🌴 From the Tiny Isle to Costa Rica - friendship and travel - so grateful!

Christine Collister
3 days ago
4 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Blog post No 10 October 2025

New horizons, old friends, and endless gratitude

Hola, sweet humans!

I’m writing this from our dear friends Martin and Pam’s lovely home in Sandhurst. Bob and I left the tiny Isle yesterday (October 30th) and are en route to stay with friends in Costa Rica for a month!

It’s always such a delight to be in their kind and generous company. Staying here before our flights means we can relax, enjoy good food, and feel rested and ready for the long journey ahead.

A Lifelong Friendship

I’ve known Angela Hyrniuk since the mid-eighties, when I was touring with the Richard Thompson Band and she was living with Canadian singer-songwriter Stephen Fearing.

Angela was a poet then — a poet! I’d never met a woman so independent, articulate and obviously intelligent (not to mention gorgeous). I was smitten and inspired — and still am!

Our paths have interwoven over the years in beautiful and unexpected ways. I was Maid of Honour at her and Steve Seaton’s wedding in Queensland, Australia, in 2009.

I’ll write more about our connection next month once we’ve spent time together in their gorgeous new home in Costa Rica. For now, you know where we’re headed — and why. Life is unexpectedly wonderful sometimes, and I feel deeply blessed by this adventure.

Island Life Between Travel Adventures

After the September tour, Bob and I returned to our teeny-weeny studio flat in Douglas and settled into a gentle rhythm — reconnecting with family and friends, and enjoying the Isle’s slower pace.

I squeezed in as many sauna dips as possible, at both Fenella Beach and Laxey, resumed my Wednesday movie nights with my lovely nephew Aaron, and took early-morning autumn walks with friends who love to forage.

The colours this time of year are stupendous, and those soft morning mists add mystery to an already gorgeous place.

Looking Ahead

We’ve been organising ourselves for the next few months out in the wider world. After Costa Rica, we head to Australia to reconnect with more friends and family — and then in March and April, I’ll tour again with the fantastic Michael Fix.

That uninvited five-year hiatus (2019–2024) has made us even more appreciative of this weird, wonderful and unpredictable life Bob and I have magically spun together.

A Musical Treat with Talented Friends

On October 10th, we saw Brooks Williams and Vera Van Heeringen at the Peel Centenary Hall — what an absolute treat!

Magnificent musicianship, great songs and harmonies, and that warm, funny, easy connection to their audience. Brooks and I worked together remotely back in 2019, when he invited me to sing on his album “Work My Claim”, and our duet on John Prine’s “The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” appeared on YouTube during that strange time in 2020.

It was such a joy to finally have more than two minutes to chat and share the love and respect in person—one of life’s lovely surprises.

Dreaming and Creating

I was able to simply enjoy the island’s glorious landscapes, the turning seasons, and precious time with people I love. These small joys are essential for a well-lived life, n’est-ce pas?

I’m giving myself until the end of the year to see what creative threads might weave themselves into a new project — something related to Children of the Sea, but fresh in its scope and sound. Wish me luck!

A Little Help from You

I’m hoping to perform Children of the Sea and Beyond at festivals next summer.

If you have any influence on your local or favourite festival, please do put my name forward! Every little nudge helps, and I’d be ever-so-grateful.

At present, there are a number of shows with Michael Fix in Australia between the end of February and April 2026 (soon to be uploaded onto the Live Shows and Events page). My only other confirmed performances are with the wonderful, "award-winning" Dave Kelly in October 2026 — but I’m always open to hearing about venues and performance spaces you think might suit me.

Just Because ...

Here's a video of our last trip to Kirk Michael on the Isle of Man, where we house our few belongings with another dear friend, while we're off out in the greater world. I've paired it with "Shifting Sands" from Under Construction II. A song co-written with Steve Lima, way-back-when. Enjoy!

Meanwhile…

Tonight (Oct 31st) I’m off to see Judie Tzuke and Beth Nielsen Chapman in Basingstoke — how lucky am I? I might just pop back here to add a note about the show! I'm back! The show was FANTASTIC! What a fabulous band of musicians, and the songs! Not to mention the incredible voices of Judie and Beth ... holy smokes, they're good!