I didn't actually know what this was, other than it was obviously a flower head. It comes from a bush/small tree that is a sort of evergreen: I say sort of because the leaves, which are a bit like holly leaves with little points, have not weathered the winter well. (I now know - thanks to @therubysusan - that it's the flower head from a Mahonia,)
This flower head is smaller than you might think: the width of this one is about 25mm and the little florets - which look like tiny cabbages before they open - are from 2-3mm in diameter.
The flowers could be a petit (distant) cousin in the daffodil family perhaps? Love the palette from green to yellow and back again...with more muscle than yesterday's delicate willow.
Lovely! I vote for some species of Grape Holly, as the one I'm familiar with is known on account of its blue berries. Mahonia http://www.mahonia.co.uk/
@therubysusan Yep, that's the one - infact I remember now that we did plant one on this particular bank but we have another in the garden which is very different to this one and I thnk the flowers are blue or purple... I'll let you know in a few days when the buds open!
