A firm favourite with DIY lovers across the country, not everyone knew the real meaning behind B&Q's name or favoured the initialism after learning the source of inspiration

Think of all the countless times you've wandered into a B&Q store, then consider if you've ever paused to wonder where its name comes from.

If the answer is zero - and this is the first time the thought has crossed your mind - then fear not, as you won't be the only one.

A source of fascination for Twitter users for years, not every DIY lover knows the story behind the initialism. Not everyone is always so impressed by the meaning, either, after learning the truth.

But baffled shoppers, including those who have offered alternatives, can't deny the success of the store and its founders, from whom the name derives.

B&Q, or Block and Quayle, is drawn from the names of Richard Block and David Quayle, who launched the store back in 1969. In the same year that man first walked on the moon, the business partners decided it was time to bring DIY to the masses, and they set up their first store in Southampton, Hampshire in a disused cinema.

At the time, they opted for the name Block and Quayle, but it is said this was quickly shortened after delivery notes and invoices favoured the initialism we all know today.

This is far from the only change over the decades, however, as the chain has gone on to become the largest home improvement retailer in Europe.

It still has to clarify its name sometimes, though. Not everyone knows the story behind the store, as Twitter user @cawilkes84 proved when they challenged a young fan and their dad to guess the store's name.

"Here is one for you….without googling etc….what does B & Q stand for? Which doors did you go for?" the challenger wrote.

"No clue!" the dad wrote. The social media user replied: "Neither did I. My daughter asked. She loves our day trips out it stands for the founders - Block and Quayle. Who knew Ay!"

Elsewhere, another customer went direct to the source, tweeting the store, to ask: "Is it beans and pork?" Perhaps unsurprisingly, they did not quite hit the mark.

"It stands for Block & Quayle after our founders Richard Block and David Quayle," an employee confirmed, to which the petitioner questioned: "Why did (sic) not you call the shop 'richard and David'?"

Source:
courtesy of MIRROR

by AMBER O'CONNOR, LIFESTYLE WRITER

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