A decent pair of medieval shoes is a must for those taking part in next month's York Mystery Plays - but they are not to be found in your High Street shop.

Organisers have solved the problem by setting up a workshop to teach the cast how to make the footwear themselves.

They called on the services of expert Peter Merret, who works at the Danelaw Dark Ages Village at Murton, near York.

With his encouragement, the actors, stage hands and others were soon making pairs of simple, but sturdy, medieval shoes in less than an hour.

The leather is cut according to set patterns and then the pieces are stitched together inside-out.

Stronger leather is sewn on to make the soles, and the shoes are then made cosy by the addition of unspun wool. "People have now taken them home to wear them in, and to practise how to walk in them without tripping as the ends are quite pointy," said a spokesman.

This year's York Mystery Plays will be performed on a pageant wagons as part of the city's Early Music Festival in July.

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