March is full to bursting!

Blogpost No 3 March 2024

February’s blog post feels like a very long time ago. So much has been going on. Mostly to do with Children Of The Sea but also generally there’s been a lot happening. Grab a cuppa and settle in while I tell you what’s been going on.

Mum had just gone into hospital when I last wrote. She was in hospital for a whole week before they let me take her back to her lovely Home. She has physical issues now that will keep rising as time goes on but on this occasion, they have been brought into some kind of manageable condition. Mum’s experienced another one of those delightful renaissance periods where she’s generally in good form; smiley, mischievous, feisty. She even did a spontaneous dance routine one visit that could be a Strictly Classic.

When she was in hospital, the rest of the residents had haircuts. Because Mum missed out and was very much in need of a hairdresser’s skills, I organised for her long-time hairdresser, Sarah and her son/assistant Jamie, to come to the Home and give her a perm. It was quite an adventure. Mum had them laughing from start to finish. When they’d gone and she was sat in the hallway in her favourite chair, resting, she received lots of attention and compliments which she was genuinely bemused by. “My hair? A perm? Really? Well, I haven’t seen it!” She looked great but was exhausted.

She’s been in fine form this whole month, though her legs are swelling again and she’s showing all those signs of physical decline that rise like the tides. It’s a process but for now, she’s doing great.

You can now purchase your very own copy of Children Of The Sea at Fled’gling Records. And if you post a photo of yourself (or a pet as some people prefer:) on either of my FaceBook pages, I’ll “hang” it on the newly created “Rogues Gallery” here. I love seeing your faces or pets’ whiskers next to the Book … makes me smile. Thank you.

We now also have an official Launch Date: Saturday, April 27th. And to celebrate that act I’ll be performing at the Peel Centenary Hall here on the Isle Of Man. My plan is to present Children Of The Sea in the first half. I’m using the mastered tracks I created for each song to sing to and projected behind me will be the artwork for each song, interspersed with footage of the Island, especially the sea. I’m super excited. As a bonus at the Launch Show, there will be the original artwork on display in the bar; with many of the artists there themselves. I’m thrilled so many of them can be there on the night. The second half will be me and my wee guitar and a handful of songs from across the 40 years I’ve been performing/recording. 40 years! Moving right along …

I’ve concluded that for November I’ll create several set-lists so I can cover as many songs as I can. I’ll rotate the lists so I’m not doing the same songs every night. If you have a particular song you’d like me to sing please do let me know. You can leave a suggestion on FB or in the comments below. I can’t promise I’ll be able to do everything but I’ll give it my best shot!

I’m already practising as many songs as possible to get myself back up to touring speed. I’m concentrating on April for the time being but November will no doubt turn up very quickly. Wish me luck. Here’s a little video I shared on FB this week:

With the Peel Centenary Hall gig being a homegrown show, I’ve been very hands-on with promotion. I spent a little time a few weeks ago placing A4 posters in local shop windows around Kirk Michael, Ramsey, Laxey and Douglas. One such shop was Waterstones in Douglas. The manager, a lovely young woman called Quinn, was happy to put the poster in the window. As I’m handing her the poster I quip: “It’s actually a book with a CD inspired by local folklore; which is funny coz this is a Book shop” (I do like a bit of stating the bleeding obvious!). Her eyes lit up at the information and she asked: “Do you have an ISBN?” “Yes!” I cheerily replied. “Oh great! I’ve just been given the Cruise Ship schedule for this summer and the Americans love local books and music, this will be great!” Blimey! At some point (plans are still in the making) Children Of The Sea will be available at Waterstones, Douglas Isle Of Man branch! It was such an innocent moment that became a major achievement - with very little effort. I love it when the Universe plays nice. This is the poster:

One very big deal is that I am now the owner of a wonderful PA to use for these new and somewhat technical shows. I’ve been dreaming up a scheme to be able to buy equipment so that, not only can I do these gigs justice, with a high quality and consistent sound that I have some control over, but I will also be able to perform just about anywhere I’m allowed … schools; house Concerts; village halls etc with the changing landscape of the live music scene, it seems eminently sensible to be able to perform in any situation these days. A decent, simple-to-operate and reliable-sounding PA gives me just that opportunity. My original idea was to apply for funding. I had started the process. It’s always more complicated than one would like but, you know, you do what you have to do. Then, out of the blue, Angels came to my aid with a most generous offer. It would have been rude not to accept. My gratitude is boundless. Thank you Angels - you know who you are.

I enlisted the help of Daphne’s Flight sound engineer, Richard Harris, for the best of the overwhelming options available. He is so knowledgeable and of course an amazing front-of-house sound man. It was he who suggested the  Yamaha Stagepas 1K MK2 & DXL1K PA System. I was able to set it up myself and get a great, clear, full-bodied sound straight away. Yesterday, Dave Armstrong created the tracks I need, without lead vocals. Bob and I brought the PA and set it up in Dave’s ample hallway. We were able to try out one of the tracks through the PA while we were there. We were all very impressed. Technology has come on in leaps and bounds in many areas. This simplified but sophisticated sound system is wonderful. Makes me very happy and hopeful for a continued performing life. Earth Angels exist and I am very grateful.

Another skill I’m attempting to get to grips with is Social Media. Yes know, it’s the Devil’s work. However, it’s an essential part of life for those of us trying to remain connected to a small but perfectly formed yet widespread audience, that still has enthusiasm for all things musical. It’s harder and harder to be heard in what could be termed Traditional Media arenas. It was never an easy avenue, especially for those of us in the niche-margin lines of the entertainment world. So I met with a local Media Savvy Guru and spent several hours in her edifying company. Kirsty Lawrence is a font of Social Media wisdom and I came away with a huge amount of new-to-me knowledge that, over time, I will be able to put into practice. So if you see and hear more from me on FaceBook or Instagram over the next little while, it’s because I'm putting into practice what I need to be more efficient in and effective at. I’d like to be good at communicating with the right people at the right time. By all means, let me know if it’s working - or not!

I dabbled in “Reel” making this week. I know that sounds slightly salacious but believe me it isn’t. Here in my own blog-post-magical-realm, I can share a full-length song video anytime I fancy. A Mermaid’s Song is song number 4 in Children Of The Sea and is a direct descendant of “No One Knows His Name”. I explain how in the book and write the story that came to me while I was pondering who the mysterious man in a curious boat could be.

Another thing I want to share with you this month is that I’ve cleaned out the greenhouse and planted a whole bunch of seeds. I’m at least three weeks earlier than last year or the year before. I’m excited to see what if any, difference it makes to start that little bit sooner. I’m hoping, of course, that I’ll glean better yields than before. Who knows? That’s part of the excitement. I will keep you posted.

Finally... I'm very excited to facilitate another beautiful Power Of Three Retreat Day, here on the Isle Of Man, on Sunday, May 5th at Sulby Community Hall. My gorgeous sisters-in-delight, Rosemary O'Donohue and Jill Cavellec and I create a wonderful, safe, relaxing space for everyone to breathe into Peace. It's profound and deeply rejuvenating. We'd love to see you there! To Book your spot click HERE.

OK, I think that’s plenty for this month. Thank you as always for dropping by to see what's been going on in my little world. I do appreciate you!

Till next time Dear reader, I bid you adieu. Stay well and keep rising above the turbulence.

Much love and endless blessings!

Christine xx

A lost week & a box of Books/CDs arrives!

Blogpost No2 February 2024

When we last spoke, dear reader, Bob and I had arranged a few days with dear friends Ina and Michael Fine at Woy Woy on the Central Coast (NSW), followed by a couple of days further south near Lake Conjola, with Fiona and Ian Stewart at Yatte Yattah. It feels like a lifetime ago now!

We enjoyed dips in the warm Pacific Ocean, walks through rainforests and high mountain ridges (Mount Bushwalker!), delicious meals punctuated with laughter and life stories, some funny, some sad, always followed by more laughter then topped off with a visit to the beautiful Bundanon Art Gallery for lunch and high culture. A tonic for anyone’s soul.

We arrived back in Sydney to find that our gorgeous girls would be with us for the whole weekend - an unexpected joy! We made the most of our extra time. There were many games of UNO! Some of which I won.

It was a wrench saying goodbye. Really hard. But we’ll be back! As soon as humanly possible. We’ll be back.

Bob and I headed to the West Coast to see my brother Paul, who’s lived in Perth for 18 years. It was like no time had passed since we last saw him in 2019. The walk from the luggage hall to his car in the blistering 34C heat was … interesting! Luckily we have a sense of humour … and wheels on our bags ;-) x

We settled in for a week of swimming in the Indian Ocean, Golf, and Symphonic Concerts in the park. More good food, family and friends. Our cup runneth over.

And all too soon we were boarding the non-stop Qantas flight to London. It was our 14th wedding anniversary. Hurrah! We landed back in Blighty on Valentine’s Day. Made no difference to our tiredness. There was a 12-hour wait between landing and boarding our flight to the Island so we opted for a Day Room at a decent hotel near Gatwick. Clean sheets, a hot shower and a few hours of horizontal kip can do wonders. Our dear friend Jill Cavellec picked us up and whisked us back to Kirk Michael once back on the tiny isle. And so began the warped wormhole that is jet lag.

We must have been running on adrenaline on Thursday because we woke at a decent hour of the morning feeling relatively rested. We drove to town, had a hearty brunch (big mistake!), whizzed around Tesco and M&S and back in time for a nap. All good.

That night I woke at 2.30 am and found no sleep after that. But I felt decidedly tired; exhausted. Go figure. Friday morning I arose to meet my mermaid pals at Fenella Beach for an extraordinary experience (especially after the warm Oceans of the Antipodes!). We were booked for a sauna and a dip! I was horrified by the depth of cold that greeted me. The Irish Sea makes no pleasant adjustments for ill-prepared bathers. OMG! Breath-taking is a poetic way of expressing my first baptismal dip … followed, it has to be said, by an absolutely glorious hot sauna overlooking frothy Fenella waves. A second dip was necessary as my sweat glands were on fire! Did I really need to enter a third time? Yes I did!

I felt incredible afterwards. Fully alive and tingling and ready for the world. I had a haircut followed by a visit with Mum. She was very sleepy though I was informed she’d had a great week. A shower (not possible for two weeks), two nights in her bed (usually upright in a chair in the lounge) and she’d been chatty all week. Hurrah. I managed to get a smile and a squeeze of my hand. I was glad of that.

The rest of the week has been a blur of physical adjustment, comprising mostly of sneezing, sleeping, sneezing, sleeping etc we’ve lost a whole week but it was necessary for our poor bodies who take longer than our busy minds, to feel at home again.

One of the big decisions we faced when we got back was how to reintroduce Sweep back into the mix. We asked our lovely neighbour Jill if she would hold onto him for the weekend while we got back into the swing of things. When we spoke, after saying hi and welcome home and all that good stuff she blurted out: “I’d really like to keep him. He gets on so well with Connie and he loves being part of the farm work he’s just so settled…” it was music to my ears. Bob and I had discussed whether Jill might adopt Sweep at some point in the future. That she suggested it and was so upbeat about him was perfect. I saw him today from our bedroom window. He was out in Jill’s field, barking, his tail wagging happily. Then Connie appeared and they just chased one another round and around …tails wagging, ears up. I miss him. But this is right. Bless him!

I'm writing this on Thursday, Feb 22nd. At lunchtime, a box of Children Of The Sea books/CDs arrived. I am beside myself with amazement. It’s taken a very long time from concept to application for funding, to the creation of the music and then, onto a book with beautiful artwork from local artists. I’m so grateful! And a bit overwhelmed. There's a very silly video of me opening the box on FB ... if you haven't had a giggle already.

There are a few details to organise before they’re available to order which you will be able to do from Fled’gling Records website once everything’s in place. I’ll be organising a launch concert here on the island in the spring, date and the venue is yet to be arranged. So there are still some official things to put in place but once we’re all up and running you’ll be the first to know! Thank you for your patience. Thank you for being interested. Thank you! Thank you!

It’s now Friday February 23rd and … Mum was taken to hospital late last night after a fall. More than that her oxygen levels were really low and it looks like she has a further development with Heart Failure. Such a drastic term! Anyway the upshot is that she’s improved enough to hopefully return to the Home sometime tomorrow afternoon. My sister and I helped her move from A&E where she’d been overnight, and witnessed her revival as she joked with the lovely staff on her Ward. She has no idea where she is or why she’s there but there’s so much going on she’s vaguely entertained … this is a good thing. My brother and sister-in-law are with her this afternoon and I’ll be back tomorrow to bring her back to Ramsey … fingers crossed! Never a dull moment n’est pas?! Just needed to share that. Thanks for listening!

Hello again ... it's now Saturday and a further night of observations is required because Mum's kidney function isn't as good as it could be. Hey-ho. She was very funny when my sister and I called in to see her this afternoon. Some kind soul had brought a shapes toy for her to play with. It's amazing how absorbed she becomes when there's a fun and colourful puzzle to solve. My fingers are back on duty ... crossed as firmly as they're able. Tomorrow is another day. I have high hopes I can bring her back to the Home.

I've edited a daft video of our happy antics in the Antipodes ... a sort of "What we did on our holidays". Enjoy!

OK dear Reader ... it's time to leave you and see what joys March will bring. There are already so many signs of Spring .... it's a very exciting time of year!

Till next time stay well and keep rising above the turbulence.

Endless blessings!

Much love

Christine x

2024 is already full of promise.

Blogpost No1 January 2024

Coming up to the end of January 2024 and already this year is so full of promise I can hardly contain myself! Firstly I’m writing this Blogpost (No1 of 12) for 2024, from my gorgeous step-daughter’s apartment in Sydney Australia. I mean, Bob and I haven’t travelled off the tiny isle for over 4 years and now we’re in Australia! When we made our plans to leave we were tentative and unsure but once the flights were booked (early December) we were flooded with excitement.

The logistics of making sure the house would be looked after in our absence and Sweep of course, took a bit more organising than buying the tickets but it all got done with relative ease. We are so grateful for the love and support we receive as a matter of course but especially for this trip. We know mum is OK and have photographic evidence from both my sister and brother who are, as usual, keeping in regular contact with her. And I’ve even had reports of how well Sweep is doing too. So we’re free to enjoy our time away.

The journey itself happened in several phases. Getting off the island these days has become a bit of a lottery with regards to weather conditions and random cancellations so we opted to give ourselves a buffer and left two and a half days earlier than needed. Our friends Pam and Martin Dury invited us to stay at their lovely home not too far from Heathrow. Those few days alone were a total joy. To be in the physical presence of dear friends for the first time since 2019 was pure bliss. I thought we might be a bit nervous about being in the UK where, let’s face it, there are many more humans than on our quiet little rock in the middle of the Irish Sea, but we were anxiety-free and super excited the whole time.

We had the added joy of meeting up with Ellie, one of Bob’s lovely great-nieces whose gorgeous mum, Vicki, sadly died in December. We were unable to attend the funeral due to weather-related cancellations, though we tried our best to make it happen. Spending time with Ellie and her partner Jacob was so good. A real heart-warming delight. They are such sweet and lovely people.

(no photo of our delightful meeting but found this lovely reminder of happy times with Ellie, Vicki and her mum Jean in York)

And that afternoon Pam and Martin had invited a whole gang of friends (collectively known as The Cupcakes:) to join us for dinner and a much needed catch-up. Again … our hearts were full with gratitude for the love and kindness showered upon us. We certainly made up for lost time.

Then came the first of two long-haul flights that would eventually bring us to our long awaited reunion with those we love so dearly in Sydney. After 26 hours travelling, we were understandably weary but as soon as we saw our gorgeous granddaughters and Jo waving, then running full pelt to greet us … all weariness melted away as we hugged and hugged … and hugged.

We have now spent 11 days here in the glorious sunshine of New South Wales. Mostly giggling uncontrollably with Bella, Chiara and Jo. We have been to many beaches and dipped in the warm water over and over. My daily dips in the Irish Sea are a far cry from these balmy experiences but I will get back to those bracing dips when we’re topside once again … but not for a few weeks yet. All in good time.

The girls are now back with their dad for the next little while so we’ll drive to see friends along the NSW coastline this coming week. More catching up and reconnections with good friends. Life is beautiful.

We chatted with Michael Fix this morning and looked at the possibility of maybe touring together in Australia again sometime next year … maybe. We’d like to. We’ll work on keeping our vibrations high in order to bring that wish to life.

Another wonderful development is that Children Of The Sea will finally be a book/CD by the first week of February! Now that didn’t take long. But I’m so happy with how it’s all turned out. I’ll be delirious when I have a copy in my hands. Wow! The release date has yet to be set and once we know that, there will be a launch gig on the Isle of Man with a UK tour already booked for the end of November. Details so far are now available on the Live page - I’ve got an actual tour. At last! See how the promises are piling up? I’m so grateful that I can resume my lifetime passion of performing for precious music loving people again. I hope to see you at a show this year. I mean it. I need to see you all again.

A very dear friend, Bryan Ansell, who had been ill for some time, died on New Year’s Eve. Bob and I met Bryan and Diane in 2000, not too long after they’d returned to the UK after their 10 ‘post-Games Workshop’ years globe-trotting with their young family. They came to a gig I was playing at the Grantham Arts Centre and as we chatted at the end of the show they invited us for lunch at Stoke Hall the next day. We happily accepted, and despite neither Bob nor I having any real knowledge of the toy-soldier or war-games world — or Bryan and Diane’s lofty place in it — we found much common ground, especially in our mutual and eclectic love of music and literature, and a shared sense of fun and independence. Such an innocent spontaneous meeting led to a wonderful friendship.

The Ansell’s gave us an open invitation to use their beautiful home as a base for any future touring, welcoming us as part of their family, and for a wonderful brief 18 month period we even lived in the old courtyard at Stoke Hall. We have fond memories of ghosts, ancient plumbing, brandy, Greek tragedies, gardening, fabulous feasts,Texas and general knowledge crosswords in the Telegraph that Bryan — who Bob always referred to as a rare font of actually useful knowledge — excelled at! They were beautiful, rich delightful times that we will cherish always.

Bob and I are so grateful to have known Bryan, to have called him our friend, and to have loved all his amazing passions and eccentricities. We will continue to love him through the many memories we shared. Our deepest love goes out to Diane, Marcus, Emma, Maria and Alicia.

In keeping with last year’s promise of sharing some music each month I thought I’d share this strange little demo I created when we were still living at the Courtyard at Stoke Hall. Bryan encouraged me to look at the Classics for inspiration and leant me many of his wonderful books exploring Greek Mythology to find inspiration. Obsession  was the first song I attempted and is based on the story of Narcissus. It was pre-Logic days and I really had no idea what I was doing but … there’s the basis of a song that might one day find the light of day.

I’ll leave it here for this month and will see you on the other side of February with more news of Children Of The Sea and maybe a new musical piece to ponder. You just never know.

Until then dear reader stay well and keep rising above the turbulence.

Much love

Christine x