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Historical Craft Demonstrations
+ Have-A-Go Leather-Stamping

ANA at work at a historical craft demonstration
At work at Kenilworth Castle Medieval Village 2007 for English Heritage

Have-a-Go Leather-Stamping
Have-a-Go Leather-Stamping at the Hands on History Event 2009. Here you see a young family proudly showing off their medieval bookmarks, but people from all age groups and of all ability levels love to give it a (safe) whack with gusto.

You can book me as a performer at your historic event.

On display is be a fully equipped medieval shoe maker’s workshop with tools, shoes and examples of various work-stages and work in progress. Historic records prove that women did work in the shoe-trade. The fact that I am a female craftsperson is therefore perfectly in order.

Shoe-making itself is not suitable for audience participation. Instead I offer Medieval Leather-Stamping as a safe and rewarding Have-a-Go activity. The Visitors are given the opportunity to use medieval leather-stamping tools to produce a bookmark or a wrist-band to take home. On most occasions the leather-stamping is set up on tables, not on the ground.

I can either set up shop in your modern premises and give the background a period dressing to set the scene, move into a historical site or work from my own period tent or my medieval marquee.

You can either book me to just demonstrate medieval shoe making, or just for the medieval leather-stamping or both.

I am able to address all levels of audiences, from pre-schoolers to adults with a serious interest in archaeology. I actively engage with people in a dialogue and encourage them to have the tactile experience of handling the shoes. The sharp tools are of course always kept out of reach. I will explain for example what it meant to be apprenticed at the age of ten and the guild system. How and why the construction of medieval shoes is fundamentally different from modern shoes. How the shoes of poor and rich people differed, what they cost, what people would do in their spare time, fashion-follies, and much much more.
I can tailor the narrative specifically to your site, for example at Castell Coch near Caerphilly, I told the fairy tale of the cobbler who outwitted the devil, because legend claims that it took place there. On the other hand I am also able to expand on the socio-economy, the archaeology and the biochemistry of historic shoe-finds if that is what your audience is interested in.

For your peace of mind I have public liability insurance cover for up to £5.000.000.

A list of previous clients is also available.

If you are interested in booking me for your event, please inform me of your requirements and I will be pleased to give you a quote.


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Here a few more pictures of performances from recent years.

Anglo-Saxon set-up in a tent
Anglo-Saxon set-up in a tent at Detling Military Odyssey 2006.

Serving a Viking customer
Serving a Viking customer at Detling Military Odyssey 2006.

Craft Demontration at trentower court
Tretower Court near Abergavenny for CADW 2007.

historical craft demonstration, Dover Castle for English Heritage
Dover Castle for English Heritage 2008.

Set up in modern annexe
Llancaiech Fawr Manor for Caerphilly Council 2007. Set up in modern annexe.

fully equipped medieval shoe maker’s workshop
Kenilworth Castle Medieval Village for English Heritage 2006.

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© Ana Deissler 09-2012