BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has hailed the decision to put on show a vast collection of Indian Silks at the East Lancashire textile museum at Gawthorpe Hall in his constituency as a prime example of how to blend British nationhood with multi-culturalism.

As the government faces down a row over its insistence on ensuring that immigrants embrace the UK culture after the summer racial disturbances in the town and the September 11 US suicide hi-jackings, the veteran Labour backbencher sees an example of how things can work in his own backyard.

Former Lady of the Manor Rachel Kay Shuttleworth built up one of the most nationally celebrated collections of textiles at the Hall between Burnley and Padiham in view of the area's heritage as the centre of "King Cotton" in the Victorian era.

But she also gathered together an array of fine Indian silks which have mainly languished in the basement.

Now Gawthorpe's new owners the National Trust are bringing the sub-continental treasures to public views and asking local Asian children to provide labels in the Indian language Urdu to match those in English.

The efforts are highlighted in a report this week on "The Historic Environment: A Force for the Future'' from the Department of Culture in Whitehall.

It has a special panel in the section on how to promote the historic environment on the museum saying: "The previous owner of Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire, now owned by the National Trust, brought together a vast collection of Indian Silks, which was used as inspiration for local millworkers making their own silk pieces.

"Building on this past, the National Trust is looking to broaden the appeal of Gawthorpe Hall by bringing the silks from the basement and featuring it in an exhibition.

"Asian children from a nearby school have visited the property and are developing new interpretations of the label in Urdu.''

Mr Pike is delighted both at the work at Gawthorpe and at the government's highlighting of it.

As he continues to try and deal with the aftermath of the Burnley riots, he sees a way forward in terms of the latest developments at the Hall.