B&Q was founded in March 1969 in Southampton, England, by Richard Block and David Quayle, following the purchase and fitting out of a former furniture warehouse in the Southampton suburb of Portswood. Originally called Block & Quayle, the duo soon shortened the brand to B&Q as stock delivery notes and invoices were already unofficially abbreviating the name. By each working over sixty hour, six day weeks, they were able to repay their bank overdraft within six months of opening, with turnover reaching £1million within the first five years of operating. Following the departure of co founder Block in 1976, the chain
Quinton Quayle took up this post in August 2007, succeeding David Fall, and was replaced in November 2010 by Asif Ahmad. Quayle spent a lot of time in his roles as Ambassador promoting trade and investment and worked very closely with the British Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (BCCT); his job directly before his posting to Bucharest was as International Group Director with UK Trade and Investment. He has also worked in the private sector for Price Waterhouse Management Consultants and VT Group. From 2011-16, he served on the boards of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, the Royal Institution of