Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Crosby Beach

The Rev Kate Bottley visits Crosby Beach to meet Christian artists inspired by Antony Gormley's striking iron statues that have stared out to sea for 15 years.

The Rev Kate Bottley is on Crosby Beach celebrating the 15th anniversary of the iron men sculptures created by artist Antony Gormley. Kate speaks to local Christians who have been inspired by the statues to create their own artworks, including paintings, photography and performance.

James Lusted meets one of the founding members of Crossbeats, a Liverpool-based band credited with helping to bring Contemporary Christian Music to the UK back in the 1960s. Kate travels just along the coast to Formby, hoping to see the rare red squirrel. She visits the prayer centre there, right in the heart of the National Trust conservation area.

Recorded before the closure of church buildings.

Music
Morning Has Broken, Christ Church, Port Sunlight, June 2017
Bless the Lord – LSO St Luke’s, June 2017
All Things Bright and Beautiful – St Cuthbert’s Church, Carlisle, May 2019
Discovery - Rivers & Robots
Eternal Father, Strong to Save – Christ Church, Port Sunlight, June 2017
Oceans – Jess Clemmons
Christ Is the World’s True Light – Christ Church, Birkenhead, October 2018

34 minutes

Stories

Ìý
The Rev. Kate Bottley is on Crosby Beach in Merseyside, finding out about the ingenious iron men sculptures that have watched over the seas for 15 years. She meets local artists who have been inspired by the statues both creatively and spiritually.


Merseyside has massively contributed to the UK art scene over the years, and in the 60s it created its own new genre of music called Merseybeat – a blend of pop and rock n roll. The Beatles were at the forefront, but James Lusted meets a man who was part of another band, sometimes called the ‘Christian Beatles’.


Just up the coast from Crosby, is the town of Formby with a huge sandy beach and a woodland area behind the dunes which is part of the National Trust. Rev. Kate joins a Christian couple who work to help protect the rare red squirrels that roam the woodlands. She also discovers a prayer centre in the middle of the forest run by Catholic nuns.

Another Place – Part Two
We meet a local resident who was so inspired by the Iron Men statues on Crosby Beach that she set up a new Christian drama and art project called ‘In Another Place’. One of the members of the group shares how she found friendship and faith through joining.Ìý

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Kate Bottley
Presenter James Lusted
Producer Jessie Bland
Executive Producer Cat Lewis
Executive Producer Emyr Afan
Series Producer Matthew Napier
Production Company Avanti Media

Broadcast