Look what is appearing in the garden! The first snowdrops of the year.

A last flicker of light at sunset on a mostly grey afternoon, the iron men the only static objects on an afternoon with a strong wind, a restless outgoing sea and fast moving clouds. #IronMenCrosby

A pewter grey afternoon tinted by pale watercolour shades of yellow and blue at a windswept Crosby beach, cold but exhilarating, the roar of the waves and the cries of gulls a soundtrack to the ever changing light as evening approaches. #IronMenCrosby

Clear winter skies over Crosby beach yesterday afternoon, the temperature barely making it above 0°. A bracing walk to clear the mind with #IronMenCrosby.

Thanks to #TonySnell and #bbcradiomerseyside for making me feel welcome today for the chat about the #IronMenCrosby exhibition at The Atkinson Southport. Lovely to catch up with Tony after many years.

A stunning, bracing winter afternoon at Crosby beach. Today the distant snow coated mountains of Eryri, Snowdonia, glistened in the sunlight on this icy afternoon as the rough seas receded from around the feet of the iron men. #IronMenCrosby

Rising over the dunes behind Crosby beach, yesterday’s super moon, at first gold then silver as it rose higher above the shoulders of an iron man and a cold clear evening. #IronMenCrosby

Tonight’s super moon, the Wolf Moon rising behind Crosby beach this evening. A beautiful glowing orb of light slowly rising out of evening’s shadow. #IronMenCrosby

A flock of oystercatchers skim the rough waters of the incoming tide this morning as the sun rose on a very cold Crosby beach and the distant snow covered mountains of Eryri, Snowdonia, brushing the hills with golden light. #IronMenCrosby

Me and my shadow. Watching the windblown sand on Crosby beach this morning.

Just after dawn this morning, the distant mountains of Eryri, Snowdonia, were revealed wearing a coat of freshly fallen overnight snow; the warm light of the rising sun glowing on their slopes. Here at Crosby no snow, just a very cold NW wind driving spume capped waves onto the beach.

Just after dawn this morning, the distant mountains of Eryri, Snowdonia, were revealed wearing a coat of freshly fallen overnight snow; the warm light of the rising sun glowing on their slopes. Here at Crosby no snow, just a very cold NW wind driving spume capped waves onto the beach. #IronMenCrosby

This morning’s wintery sunrise over Crosby beach as a strong NW wind whips the waves of the incoming tide and the loose sand on the beach. The temperature was 2°C but was more like -4°C with the wind chill. #IronMenCrosby

New Year morning on Crosby beach and plenty of people out enjoying the air despite the bitter NW wind chilling the air and blowing loose sand along the beach. Lowry like matchstick figures against the watery sunlight. #IronMenCrosby

And so the year fades. The last glimmer of light as the sun sets on another year. A very cold afternoon at Crosby beach with #IronMenCrosby to mark the end of 2025. Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Brian. Thanks for all your wonderful books over the years.

The gulls seem unimpressed by the wonderful display of golden light that nature has provided to mark the end of 2025 on this bitingly cold afternoon at Crosby beach. #IronMenCrosby

Today. The light, the land and the sea conspire with nature to produce this glorious display of crepuscular light. An inspiring radiant golden glow over Crosby beach to mark the end of 2025. #IronMenCrosby A Happy New Year to all.

Forget Twixtmas. Today is Twentieth Century Blues Day, the anniversary of my beginning (1989) the project (robertsheppard.blogspot.com/2018/05/twen...) and finishing it (2000) (robertsheppard.blogspot.com/2025/03/robe...), and it's happily still in print (www.saltpublishing.com/products/com...)!

❄️ #IronMenCrosby Day 25 Nature’s best, last night’s stunning Christmas Eve sunset, the skies above Crosby beach full of glowing colour. A fitting end to this run of advent day pictures. Christmas Greetings to all from myself and #IronMenCrosby

Christmas Eve sunset. A glorious end to a beautiful crisp day at Crosby beach; an inspiring breath of nature at its best, with the open sea and sky and the rich shades of gold and orange against the cool blues bringing calm at the end of a busy day. #IronMenCrosby

❄️ #IronMenCrosby Advent Day 24 Gentle muted skies at sunset tonight on Crosby beach. A band of high cloud dimmed the setting sun but it still managed to paint the higher clouds with shades of peach and apricot. A beautiful calm end of summer evening.

❄️ @IronMenCrosby Advent Day 23 Out to the west of Crosby beach, over Wales, the sky is ever changing with rays of crepuscular light painting streaks of gold across the gathering clouds. Towards sunset the clouds build, shimmering at their edges but blocking the last of the light.

❄️ #IronMenCrosby Advent Day 22 A gentle evening. The light fading quietly with no great show of colour, no blaze of light, no fanfare to mark the last day of 19 years of the Iron Men on Crosby beach. Tomorrow is a landmark day, the 1st July is the 20th Anniversary of their presence on the beach.

Tonight, just after solstice sunset. The clouds swiftly filled an earlier gap leaving just a patch of pale orange glowing in the greying sky. The surface of the sea briefly shone with light before the gap closed and the light was extinguished at the end of the day. #IronMenCrosby

Solstice evening. A pewter grey sky over the Irish Sea suddenly cleared from the south east at sunset, revealing a small patch of clear sky with a touch of colour, perfectly mirrored in a calm tidal pool at the end of this shortest winter day at Crosby beach. #IronMenCrosby

BBC News - 'Crosby beach iron men sculptures still fascinate me 20 years on' - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

❄️ #IronMenCrosby Advent Day 21 The mountains of Eryri, Snowdonia, outlined against a vivid sky just after sunset. Thin high clouds diffused the golden glow into streaks of amber and orange across the evening sky. A perfect end to a fine winter’s day for the iron men on Crosby beach.

❄️ @IronMenCrosby Advent Day 20 The iron men watch many cruise ships sail past. This is the MSC Preziosa on her way out of Liverpool as the late summer sun lowers into a clear horizon at an almost deserted Crosby beach.

Tonight. Time for reflection on a calm quiet evening at Crosby beach. The last of the sunlight spreads rays of radiant glowing orange light across the cold blue of the sky. #IronMenCrosby

A lovely comment from Nancy Holmes Hopkins on X re this post: “The soulfulness of your vision has been recognized and now shared and celebrated. Yes, to the hours of watching. Yes, to the search for meaning in each look out to the horizon. Yes, to the man who stands proud today.”

My first view of the exhibition “Men for all Seasons” at The Atkinson,Southport yesterday. My photographs of 20 years of the @IronMenCrosby Thanks to @peterjharvey.bsky.social for curating and putting it all together. An excellent job.

One from a few days ago. Gurteen Castle, an Elizabethan revival house dating from 1866 and home of Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein, looking very picturesque on a cold frosty winter day. Viewed from the bank of the River Suir, near Kilsheelan, South Tipperary.

It’s almost that time of year again. The #WinterSolstice livestream link is now available Join us on 21 Dec @ 8:40 am to witness the solstice sunrise live from inside the #Newgrange chamber, weather permitting. Save the link now. 🔗gov.ie/solstice #ShareTheSolstice

❄️ #IronMenCrosby Advent Day 19 Dramatic evening light over the distant Welsh hills on a cold, windswept winter evening at Crosby beach as swiftly moving clouds gather to hide the last light of day.

On now until 21st February 2026 at The Atkinson, Southport. “Men for All Seasons” twenty years of #IronMenCrosby my photographs of Antony Gormley’s Another Place on Crosby Beach, Sefton Coast. Admission free. Monday to Saturday 10.00 - 16.00. Closed 25th December - 2nd January.

❄️ #IronMenCrosby Advent Day 18 Forever watching the passing ships from Crosby beach. The setting sun a ball of glowing fire as it sank into a band of hazy cloud beyond the distant horizon.

Bare winter branches. I love the way trees show their true form at this time of year. The tracery of their branches against the cold blue of a winter sky is always uplifting.

❄️ #IronMenCrosby Advent Day 17 Crosby beach littered with sea ice after a very cold January night.

After the rains of earlier this week today was a total contrast with clear skies and an overnight frost. By mid morning the sun dazzled across the river, mist lingering across nearby woodland. A day to lift the spirits. River Suir, Kilsheelan, South Tipperary.

This morning, a beautiful soft dawn light crept over Carrigaculagh hill beyond the old bridge at Kilsheelan in South Tipperary. The day was filled with picture opportunities thanks to the superb light and it was a real joy to be out on such a lovely day.

I have always loved the shape of this oak tree standing on the bank of the River Suir. Never more so than this morning when its silhouette is clearly revealed against the frost and mist of a very atmospheric dawn.

River Suir levels had dropped today. The footpath clear of water on a very clear frosty morning with mist rising from the river and surrounding hills.

Very cold overnight. Frost patterns on the car windscreen this morning.

Early river stroll. A beautiful frosty dawn. Tendrils of mist rise from the river as the sun colours the morning sky. The river level has dropped since yesterday. Robins and wrens compete for the loudest song. River Suir, Kilsheelan, South Tipperary.

❄️ #IronMenCrosby Advent Day 16 Out to the west of Crosby beach, over Wales, the sky is ever changing with rays of crepuscular light painting streaks of gold across the gathering clouds.

A surprisingly good end to today after the heavy rains of yesterday. The air is filled with the sound of robins and song thrushes as the sun sinks behind the hills beyond the fast flowing River Suir which has flooded again. Kilsheelan, South Tipperary.

A flooded River Suir at Kilsheelan, South Tipperary after very heavy rains yesterday and overnight. Today is a big improvement in the weather with the cloud clearing.

A line of poplars silhouetted against the morning mists rising above the River Suir, South Tipperary, after heavy overnight rain.

This morning, after the storm. Rain drops hang on bare silver birch branches, glittering silver as they reflect the morning sky, sparkling like Christmas lights. The distant hillsides softened by mist in the treetops.