Kitchenware destined for an excavated Belgian town is being reproduced by a little known Calder Valley potter.

When the 15th-century town of Walraversijde near Ostende is opened to create a museum this summer, its pots and plates will have been made by former art teacher John Hudson.

But despite being internationally acclaimed by museum curators across the globe, John and his tiny workshop are largely unknown in and around his home town of Mirfield.

John, 53, said: "Most of my work goes abroad because people in this area aren't interested in their own heritage and crafts. It makes me angry because I'm better known in Japan and America."

Using clay dug from fields near his home in Shillbank Lane, John is the only Calder Valley slipware potter still working but he can turn his hand to European styles dating back centuries. Slipware involves creating intricate patterns on a pot with clay.

After giving up his job as head of art at Dewsbury's St John Fisher RC High School, John spent ten years struggling to learn his trade selling pottery to friends and neighbours.

Then around 20 years ago he made some reproduction pottery for the Clarke Hall museum in Wakefield and his interest in the history of pottery was fired.

Now a member of the Mediaeval Pottery Research Group, John recreates forgotten styles of European pottery.

One of his mugs was used in a tavern brawl scene in the TV drama Sharpe, starring Sean Bean. He was hired to reproduce a 17th-century plate for BBC antiques-based drama Lovejoy.

His current projects include creating crockery to be used in tea ceremonies by Japanese Bhuddists. He spends £1,000 a year on pottery history books.

He said: "I had a real struggle when I started. I thought I was good but as time went on I realised I knew less and less.

"If people realised how hard this stuff was to make it would be valued. In Japan they've never had slipware so it's exotic to them and I've had some valuable orders."

Charles Kightly, head of the Belgian museum reconstruction project, said John was regarded as the best reproducer of historic pottery in Europe.

He said: "He's very well read and unlike many other potters he's not just in it for the money."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.