Antony Gormley: Ten years of beach statues celebrated

Sefton Council once wanted the statues removed

The group that brought Antony Gormley's Iron Men to Crosby beach is to open a special exhibition marking the installation's 10th anniversary.

Regenerus - formerly South Sefton Development Trust - is staging the Ten Years of Another Place event at Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre on Monday.

The exhibition, which runs until 1 November, is one of several events.

The 100 statues should have gone to New York in 2006 but the council allowed them to remain as a tourist attraction.

Regenerus chief executive Cate Murphy said the Another Place exhibition would tell the story of why Antony Gormley - who also created The Angel Of The North - chose Crosby as the location for his artwork, and include many little-known facts about the installation.

'Atmospheric images'

It will also feature atmospheric images of the iron men taken by acclaimed Crosby-based photographer Ron Davies.

The naked cast iron statues, which are more than 6ft high (189cm) and weigh 1,400lbs (650kg), are on a two-mile (3.2km) stretch of beach between Waterloo and Blundellsands.

At one time Sefton Council wanted the statues removed due to safety concerns as the coastguard reported people getting cut off by the tide when they visited.

The council changed its mind after some of the ones in a more dangerous location were relocated.

The 100 statues were originally due to go to New York in 2006

The exhibition runs until 1 November

The naked cast iron statues which are more than six feet high ( 189cm) and weigh 1,400 lbs (650kg)

The exhibition explains why Antony Gormley chose Crosby as the location for his artwork