Strike Factory

Christmas Day Message 2010 to good friends and the World

Greetings and merry christmas to everyone reading this. Just awoke from a little nap after Christmas dinner (where I nearly managed three years in a row not wearing hat! as I ate the festive meal)! Well the last year has witnessed a host of changes and new challenges in the life of Mr Ball. The biggest one was when I managed to relocate Strike Towers into my first flat in Three Bridges, Crawley moving away from the comfort of Camfield! It has not been easy (as you may have read, the housing assocatition did keep me in the dark for a few months about the place before accepting me), but I would love to thank my family and friends that helped me get stuff for the flat and spiritually helped me cope. It really does show who your real friends are the end of the day!

I seem to have reached the age where suddenly friends and contacts are getting married left right and centre. This year I attended two wedding receptions, Steve & Leigh Valder, and Andy & Jennifer Rumble (both assisted with flat move thanks for that). Plus a few other looser contacts have tied the knot! Congratulations to you all. I just about end the year happily single, but don't rule out a special girl that might want to come into my life in the future.

I have resumed work experience under the watchful eye of the living lrgend Colin Pitt at Oxfam and also assist the wonderful folk of St Catherines Hospice, so far end the year still not in full time employment, but still hope an open oppertunity will come up soon!

Not to mention the various random incidents and nonsense facts I have covered throughout the year! Including my blog celebrating five years of being online and hopefully will last too ten years! :)

Sports wise the year has been generally positive apart from Englands dismal World Cup exit at the hands of Germany, I have witnessed the magic flair of Gus Poyet transform Brighton from strugglers in League 1 to leaders at Christmas, heres hoping it can continue and fingers crossed there is a good chance the Seagulls can swap divisions with Crys*** Pal*** when they move into their new stadium the Amex in May! Sussex gained an instant return to Division 1 of the County Championship. Not forgetting the England cricket team winning the Twenty World Cup, and possibly fingers crossed The Ashes! I also attended Wimbledon this year seeing the eventual mens doubles champions and got into Centre Court to see Murray win his QF match against Tsonga! 2011 should hopefully be a bigger better year with the Rugby world cup, more tennis and the earlier mentioned Albion stuff!

Hopefully 2011 can be a better and more exciting year in the life of Mr Ball and again brings more fun and challenges! Hopefully it will! Peace and love to all and remember to respect any Charles or Charlie Ball you encounter whether its in Jamaica or Buckinghamshire! lol Peace and love


Charles Ball xxx


Strike Factory quotes of the year

"Do Quakers make porridge?" Sarah Steeples

" We are going to close our eyes and hope for the best!" Graham Baker on taking penaltys for Woking!

22nd December 2010

There has been plenty of activity the last week, on Thursday I ventured up to London invited by Samia Bentayeb who was launching her wonderful book The Berber Kiss at La Gelleria, there were plenty of people present from all around the world from England, USA to Algeria, Romania at the launch etc! I got to meet plenty of new faces! One person I did not expect to meet however was Clea Myers who was in the news a few years ago about her Crystal Meth experience in California, we had a interesting discussion about drugs and Louis Theroux! It was a fun evening all round with a wide variety of artwork being shown at the place. I had a bit too much wine however, as I got the train back from Charing Cross instead off getting off at London Bridge I ended up at New Cross station (not to be confused with the infamous New Cross Gate), but experiencing 10-15 minutes at a near deserted rail station, in the cold night wind, a pub with the words 'Take Courage' reminding you that you are deep in Millwall land was maybe not the cleverest idea. I managed to get back to Sussex in one piece alive and well however.

On Saturday I attended the wedding reception of my former West Sussex youth constituent and great friend Andy Rumble and Jennifer Roberts (now also Rumble) at The Terraces, despite the weather and transport fears, I managed to get from Crawley to Brighton in about 29 minutes! Thankfully it seems Southern and First Capital Connect are getting used to the winter snow ( even if I was informed by Kerry Bailey that she had the misfortune to experience a 6 hour journey from Brighton to Tunbridge Wells thanks to Southeastern trains), It was wonderful to see Mr and now Mrs Rumbles wedding was a suscess despite the fears would mean hardly anyone would attend due to the weather! It was a great turnout and pleased that it went well! Minor highlights included Scott McCarthy needing assistance to get from one end of the room to the other, some of Mrs Rumbles female friends including a blonde lady in greenish dress wanting to dance with all the males present at the event, endless Take That songs and the main highlight being final great group dance for Lady In Red!

I left the wedding reception for Audio linking up with Paul Hayward, Matt and Michelle O'Neill who were also present at the wedding reception they eventually departed for the Fishbowl, while I remained at Audio due to ID being stupidly left at home, until rail replacement bus arrived to take me back to the warmth and comfort of Strike Towers!

Not very long until christmas but schedule has been messed up be MkII of the great Snowmagedon this year, with a journey to Withdean called off near Haywards Heath on Friday, this time being greeted by Christmas carol singers at Haywards Heath, instead of ghosts of Millwall and rival hooligans on a cold evening! I plan to spend it with parents! I wish you all a merry christmas those reading!

Why oh why do I have such a wealth of knowledge that has amazed people down the years that led to the legendary Mr Griffin of Abbotsford fame to describe me as a 'walking encylcopedia', yet not done much career wise. Latest person to be amazed was Sardinian native Enrico at my knowledge of Italian dialects at christmas dinner Monday night! Whilst it has earned me praise and respect (even if it has not been too benefical career wise so far.), I did on one occasion scare off someone a few years ago when I stupidly revealed her date of birth. I have learned to be more careful since that incident and not be too much like Mr Beneett from the early series of Heroes. Wish there was more oppertunitys out there. :(

Its been a busy mixed few weeks, Strike Towers much like the rest of the UK got flooded with snow. I managed to cope with little problems although trains and buses were messed up. I attended St Catherines Hospices Christmas dinner at Harvesters in Three Bridges hosted by the lovely Zuzana, without realsing the wide choice of meals that were on offer at Harvesters I went for a veggi meal, but eventually a kind lady donated some lovely MEAT from her plate to munch on! Apart from bringing to teh place a debit card instead of cash in hand, it was generally a fun night and thank everyone there for a fun evening!

I also attended the last of Chrystel's cooking courses last night where we were taught a fine dish from her native land of Lebanon! Hopefully the course will start up next term but she is considering hosting it at some centre in Tilgate, I am currently 50/50 on whether I want to carry on the courses or not, as considering linking up with Haywards Heath harriers on the same day. I will have to wait and see.

Not forgetting a 90's party night in Brighton at Concorde 2 where they had a Sega Megadrive and perhaps took it a little too seriously being the only person possibly on the night to get to Labyrinth Zone on Sonic The Hedgehog without losing a life, punters were watching me like vultures hoping I would die, but eventually I passed on to someone fearing I was hogging the console.

I promise and plan to write up a Christmas statement to be published on Christmas Day, where I will be reflecting on the last year which has been a year of change in the life of Mr Ball, moving into my first flat meeting more and exciting people the rise of Brighton and Hove Albion FC etc. Plus will reveal the winner of the quote competition of the year.