Swaythling passenger cars in the UK, leaving the Southampton made Transit as their only British-made vehicle. In 2009, with the new Kocaeli, Turkey, plant in full production, Ford reluctantly halved production at Southampton and reduced the workforce to just over 500. Employing 500 workers, the factory produced up to 35,000 Transit chassis/cab variant vehicles annually, of which 50% were exported. The Ford Southampton plant closed on 26 July 2013. The very first branch of the DIY chain B&Q was opened in Swaythling in 1969. The shop was owned by Messrs Block and Quayle. Swaythling railway station is on the main line
Anthony Quayle films with him. He was also a close friend of Jack Hawkins and Jack Gwillim; all four actors appeared in "Lawrence of Arabia". Quayle made his Broadway debut in "The Country Wife" in 1936. Thirty-four years later, he won critical acclaim for his starring role in the highly successful Anthony Shaffer play "Sleuth", which earned him a Drama Desk Award. Television appearances include the "Armchair Theatre" episode "The Scent of Fear" (1959) for ITV, the title role in the 1969 ITC drama series "Strange Report" and as French General Villers in the 1988 miniseries adaptation of "The Bourne Identity". He