The Heritage Group was started in 2000 after a meeting between Ken Wright and the then-President, Mike Baunton, following discussions between Ken, David Boulton and other members of the Long Service Club. With the promise of Company support, and agreement to find space for historical displays, the group gradually evolved into the present form, with a number of retired employees supported by working staff, with a senior manager or director fulfilling the role of Chairman - starting with Barry Parsisson, who was succeeded by David Kempton, Mike Francis and currently Nigel Baseley. The Group profited from the work of Bert Saville, Stephen Perry, Brian Pearce and others, who over the years had saved many items from being scrapped. No one person was more important in this regard than Dereck Lambe, a Field Test engineer who, after retiring in 1980 amassed a collection of old engines and other items, many held 'on indefinite loan' from Perkins Engineering. Others he found and purchased from auctions around the country. Following Dereck's death in 2007, soon after the Company's 75th Celebration, his collection passed into the hands of the Heritage Group for preservation and exhibition, alongside other engines already in store from elsewhere in the Company.

The Heritage Centre permanent exhibition, housed in the central corridor of the North Offices, was originally created for the 70th anniversary in 2002 and was updated in 2007 to record the 75th event too. Along with this exhibition, the Group has a document archive adjacent to the Centre in the old Wages Office, and another store for engines and components in Factory 1. Actions are in hand to clean and preserve many 'milestone' engines for future exhibition. These include a number of unique items which never found their way into production for various reasons.

Another important area of work is the vast collection of photographs, film and video, currently held in the Powerhouse complex adjacent to Factory 3. A team of enthusiasts, led by Ian Stuart, has been trawling through these items, seeking to preserve and make available the most important pictures. Many of these have already been seen in various exhibitions, and some help has also been given to the Anglia TV 'The Way We Were' series.

The Heritage Group is dedicated to collecting, preserving and maintaining all items relevant to the Company's history, making such material accessible to all employees, past and present, as well as to the public at large. Although no company can live in the past, it is important to remember its roots, and to chronicle its achievements and problems for future generations. The Group is always open to receive any memorabilia, recollections, documents, etc., which extend the total knowledge: offers of voluntary help in this important work would also be appreciated.

Contacts can be made through any member of the Group, through the web site or by leaving a telephone message with the Receptionists. There is usually a Heritage Group presence on Tuesday mornings in the Archive room should anyone wish to make a personal visit. For those wishing to carry out research, the opportunity exists to access the archives too.

By David Boulton June 2009

The Heritage Group people, from left to right: Nigel Baseley, Adrian Abbs, Edward Hinde, Brian Pearce, Maureen Fenn, Terry Clark, David Boulton (holding the IMechE 'Engineering Heritage Award' presented in April 2009), Howard Lewis, Ken Wright, Maciej Bedkowski, David Corkill, Ian Stuart, Tony Mann, Lionel Chandler.