Full steam ahead, and a few lovely pauses.
Blog Post No. 10, October 2026
October has been full steam ahead, then a slowdown, then full steam ahead again! When we returned from Portugal, which was gorgeous, we expected the temperature to plummet. Strangely, though, it was very warm and sunny for the first few weeks of October. Although Scotland was certainly cooler, it was still light and bright and full of autumnal goodness. The further south we drove, the warmer it became.
Our first two gigs were in Kinross and Barnoldswick, and both went as well as we could expect given they were the first two! Fortunately for us, the audiences were incredibly kind and forgiving! Plus, we were funny, which helps!
We’re currently at the end of our last slowed-down section and fast approaching the final two shows. The award-winning Dave Kelly and I have enjoyed a run of duo shows, interspersed with four shows with our dear pal Peter Filleul, followed by a slew of duo gigs. I’ve shared numerous videos from many of these on YouTube as we’ve gone along; you can find them HERE. Videos from the final shows will be shared next month ... too close to the end of this month to be able to include now.
One of the unexpected joys of touring for so long—43 years next month!—is that many people who begin as fans become delightful, much-appreciated friends.
A special shout-out to Graham and Bryan Petifer, who go above and beyond to catch us on every tour. This year, they surprised us by turning up unannounced at a second show: after The Sound Lounge in Sutton, they came to St Margaret’s of Antioch in Darenth, where Peter Filleul was our wingman. It was a genuine delight to get another hug from them.
And to illustrate this point further, how fans can become friends—and more—Sue and Ian James, who have supported me for decades, became promoters of the Darenth gig and made a great success of it. It all started when, with no show nearby, they asked whether I’d be interested in performing at their local church. The answer was yes! A win-win-win.
The lovely thing about having time off between shows is that Bob and I get to visit with friends. We made the most of our swathes of time off for good behaviour. I met up with Melanie Harrold for the first time since the summer of 2019. Much has happened since then, as I’m sure you’re aware! Melanie has gone through some of the worst times of her life recently, but she remains a force of nature and keeps rising above the turbulence of her current health challenges. She is an inspiration. I can’t believe I didn’t take a photo! It was a joy to reconnect. Your kind, bright and beautiful thoughts of, to and for her are very much appreciated.
Bob was recently introduced to a lovely man with connections in many creative fields, who lived on the tiny isle for ten years but now lives in London. During our slower days, we met him at a swanky coffee shop near Clapham Junction for a chat and found we all had a great deal in common. It’s always a delight to meet new, lovely humans.
There were two shows we were very much looking forward to, but they were cancelled due to a lack of advance ticket sales—much to our disappointment. If you were among the lovely people who bought a ticket for either Wimborne or Bude, THANK YOU! And … please accept our apologies. These things are far too common these days, and they hurt us as much as they must hurt you. We only hope you’ll be able to see us, in whatever guise, in the near future. We can’t do any of this without you!
Our last three shows as a duo were in Monmouth, Ashburton and Lyme Regis, with an unexpected night off in Paignton. We had glorious weather for these gorgeous drives. We also had about five hours in Lyme Regis before sound check, so we had plenty of time to wander about. I bought a pair of amethyst earrings and enjoyed a chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone, sitting by the pebble beach. A little while later, Bob and I sheltered from a shower in one of the old hotels on the high street.
We’re now ensconced with our dear friend Diane—she who lives in a Black Windmill! Before that, we spent several days with our lovely friends Pam and Martin in College Town. We met with another lovely pal, Wendy, and shared a wonderful trip to The Auto Barn near Winchester. What a fabulous place! We had a delicious lunch, followed by a personal tour of the brilliant (truly fabulous!) recording studio they’ve built beneath the Filling Station (the café/restaurant/music venue upstairs) … talk about inspirational! Then, of course, there are vintage and classic cars dotted around the place. We loved it all.
Later that evening, Pam, Martin and I went to see Peter Knight’s Gig Spanner Big Band in Southampton. Wow! Wow! And wow again! They are just brilliant. I loved it all. The highlight for me, though, was a wonderful hug from Peter as we left. Peter and I were once on the "Industry" tour with Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson—in 1995! We haven’t seen each other since, but we both remember it as a wonderful experience. And we’re both delighted to still be alive!! :-) x
From Pam and Martin’s, we stayed with Jo and Rob Selbourne, who now live a few miles from Avebury. It is always a joy to be in their hilarious company—the food’s pretty good too :-) x
Dave and I still have our last two shows to look forward to, but looking further ahead, I’ll be performing songs from Children Of The Sea at Costa Winter Fest in Nantwich, Cheshire, on December 8th. It promises to be a unique expereince as the projection and screen technology they use is spectacular ... my wee videos will look amazing!
I'll leave you with one last video addition to show off our adventures throughout October ... the accompanying song is taken from a Paul Jone's Radio 2 Blues session with the Dave Kelly Band and me on guest vocals - Mockingbird. Enjoy - from 1993?
My thanks, as always, for dropping by to see how I’m faring. Remember: stay well, be curious and keep rising above the turbulence!
Know you are loved and appreciated beyond measure!
Christine x
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