Strike Factory

So 10 years ago today this blog was born with the first blog entry ending with infamous line 'Welcome To My World' Meaning a few days after a slightly stressful wisdom tooth extraction I am now a 'veteran blogger'. I am not old yet just experceived. 

So what drove me to run a blog that's now 10 years old. Well back in 2005 social media was firmly in its infantcy with Facebook being small and used by certain US college students and MySpace was the sole giant then. I was a 19 year old mildly autistic skinny lad living at a sort of youth hostel called Crawley Foyer (original Strike Towers), feeling a bit down due to lack of luck finding work, low funds and finding it difficult meating new people, I wanted another way of expressing my thoughts and views outside MySpace and football forums. I was very influenced by the then rising trend of wonderful 'minor celebrity' websites based in my old school town Burgess Hill like Mccarthy Industries, Burgess Hill Uncovered, and Mierosoft, all great websites but only Burgess Hill Uncovered run by Peter Chapman remains.

Then on a memorable evening with Andy Rumble, and other fellow young single blokes the former Prodigal pub in Brighton whilst watching Usa Vs England friendly and chatting to girls that liked tennis, I thought up a idea. I decided to experiment in the emerging market of blogging and set up a blog, giving people an insight into my life, write funny and thoughtful entries and so on. It was a bit of a risky business then as apart from Perez Hilton, blogging was not really fashionable like it is now with not really celebrities like actors sports stars etc doing blogs as did not want to maybe look like 'geeks' like me. 

In its early days the blog was a bit of a mix bag, with it being updated almost everyday, a little bit too much, making up the odd story (eg the magic custard at Strike Towers forcing me into hiding was cover for me spending night with girl in Eastbourne on a sort of date but was then stranded and had to spend night sleeping on her sofa watching various movies and omnibus of Hollyoaks). There were some interesting early comments in response to the blogs from the likes of Boo Sticks (at first thought to be Andy Rumble but revealed to be co worker Abi Jones), Biscuit and the guys at alternative football forum North Stand Polls. But over time I decided to cut to a blog entry once or twice a fortnight about my adventures in life and quest to find girl. It has helped me express myself gain confidence coming out of shy shell to make good friends, and encounter unlikely fans of the blog or myself like Amy Willerton and Greg Rusedski and certain actors and singers that follow me on Twitter. Expressing my interests from history, sport to Neighbours and other soap operas.

There has been times when this blog has had bit of a break a brief period under different name which did not go down well with readers so went back to Strike Factory and personal difficulties, but have overcome them and despite increased social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, blogs really seem fashionable now with many famous people with blogs.

Well thanks for reading if you are not put off by some stuff I post, I would post this stuff regardless if one person or many reasons, it's been a joy doing this blog and will just keep going with Strike Factory.