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
Quayle Munro appropriate for the company's structure'. In July 2007, Quayle Munro acquired New Boathouse Capital in London for £7.5 million, to expand its corporate finance business. The bank also bought London based, Van Tulleken, a corporate advisory firm specialising in media and information technology in April 2008. In July 2012, the bank moved its headquarters to London, to focus on its corporate finance business. The project finance business based in Edinburgh was sold to senior management in September 2012, with Quayle Munro Holdings retaining a 30% share in the new company, Quayle Munro Project Finance. In July 2013, Quayle Munro Holdings