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
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