This week, 16 years since the furnaces were shut down at the town's former glassmaking factory, it is again possible to buy stemmed glasses which are made in Lynn.

One of the craftsmen who worked at the ill-fated factory at the time has just started to create a range of goblets in the glass house at the Caithness Crystal Visitor Centre in Paxman Road on Hardwick Industrial Estate.

Steven "Beaver" Bone (54) is the resident glassmaker at the centre but this is the first time in all those years that he has made the stemware that he used to produce on a daily basis.

"When the Caithness Glass factory closed we were making hundreds a day and they were going all over the world. This is a chance for me to use those skills again and a golden opportunity for our trainee to learn them," he said.

Although the techniques are the same, this is a very different operation. When Mr Bone worked at the factory he was one of a team and it was his job to create the stem for each glass. Now he alone creates each glass from start to finish.

The Visitor Centre is the one part of the industry which has survived and since 2006, after some changes of ownership, has belonged to the stationery and art products manufacturer Tollit and Harvey, which is a neighbour on the estate.

Managing director, Mr Nigel Tollit, is delighted that glass goblets are being made again after all this time.

"It is also very exciting because this is an opportunity for Beaver's skills to be rediscovered," he said.

Visitor Centre manager, Mr Tarquin Chaytors, said that the goblets will be sold for £20 a pair or £50 for a set of six and will be available in a range of colours.

He said: "Members of the public have the option of selecting the colour of their choice and watching Beaver make their glasses while they wait. How often can you hold up one of your own glasses and say, 'I saw this being made.'?"

Mr Bone pointed out that although the original Lynn factory was in business for around 40 years, very little stemware is now made in this country because of cheaper imports from overseas.

"Each of these goblets is individually hand-made. It took me a bit of time to get the hang of it again but now I can produce one goblet in about five minutes."

His helper and trainee is Kerry O'Leary (27), who has a fine arts degree and saw the job at the centre advertised locally three years ago. "I have been making the paperweights and glass animals which we have always sold here, but this is a chance to tackle a different skill and learn from a real expert," she said.