IMPORTANT parts of Westmorland's heritage are to stay in Kendal when one of the town's longest-established employers finally pulls out at the end of the month.

AXA Insurance has offered to hand over part of the former Provincial Insurance archive, charting nearly a century of history at the Kendal-based company.

Bosses are anxious to ensure as much historical material as possible remains in the town, in stark contrast to Clarks, which only agreed to return the K Shoes collection to Kendal in response to public pressure.

AXA Insurance archivist Chris Nicholson said the company was keen to avoid any conflict with Kendal, adding: "We certainly don't want to go out and feel we have left a void in the town."

The insurance company announced 18 months ago it was closing the Kendal office, with the loss of 350 jobs, following a merger with Guardian Royal Exchange.

Some staff now work at the GRE site at Lytham.

Some parts of the Provincial archive will move to Lytham, but Mrs Nicholson, who is collating all the material, said she was hopeful a significant amount would remain in Kendal.

One of the jewels in the crown is a leather-bound Book of Memory, hand-written by Kendal-born Provincial employee Maurice Conway, which lists all 33 members of staff who died while serving in the Second World War.

They include Capt James Scott, a member of the Scott family which founded Provincial Insurance, who died in action in North Africa in May, 1942.

Mrs Nicholson described the book as a real labour of love, adding: "I think it's the most precious thing that I have found."

The book is being handed over to St George's Church, which is also rededicating the company's war memorial, made from Westmorland slate.

There is a variety of silverware, from a goodwill golf tournament cup dating back to 1935, to mementoes marking the company's silver anniversary in 1953, as well as Provincial Insurance badminton club shields.

Other material includes old staff newsletters, photographs, advertising posters, Provincial Insurance signs, company seals and even records of staff collections for colleagues' weddings.

Mrs Nicholson, who has worked for the company for 16 years, said the archive represented a social history of Kendal.

"The job I am doing is sad but interesting.

I feel I am doing something worthwhile.

I think a lot of the old Provincial pensioners would like to know that their history is being looked after."

Founded in 1903, Provincial Insurance moved its head office from Bolton to Kendal in 1917.

The company was sold in 1984 to UAP, which merged with French-owned rival AXA three years later.

Jim Grisenthwaite, county archivist at Cumbria County Council's Records Office, said his department would be pleased to take the Provincial archive for safekeeping.

He accepted some material linked to the business must go to Lytham, but added: "We would be only too willing to give a home to the more historical information.

We are sorry to see the links being broken with the town, but pleased to play our part in documenting the heritage of the company."

Cumbria Records Office, in Kendal, already has a considerable amount of Provincial archive material handed over in recent years.