David Quayle David Quayle David Andrew Quayle (19 August 1936 – 6 April 2010) was a British businessman best known as co-founder of the UK DIY chain B&Q. He worked in the Marley Tile company in the 1960s and together with his brother-in-law Richard Block started the B&Q retail chain in 1969. Their idea of large warehouse-style DIY stores copied the style already successfully operating in other European countries, but was unknown in the UK and B&Q soon became the largest retail suppliers of DIY products in the UK. David left B&Q in 1982 and moved on to other companies, working in
North British and Mercantile Insurance became a subsidiary of the Commercial Union Assurance Company Ltd in 1959. The company maintained head offices in Edinburgh until 1963 and in London until 1969. Since June 30 2006, it has been registered as a non-trading company. The company's name continues in a number of its former premises. North British and Mercantile Insurance The North British and Mercantile Insurance Company was a British-based company founded in 1809 in Edinburgh and absorbed as a subsidiary of the Commercial Union in 1959. The company was also known as the North British Insurance Company, North British Fire Office and North British Fire