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