May put a spring in my step ...

Blogpost No 5 May 2025

Bob and I spent three gorgeous weeks in beautiful sunshine (sunshine!) in the Isle of Man, reconnecting with family and friends on the topside. I have to say the bright, blue-sky days were a joy, and the glens were so verdant and rich with beautiful spring flowers. In the first few days, I enjoyed several sauna sessions and cold dips with my mermaid pals, and I’m certain they helped me navigate the jet lag labyrinth. Honestly, it felt like jet lag was a fairytale myth, and I know from experience that it’s not!

We’re still basically homeless, but happy. We were gifted the same space to rest and revive in Peel as we had last year before our Antipodean adventures. We are very lucky, peripatetic Hobbits!

I spent time relearning songs that (the award-winning:) Dave Kelly and I will be performing later in June. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the chords fell into place. Quite frankly it’s a miracle!

Now, let me bring you up to speed with the final three shows Collister & Fix enjoyed in Victoria, Australia:

On Friday, April 25th, we played a private show in the suburbs of Melbourne at a wonderful venue in someone’s beautiful home. We are forever amazed by people’s generosity and wide-open-hearted spirits. It has to be one of our favourite experiences to be up close and personal with such fabulous people. Our deepest love and respect, Jane! You’re one in a million!

Michael had written a special piece of music for Jane’s late husband Peter, who was definitely one-in-a-million - and they were an amazing couple. That Jane continues to support live music in the way they used to together, is a true inspiration. Here’s Michael’s gorgeous “Song For Peter”:

On Saturday the 26th, we played at The Arco Bar, which was a new venue for us, suggested by our friend and great supporter, Cliff Ellery. There was a wonderful, warm, welcoming crowd with a few old friends and some now newly converted Collister & Fix virgins. One such couple have a fabulous and unexpected connection. I received, via the website, a lovely message a month or so before the gig, from someone called Brian Nicholls. He explained that he’s originally from the Isle of Man but now lives in Melbourne, and that recently someone from the island had visited and brought with them a copy of Children Of The Sea as a gift. He wondered if I was the same Christine Collister whose parents bought the Ellan Vannin hotel from his parents in the seventies! Yes, I am! He thought he’d missed the opportunity to come to a show, but when I told him we had yet to play in Melbourne, he immediately bought tickets for the Arco Bar. It was an absolute delight to meet him and his lovely wife, Amiko, new friends from old connections.

And so finally, we travelled ninety minutes out of Melbourne to the funky and art-drenched town of Ballarat to play for our dear friends Pam and Alan, who welcome everyone with open arms and a warm smile. A house concert is a thing of rare beauty, and these guys are masters of the art. What a perfect way to end our run of shows. It was a wonderful experience reconnecting with Michael. It’s such a joy to perform together again. We’re already planning more for next year. I will definitely keep you posted.

May 18th was the first anniversary of Mum's passing. I spent it with a lovely friend whose own Mum passed in August last year. We chose a beautiful place, Mum and Dad loved to take us in the summer - Druidale. It's one of those gorgeous, fairytale-like places that makes me smile. We did a lovely ritual in honour of our Mothers, all Mothers, and though neither of us has had children, we honoured the Mother within. The video also takes us to other beautiful places we have walked since our return - the Isle of Man truly is a place of great beauty.

Bob and I are now travelling the highways and byways of the UK for the next few weeks, calling in on family and friends for a catch-up north and further south. And then the gigs begin.

Thank you, as always, for dropping by to see how I'm getting on. I trust you are all in fine fettle and that I'll see some of you at the shows coming up with (the award-winning!:) Dave Kelly.

Till next time, stay well and keep rising above the turbulence!

Much love

Christine xx

Autumn becomes spring!

Blogpost No4 April 2025

I hoped to post this before May popped her pretty head over the spring wall, but alas, I was unable to. We're only just into May, and she is so gorgeous here on the tiny isle! Blossoms still bloom, fresh green and pinky copper leaves are abundant, and bluebells too. What a riot of fabulous colour to come home to - and actual warm sunshine! Who knew?. Bob and I landed after a fairly smooth three-day journey on Thursday morning  (May 1st). We've been sorting ourselves out with lots of laundry and several saunas and (freezing!) cold dips - well those things I've beenn indulging in, Bob not-so-much :-) x catching up with lovely family and friends on the top of the world - which is every bit as delightful an experience as being on the bottom of the planet. Here's Blog Post No. 4 2025:

Catching up on gigs again this month. We’ll start with our gorgeous gig at Bloomfield Hall in the delightful town of Orange. We played at the fabulous Bloomfield Hall, the same gig as 2020. As before, the organisers and their merry band of volunteers, who make everything work so well, were very welcoming. There was a minor problem in that the dressing rooms had no electricity, so no light at all. It made for an interesting preparation. All was well - all is well - all shall be well. We were shown great affection and appreciation, which is always appreciated. Plus, several friends turned up out of the blue, Lauren and Gerry who came all the way from Bury, which was wonderful!

The following morning, we left relatively early to get Michael back to Sydney Airport for his flight home to Brisbane. The drive was easy, the autumnal colours were more prevalent here than elsewhere, and they were simply beautiful. I love being on the road.

After a few days of relaxing in Dee Why - brunch at the French Basket, crosswords by the beach - we prepared for the following few shows in Gloucester and Tallwoods, northern NSW. Our hosts for both shows were our dear friends Fran and Jim Kelly. Unbeknownst to us, both of them had been dealing with health issues since the beginning of the year, with Jim only a week out of the hospital when we turned up for the Gloucester show. It was so good to see them again; thankfully, they looked the picture of health. Fran and Jim had moved to Gloucester from Crowdy Head a couple of years ago. I think the good people of Gloucester are very glad to have them in their midst. The gig was fabulous. We’ll be back!

The after-show party, back at their temporary home (Fran and Jim are renovating a lovely place just up the street from the gig, where we stayed for both nights) was hilarious and filled with loud, familial reminiscences that we all love. There was much laughter and gratitude. These are the precious moments we cherish.

Tallwoods, just 50 minutes from Gloucester, is a newly developed area, complete with a golf course, beautiful homes, and a lovely chapel called the Chapel of Light. As you’ll see in the video, it’s gorgeous! We had no expectations for this show, as it came together very late in the tour's scheduling. Since Jim wasn't as available as he usually is, there wasn’t the same attention to detail as previously. However, Alana, the instigator of the music shows at this beautiful venue, does a great job of gathering an audience that we needn’t have worried. It was a wonderful turnout and a gorgeous afternoon show.

Michael, who brought his PA for both these shows, drove partway back to Brisbane after the gig, while Bob and I headed back to Gloucester. The following morning, we were able to call round and tell Jim and Fran about the show at the Chapel of Light. It was lovely to hang out with them again before we headed back to Dee Why.

More relaxation was in order, and we were happy to oblige. Although the weather wasn’t as bright and sunny as we’ve come to appreciate, it’s definitely Autumn now. You can feel the shift in temperature and sense the threat of dark clouds, but that glorious, soft, golden Autumnal light is glorious.

The next weekend, we had two beautiful shows. One was a house concert at our friends' gorgeous home in Yatte Yattah, near Milton. Bob and I have recently become part of the furniture (we wish!). We love staying with Ian and Fiona Stewart, who are so kind, generous and great fun! Being there for a gig is always a highlight. It’s the perfect place to perform, and the audience is highly trained - they could be professional! We loved it.

The following day was another afternoon show, this time in Michael’s old hunting ground in Wollongong. He and Rob, who runs Centro CBD, the venue, have known one another since they were 14 years old! It was another wonderful show with a fabulous audience who know how to show their appreciation! We were properly celebrated. We met up with several groups of friends, we were all excited to be together again.

Michael got the train back to Sydney Airport and even managed to get an earlier flight home - win-win. Bob and I drove back to Yatte Yattah to stay with Fiona and Ian for a few days of R&R, which is always a joy!

We drove up to Newcastle on Wednesday to see our dear friend Nikki Freeburn and her partner BJ, who have a beautiful holistic clinic, Natural Lore, in the heart of Newcastle. They’re looking into incorporating sound and frequency into their comprehensive list of modalities and invited me to collaborate with them as they develop these new tools. I’m thrilled to be asked and find the whole area of sound, frequency, and healing vibrations fascinating. We had a fabulous beginning. More to be revealed.

Bob and I were then, with Jo in Dee Why. She had a few days off (miracle!) so we brunched, beached and ate ourselves delightfully - we’re getting very good at these activities. It was our last week in Sydney. I’m sure Jo will be pleased to finally have her room back, but she’ll miss us too. We’ll miss her for sure! And our gorgeous girls of course. We had them to ourselves on Easter Sunday - our last hurrah before heading topside April 28th.

We drove down to Melbourne and met up with another dear friend, Terry, whom I met at Port Fairy Folk Festival in 1999! She moved to Frankston ten years ago, and this was our first chance to see her in this new (to us) environment. Apparently, Frankston doesn’t have the best reputation, but we found it delightful. We ate at an excellent restaurant on the beach called Waves, and had a wonderful catch-up. We met again the following morning for a short walk and a coffee before lunch with my sister’s sisters-in-law and brother-in-law - Susan, Nora and John. Waves was so good we ate there again, and the food was even better than the night before. Who knew? Another wonderful catch-up.

There are three shows I'll catch you up on next month: a private gig in Eaglemont, Melbourne; the Arcobar Heatherton Melbourne; and a house concert in Ballarat, Victoria. All of them were fabulous! It will take about a week to find our topside balance and return to spring!

As soon as we return, I'll prepare for eight shows with the "award-winning!" Dave Kelly - June 17th - 27th; plus a solo show in Holland at Roots Ann Dezaan - June 6th, presenting Children Of The Sea! Hurrah.

In case you missed the news, Children Of The Sea is now available for download on many streaming platforms, along with a PDF of the book from Fled'gling Records. I'm thrilled! There are still a few hard copies available from the same website, and if you live on the Isle of Man, or are visiting, Waterstones, the Manannan Centre, Peel, and the Manx Museum in Douglas also have a few (I mean it!) copies.

Thanks, as always, for dropping by to check up on me. I so appreciate it.

Till next time, stay well and keep rising above the turbulence!

All my love

Christine x

March madness!

Blog Post No 3 March 2025

Bob and I had arrived in Bali the last time we chatted. We had a blissful two weeks with very little exploration of the island. We made three trips into Ubud, a frenetic and buzzing place boiling over with scooters and large taxis. Walking the uneven, broken walkways while trying to dodge pretty flower offerings strewn along the pavements was quite a trick. It was also stiflingly hot on two of the three occasions! I’m not painting a positive picture, but it is unique and full of amazing old temples, statues and beautiful modern cafes and hotels with gorgeous gardens that make you believe you’re in some tropical oasis, so much so that the noise and chaos of the streets feel like some fuzzy, far off dream.

Monkey Forest was fun, and the late lunch that followed at a wonderful Indonesian restaurant (Liap Liap Folk) was a magnificent gourmet experience. We were blown away by the level of service, taste and presentation; it was all excellent. Our third and final trip to Ubud, on a rainy, grey Monday, centred around lunch at a magical restaurant called Merlin’s, which was recommended to us by our dear friend Rosemary O’Donohue. It did not disappoint. As you’ll see in the video, it was a feast for the eyes and the stomach. We loved it!

The rest of the time, we lounged by the gorgeous pool at Om Ham retreat in between treatments at their fabulous spa. We ate at the hotel restaurant every night. The menu was simple but delicious and delightful, and we enjoyed sitting and looking out over the lush green paddy fields surrounding the property on several sides. Watching the birds and beautiful insects flying about and water dragons chasing ducks through the waterways, feeding the growing rice. It was simple and deep nourishment for the soul on all levels. We realised that over the past five years, we’d had little time to fully relax and just be. Our gratitude knows no bounds.

Returning to Australia after my work visa was granted (a stress we could have done without!) was straightforward. I spent a few days with Jo and our gorgeous girls before we headed north to Brisbane for rehearsals with Michael Fix. Along the way, we caught up with some family and friends we hadn’t seen in five years: Peter, Janet, and Koto near Paradise Point; Vivienne and Kev on the Gold Coast; and finally, my lovely mate Stephanie, closer to Brisbane. It was a delightful drive, and I was ready to get stuck into rehearsals.

It felt like no time at all since Michael and I had played together! Time is a funny thing, for sure. We spent two productive days in Michael’s studio, then had a warm-up gig at his Mum and Dad’s and step-father’s retirement village, just a few minutes away. We had a lovely crowd of smiley people roll up to the Community Hall. They arrived on foot, with and without zimmer frames, and in a variety of mobility scooters it was amazing to watch them converge on the hall. We played, and they applauded with greater and greater enthusiasm. It was a wonderful show. We went to bed that night, happy bunnies.

In the morning, I woke with a scratchy throat. I blame it on the AC and a few broken night’s sleep. We had another warm-up show that night at The Palm Lake Resort Beachmere an hour or so north of Michael’s place. I nursed myself through with herbal tea, Fishermen’s Friends, and assorted nasal cleaners. I spoke very little. My throat got worse. I honestly didn’t know if I could sing. We did a quick sound check and revised the setlist. We dropped a couple of the punchier tunes. My midrange was lost. Top and bottom range OK. Luckily for me, having never heard me before, they thought it was all good. We got away with it. Michael, bless him, did an instrumental here and there to cover for me. Thank you!

The following day was our first official concert in the charming town of Maleny near the Glass Mountains - a stunningly beautiful area. I missed the gorgeous scenery in favour of a steamer and a cotton blanket over my head. The local RSL club venue is a 140-year-old wooden-built hall strewn with bunting inside. Large glass doors opened up at the back to allow a flow of air, and half a dozen ceiling fans that flung it about the place in an effort to keep the heat from becoming overwhelming. I loved it! Our host and promoter for this and the final of our first string of shows was Shez Wright. Someone Michael and I met on our first Winter Break Songwriter’s Retreat back in 2014. It was her house we played our very first concert together. It was a delightful reunion. My throat had settled a little, but my nose was now a tap! I find this very hard to negotiate. However, as with many things in life, somehow, I got through it. There were breaks in my voice that were impossible to negotiate, I simply had to move over them and reach the parts that still worked. For some reason, that elludes me, the audience didn’t care! They were every bit as appreciative as the previous two nights, and though I felt like crap, I was grateful. Bob and I were hosted by a lovely couple, Peter and Linda, at their fabulous home in what felt like the wilderness, but was only five kilometres outside of town. I slept relatively well that night.

Just one more show to do. The last show in this first scutch was at 2 pm in an amazing venue and an hour and a half away from Maleny, at - The Barn in Draper. By now, though my throat was not sore, it was tight and very tired, as was I. It took a great effort to pull myself up to performance levels when all I really wanted to do was fall asleep. Everyone connected to the venue, including Shez and her partner Rob, were just lovely, supportive, attentive, sweet and caring. They made it a lot easier, I have to say. By the time we took to the stage, I was as ready as I could be. There were still those songs (River Deep, Love Me Like A Man, Deeper Well) I simply couldn’t approach, but others, where we dropped the key to give me a little headroom (We Spoke Today, Do It Again, Broken Wings, Would’t It Be Good), sounded a bit stronger. I still wasn’t anywhere near my best, but I gave it all I had in that moment, and it was appreciated again. It is very humbling not to have the thing that you trust and rely upon not be there, and yet those who come to hear that same thing still bring a generosity of spirit and appreciation despite the difficulty. Does that even make sense? I know what I mean.

There were four days before we picked up again. I spent most of them sleeping, steaming or blowing my nose. By the time we arrived in Woy Woy, two days before our sold our house concert there, I was feeling much better. Michael arrived Thursday afternoon. We had a gorgeous evening with our wonderful friends and house concert hosts, Ina and Mihael Fine, whose beautiful home we performed in on Friday night. I was relaxed and ready to sing again. It felt like a miracle to be able to sing freely and with almost 100% expression - it takes a little longer to get it all back, but I'll take this level above last weekend anytime!

Last night, Saturday, March 29th, we played at The Crossroads Bar Dubbo, in a new venue created by the same promoters as 2020 - Michael and Gloria Picton - and they are amazing. They've made a wonderful performance space and bar that work fantastically together. with wonderful sounds system and sound man Alfred. We're blown away by their level of professionalism and dedication. I hope we'll be invited back - hint, hint!

Tonight, Sunday, March 30th, we're playing in Orange at the Bloomfield Hall. You'll have to come back next month to find out how it went, but we're expecting a fun night and a full house, just like last time. Wish us luck!

On a very positive note, a digital version of Children Of The Sea was released/made available to purchase/download and Stream on all usual platforms on March 28th! Here is the link to view your options. I’m thrilled to make the whole thing available in this new format. A few hard copies are still available on the Fledg’ling Records Website if you’d like the full-fat-greedy-bastard version (very technical term!) But for those in countries where the postage is prohibitive, perhaps the digital version will find its way into your lovely worlds. I hope so. I’m still inordinately proud of Children Of The Sea.

I have to thank my brother Paul in Perth for buying me the wonderful video camera I’m now using to capture each gig. I don’t know what inspired him, but I’m happy to have this whizzy device. Once I’m out of the head-cold fog I’ve been under, I’ll try and capture some road trip bits as well. Thanks, Paul!

Thanks, as always, for dropping by to see how this wee Manx vocalist is faring out in the big wide world. Your company is a delight I very much appreciate! Thank you.

Stay well, and keep rising above the turbulence!

Much love and endless blessings!

Christine xx