitching mound synonyms tested baseball terminology familiarity, with “rubber” as the official term for the pitcher’s plate. Alpine skiing categories highlighted Olympic and World Cup events.

Community discussions highlighted the puzzle’s mix of mainstream and niche sports references. International players sometimes found U.S.-centric elements like college game traditions more challenging.

The New York Times and The Athletic publish companion content with progressive hints. For May 21, hints guided solvers toward game-day visuals, baseball infrastructure, snow sports and regional team nicknames.

Connections Sports Edition builds on the popularity of the original game while incorporating trivia from football, baseball, basketball, skiing and other disciplines. No word repeats across puzzles, with editors curating balanced difficulty.

Strategies include scanning for obvious clusters like team names or event-specific terms. Players often start with yellow groups before tackling purple. Non-theme words serve as distractors to increase challenge.

Tomorrow’s puzzle, No. 606 for May 22, will present a new grid at midnight. The Athletic offers a Coach section for additional hints and player discussions.

The game supports engagement across devices through web and app access. Features include color-coded feedback and shareable results using emoji grids.

As of midday May 21, online forums discussed solve paths for puzzle 605, with users comparing times and noting near-misses involving overlapping sports terms. Many completed it within the allowed mistakes after identifying the college and skiing groups.

Educational value includes reinforcing sports knowledge, geography of host cities and terminology across leagues. The puzzle format promotes logical grouping and elimination strategies.

Connections Sports Edition continues to grow as part of The Athletic’s puzzle offerings alongside the main Connections. Puzzle 605 exemplified the blend of accessible and specialized categories that defines the series.