ALL of us involved in the wonderful Millennium production of the York Mystery Plays in York Minster said afterwards, 'How do we follow that?' Nobody said, "We can't, so let's not bother.'"

City of York Council may feel the money is not available to mount a production in the near future. What they must realise is that a production such as the last one is like dropping a stone into a lake. The ripple effect feeds the towns, counties and other countries of the world, bringing an increase in tourism and the money generated into the city coffers.

There were wonderful productions of the plays on carts in the city last year, but they do not generate the international media attention needed to bring tourists from all over the world to York.

The recent article about the Chester Mystery Plays suggested the positive effect they had on tourism in Chester. York gets a lot of its income from tourism and its Crown Jewels, the Mystery Plays, must not be removed.

There is a tremendous amount of goodwill and I have been stopped by many people who wished to express their disappointment and frustration. I would ask the city council to reconsider the original decision, call together all interested parties and offer to provide initial funding for a production next year.

Brian Oxberry,

Monk Stray House,

Stockton Lane, York.

...I URGE City of York Council to help maintain regular performances of the York Mystery Plays.

Of course, it was special in Millennium year to perform the plays in York Minster, but that should not preclude further performances either in the Museum Gardens again or in a theatre as in 1992 and 1996.

There is something special about the Waggon Plays, not just the suggestion of heritage but also the immediacy of being so close to the people watching.

However, I also feel that, had there been a theatre or large theatrical space available in medieval times, that is where they would have been performed, to reach a wider audience.

In 1996, in York Theatre Royal, there were packed houses at each performance and, in the Minster, nearly 30 performances played to 1,000 people on each occasion.

Apart from so many of the people of York taking part in such a spiritual and historical occasion, such numbers in the audience must surely do nothing but good for the kudos of York and tourism in general.

It is thanks to the Mystery Plays of 1996 that I settled here, having moved from Sussex. There is not just the special feeling of being a part of such a moving occasion, but also the feeling of friendliness and togetherness which is engendered and which endures.

So I urge all members of City of York Council to get together and ensure this important piece of York's heritage is not shelved for some vague future occasion. The people are ready to support them, but we need the lead to come from the top.

Alan Booty,

(Abraham - 1996 and 2000),

Stephenson Way, York.

Updated: 10:51 Tuesday, July 15, 2003