8.83% Stake Taken in crocus.co.uk for £750,000

NewMedia SPARK PLC
17 December 1999


              NewMedia SPARK plc invests in
       crocus.co.uk together with Lord Rothschild
                    and Henry Kravis

NewMedia SPARK plc ('SPARK') has invested £750,000 for an
8.83%  stake  in  crocus.co.uk,  a  gardening  e-commerce
startup.  SPARK's investment is being made in conjunction
with  a  consortium including Lord Rothschild  and  Henry
Kravis,  the US financier, which has invested  a  further
£750,000.

crocus.co.uk  aims  to  be the first  web  site  offering
horticultural  products and advice to  the  UK  gardening
market,  estimated by independent research to  grow  from
£2bn  in  1998  to £2.7bn in 2003. The web site  will  be
launched in early 2000. The UK gardening market continues
to  grow  rapidly, driven by greater house ownership  and
increased   media   coverage   of   gardening   subjects,
particularly on TV.

The  management of crocus.co.uk believes  that  the  site
will  have  significant advantages over  existing  retail
channels,   such  as  garden  centres,   will   be   more
competitively priced, offer a wider range of  stock,  and
more  comprehensive advice and extensive suggestions  for
gardeners.

The  founders  of  crocus.co.uk - Mark and Peter  Fane  -
bring   substantial  horticultural  experience   to   the
offering. Both Mark and Peter Fane, who are Chairman  and
Managing Director respectively of Waterers Landscape plc,
will  be  devoting the majority of their time to the  new
venture.

Waterers, formed in 1984, has a turnover of £16m and is a
market  leader in supplying grounds maintenance  services
to  corporate customers and local authorities.  Waterers,
which  recently won the Millennium Dome contract and  has
won  13  Gold Medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, has  450
staff and 12 depots around the country

These  resources  will be made available to  crocus.co.uk
together   with   existing  supplier   and   distribution
networks.

Lord  Rothschild, who has significant experience  of  the
sector  through his twenty year association with  Clifton
Nurseries, will be joining the Board of crocus.co.uk.

Tom Teichman, Chairman of SPARK, said:

'It  is a delight to find such an experienced team  in  a
strong  market sector.  The product offering  will  be  a
very  good use of the internet combined with top  quality
product supply'.

Commenting on the investment, Lord Rothschild said:

'Having  had  gardening interests for many  years,  I  am
delighted to have the opportunity of investing in such  a
potentially  strong e-commerce offering  to  the  rapidly
expanding UK gardening community.'

Commenting  on  crocus.co.uk, Mark Fane, Chief  Executive
said:

'With our direct experience and established horticultural
infrastructure crocus.co.uk will be the first significant
internet  gardening offer in the UK.   The  potential  is
clearly seen by the quality of investors that crocus  has
attracted and we look forward to offering the public what
they  want:  top  information and a larger  selection  of
plants  and  products  at prices cheaper  than  available
anywhere else'.
_________________________________________________________


For further information please contact:

NewMedia SPARK                             07007 333 123
Tom Teichman, Chairman

crocus.co.uk                               07801 915 901
Mark Fane, CEO

Buchanan Communications                    020 7466 5000
Lisa Baderoon / Tim Anderson