Strike Factory

Well what an interesting year it has been that started for me at a Onesie themed New Years party in the Bryden-Pitt house, and as I write this from the comfort of my parents house on this festive day, I look on the highes and lows in the life of Charles Ball 2014, and what to look forward to next year.

At the start of the year I decided to go back to regularly updating this blog after leaving it pretty dormant for most of 2013, and pleased to see the revival of Strike Factory has gone down well with old and new fans, and this blog feels better than ever, with the usual diary updates my thoughts on sport, women ranging from Jenna Coleman to Eugenie Bouchard, the odd theatre performance and TV show. Though maybe not quite on the scale of reading aloud from Christmas Dinner Tables, but sure you enjoy having a read whilst on a break from Christmas Day madness.

For most of this year and documented in this blog I have been trying hard as an adult male with mild Autism/ Aspergers to gradually gain employment, with the assistance of Rewards Training and Shaw Trust. With the former I have managed to gain all Level 2 European Computer Driving Liecence qualifications, and recently a Level 3 in word processing, all these I received in a presentation hosted by Crawley MP Henry Smith. In October I thought I had got lucky when I gained some employment, a first paid role since my editor role at Rivals.net ended in 2009, but sadly this role proved to be not suscessful, however more doors have opened recently. I have carried on with volunteering at the Oxfam charity shop, and recently the appointment of Haywards Heath Oxfam's George Thacker (who like me has Aspergers Syndrome as Deputy Manager of the Crawley Oxfam branch and I have considered taking a similar path by looking at similar roles at charity shops around Sussex, but one oppertunity has recently arisen with an Voluntary Admin/ Receptionist role at local Volunteering/ Citizens Advice Bureau that starts on January 5th 2015 that I am pleased to have, which could still lead to desired employment in office/ admin role, so feeling very optimistic at the end of the year on this front, and I thank you all for you support especially messages I greatly appreaicate it.

There has been some low lights this year, including poor performances from the England and Brighton & Hove Albion football teams at the World Cup and 2014/15 Championship season so far though hopefully that changes soon starting tomorrow on Boxing Day, Roger Russell not free of False Aussie Syndrome. The tragic deaths of father of House music DJ Frankie Knuckles and former British ladies tennis No.1 Elena Baltacha from stomach cancer at the age of 30, the latter was sad for me especially as I had followed her since the start of her career and saw her in Eastbourne and Wimbledon a few times, her passing left just about everyone in the British and World tennis community in mourning, and we will never forget her. Plus still single but don't regret deciding not to appear on The Undateables show.

However there has been plenty of highlights this year, ranging from witnessing Team GB manage their best Davis Cup performance since the 1980s with a shock win against the US in their backyard at San Diego to meeting the lovely Amy Willerton and witnessing a cameraman split his trousers whilst performing squats at filming of a We Got Game project show. Plus the arrival of nephew Lucas, a new addition to the Ball family, along with a few good friends having babies this year (you know who you are.)

So I believe things are looking up for me, going into 2015 which will also see the 10th anniversary of Strike Factory will carry on plugging away with the volunteering, doing the odd bit of raving and enjoying the usual sport. I hope you are all having a great Christmas wherever you are, and next blog post will be in the new year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all readers. :)

The last week aside from the football has been a pretty good. I attended an interview yesterday for the role of assistant manager at St Catherines Hospices shop in Burgess Hill, I felt the interview went alright, though there is oppertunies for me if I don't get offered the job, as I have been offered a voluntary role as admin/ receptionist at the Volunteering Centre/ Citizens Advice Bureau in Crawley also that will start in early January next year. Its one week until Christmas and got plans to attend one or two parties including an invite from the one and only Andy Rumble.

On Saturday I travelled The Heart Of Gaming arcade venue in Acton, West London, for their Christmas party, one of the chief hosts being April who I met at a filming session of We Got Games pilot show back in the summer of this year. Its a short walk from North Acton tube station as I found, and and entered the venue which has been ranked in the Top 20 best Computer gaming venues in the UK, whilst its not a big venue it has a good mix of gaming machines like 80s classic Pacman, to 90s Giants Street Fighter, a place where you can also try and sample various retro consoles from 1980's 1990's and 2000s plus bring yours up to challenge others and some interesting machines imported from Japan like Dance Dance Revolution Supernova 2, that has never been offically released in the UK, and can only import. I seemed to enjoy this game more than the others at the venue, with Raver Charles certainly coming out to play with my dance moves on that machine and challenging people to take me on, towards the end. Its certainly a venue worth a visit if you are in the West London/ Middlesex area and love computer gaming.

Finally my next blog post will be my annual Christmas Statement, where I will be looking back in the past year of events in my life and beyond, and I hope everyone has a great Christmas holiday.

P.S Thoughts with the people of Peshawar, Pakistan and my Aussie fans after the tragic events in their nations recent days.

Well the last 2 weeks have been a little bit stressful to be honest, having to get the Pre Employment Training course out the way and finished, which has been done now, heating issues in my flat, and also some issues relating to my ESA is in the process of getting reviewed, as its been over my year since the switich but the people of Crawley Open House are trying to help me out with that, though still feel a bit anxious and stressed.

I attended old Abbotsford school friend Stephen Foster's comedy show at the Village Hall in Billingshurst at the end of last month, where also attending was the old schoolmater the legendary Mr Moxon and his wife Anne as well as their son and daughter Jenny, was nice to meet them for first time in a few years, Stephen did some great songs, in tribute to the likes of Ziggy Stardust, and the late Alvin Stardust (who was a resident in nearby Loxwood.), which was certainly his best one especially as he knew Alvin. It was a great show and he performs around the South East of England regularly and recommend people go and see him.

Finally, there is not too much else to say other I will attending a retro gaming event in West London on Saturday, which should be fun and going to the big relegation 6 pointer battle between Brighton and Millwall, with both Albion and Sami needing a result to prevent this season getting any worse. It's a tough life being Charles Ball, and Albion fan but someone has too. Will be at last one more blog post, before my annual Christmas statement when I look back on 2014 in the life of Mr Ball coming up. Take it easy people.