John Clappison left the pottery in 1972, and started to work from home as a designer of glassware for Ravenhead. Hornsea Pottery had marked its silver jubilee in 1974 by launching a celebration range of products and this led to a collaboration with Lord David Queensberry and Martin Hunt.

Together, in 1974, they produced a very successful range of tableware designs, starting with Contrast, initially trialled at the Hornsea site, then produced at the Lancaster site, followed by the equally successful Concept. The Ebony range came next and although it was not as successful in terms of sales, the same design in a silky terracotta finish, called Cinnamon went into production exclusively for Harrods in London.

In 1976, John Clappison was asked to return. During John’s absence, Sara Vardy designed the Fleur, Tapestry and Cornrose tableware ranges which kept the pottery in full production.

Sadly, the Lancaster site lasted only twelve years; despite overcoming the early difficulties and its eventual profit making, it could not stand up against the economic climate of the time, including the Middle East oil crisis, the miner’s strike and the three-day week. It closed in 1988. In retrospect, Colin Rawson openly accepted that the Lancaster venture was a mistake, and that the new Vitramic range should have been produced at Hornsea where experienced staff might have coped with the production difficulties better.