EMPLOYEES of AXA insurance gathered on Friday,December 22, for a photograph to mark the end of the line for thecompany's Kendal office.

The picture was part of a champagneshindig for the remaining 150 AXA staff on their last operational day inKendal.

Christine Nicholson, who has been with the firm for 16years and is moving to the branch in Lytham, Lancashire, described theatmosphere as "bitter sweet": "It is a very poignant day today for a lotof he staff, " she said, "it is all a bit sad."

In anemotional speech, AXA director Phil Judkin told the remaining staff thatthe office had been the victim of "massive changes in theindustry.

"We must have been pretty good to last this long,"he told them.

The buildings are to be developed by CrosbyHomes, whose bid was chosen by AXA because of ambitious job creationtargets in its scheme for the site.

Mr Judkin, who has beenwith AXA in kendal for 13 years said the company had done all it could toensure that, in pulling out of Kendal, it did not leave a vacuum behindit.

Mr Judkin also presented a cheque for £25,000 to theProvincial Trust for Kendal set up to provide support to good causes inthe area.

Trust chairman David Alexander, said: "This is areally nice gesture.

they have given us three years of fundingand topped it up £1,000 to take us up to the company's centenary in2003."

Mr Alexander, who retired from AXA two years ago after39 years with the firm said it was a "very emotional day" for staff andformer staff.

AXA's Sand Aire House and other buildings willbe "decommissioned" in the coming weeks and the firm is expected to vacatethe premises entirely in May 2001.