And shortly afterwards Aspin was doing just that, backed by pounds 200,000 from Fry. For 42 per cent of the equity, Fry also guaranteed a bank loan and bought the company a warehouse in Swindon, Wiltshire - 'a stupid investment which has gone down in value'.The company has flourished, however. Mondian designs mainly ceramic planters, vases, ornaments and photograph frames, made in Portugal, Thailand or China and sold in department stores, garden centres and gift shops.The two men launched the company in 1989 when LIT and the Thatcher-Lawson boom were going strong. And apart from 1992, when it lost a big high-street store account, Mondian kept doubling turnover. The recession may even have helped - plant pots fitted the bill as a cheapish, presentable gift.The company is set to earn pounds 1.5m this year and make a small profit for the first time.

Crucial to its success has been low-cost but reliable suppliers. A planter that sells for pounds 4.99 costs perhaps 90p from a factory four hours from Hong Kong, although 30p has to be added for transport and duty. Many companies tried to take advantage of this cost gap, but ran into trouble over quality and delivery. So far, these have not been a problem for Mondian, Fry says.Are the Third World workers who make these products getting a fair deal? The Clinton administration is agitating over overseas workers' rights in such countries as China, but Fry has little time for such concerns He does not have a clue what the Chinese workers get 'The factory owner says they'll work 24 hours if need be He houses the people on site. They come in from the rural areas and after six months, if there's no work, I think they go back. As long as the pots keep coming I don't mind.'The ultimate aim is to sell the company in a couple of years, when Fry's stake could be worth pounds 2m. He estimates his personal wealth now at pounds 4m, despite the LIT debacle and associated difficulties with a US futures clearing firm and Roger Levitt, the convicted fraudster.Despite his recent investments, Fry is more than happy to relive the days of Johnson Fry's big successes, when a scheme for buying repossessed houses from building societies brought in pounds 50m from the public in 22 hours.

'The automatic doors burnt out and every time the lift came up there were 30 people in it with their cheques,' he reminisces.He is also excited about a film made by Benjie, his son, who has just graduated from film school at the University of Southern California. Fry is thought to have invested more than pounds 400,000 in the film, which is about American and British physicists at Oxford. Its working title is E=MC2 , and Fry keeps receiving calls from confused suppliers about 'this E Macsomething man' The pots had better keep coming.(Photograph omitted). THE BRITISH motor racing legend Lotus will be fighting for its life at the Portuguese Grand Prix today.

The team, placed in receivership on 12 September after its last race, desperately needs a strong finish on the track to justify keeping it in the game at all. Lotus's three main sources of income - sponsorship, television royalties and prize money - are all linked to race performance. Another failure will put pressure on the receiver, Neil Cooper, to sell or liquidate the team - mired in debts of pounds 10m. Financial details of the Formula One teams are closely guarded secrets. Some, such as Williams-Renault and Benetton, are owned by manufacturers willing to underwrite almost any expense and are rumoured to have budgets as high as pounds 50m. Others continue because their drivers are rich enough to pay the bills.'But most motor racing teams live in a hand-to-mouth fashion,' Mr Cooper said.The team gets most of its income from sponsors such as Pepe Jeans, Air UK and Goodyear. Lotus negotiates some of the deals directly, but a significant portion were brought to the team by Alessandro Zanardi, its number two driver. Johnny Herbert, its star driver, probably takes between pounds 500,000 and pounds 750,000 from the team, plus whatever he can get for wearing corporate logos on his helmet and overalls.