Strike Factory

Hey there my first blog article since the summer and there is a good reason for that. Due to me battling stress and anxiety and feeling better and over one hurdle only for another one to come along the death of Marie in July, but I feel I am getting over that now and ready to move on with life. But I have had a good circle of friends and family try and help out esp those I have befriended at Blazian Lounge cafe in Crawley for their retro computer/ board game night (which was thought up by yours truly after visiting a bar in Manchester that had something similar), its an end of an era there but I am sure i will keep in touch with much of the gang there including Monkey (Meow!) and respect to Adrian and Shoosh the lovely hosts of the events there. Plus I had a great time at Jamie Van Der Westhuizens 40th birthday party last month after the Albion match. Its all keeping me sane and out and about. 

So I have been carrying on with my volunteering and i am starting up an advanced website design course at good old Rewards Training. that could lead to projects beyond Strike Factory  Plus finally still reeling from the shock of Holly Bartons death in Emmerdale which was well acted by the lovely Sophie Powles who I had the honour of seeing perform in Ghost Train at Capitol Theatre in Horsham last year, and Natalie J Robb who plays Holly's heartbroken mother Moira, it was certainly the best soap Emmerdale last week. But hopefully will catch Sophie in another theatre show in area soon. 

Last few weeks there has been a mix of sadness and nice sunshine. I lost a good female friend to cancer about 2 weeks ago, about the same age as me and I knew her as we both volunteered at same place and became good friends. Cancer can be a bitch. 

I have had some intresting experiences with Southern Rail recently as well on Tuesday after visiting my brother Daniel in Brighton, I waled up to the station to see not only the gates oddly closed but also a large crowd around them and police present. Was it another terrorist incident? a strike? no it turned out due to overcrowding and train shortages the place was closed for the moment but rather than wait around I ended up walking to Hove Station and getting a train home from there on the hottest day of the year. I was hoping this would be a one off from Sussex and South London's fave rail franchise (not!). 

On Thursday decided to see the theatre show Some Girls at Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, it featured ex Emmerdale the lovely Roxanne Pallett and Carley Stenson (who I have seen live before of course). It is about a man (whose name is never mentioned), who travels around America to visit 4 of his ex girlfriends to make amends before his wedding.  With his college sweetheart first then followed by Pallett as Tyler, a sassy vibrant lady who ends up kissing the man (and possibly sleeping with him), the third lady whose name escapes me was interesting a posh older lecturer whose husband is apparently waiting in his car knowing that she is meeting her ex though the husband is a bit of a Mrs Mangel husband/ Fat Elvis character that you wonder if they really exist and actually outside the building. Plus finally Stenson as Valley Girl Bobbi who the man seems to harbour feelings for. All in all it was joy to watch good comedy and felt my friend was with me in spirit. Plus a fun Q and A afterwards by Terri Paddock featuring the revelation revealed by cast member Charles Dorfman that there is deleted scene where the man with no name goes and visits a ex he had relationship with when he was 16 and she was 12, there discussions on American accents and Carley wishing people leaving a minute early a surprise farewell hence I waited until ontime to leave so no one noticed me (though my Brighton shirt maybe made me stick out like sore thumb in deep Arsenal territory)  On the way back home had another fun experience travelling on tube to London Bridge thinking there would be trains to take me straight back to Three Bridges or Gatwick but nope was only trains going to East Croy*** so had to wait there for about 10 minutes before getting the next train home.  

As I write this latest blog entry, I am still hurting from Iceland's shock win over England in Euro 2016 and painful to see them get hammered by the French.. So in the last month I have been busy resuming my volunteering. I did my annual trip to Eastbourne for the tennis and on Saturday ventured around Brighton as part of Simon Valder and Kathryn Andersons birthday celebrations, highlights included watching the Wales Vs Northern Ireland game in Molly Malones, not often you hear 'God Save The Queen in Irish bar and having tea at an American themed Diner. 

Today I had a fun day at the All England club at Wimbledon taking advantage of the massive backlog of doubles matches due to weather in the first week seeing all kinds of my fave players a great day apart from just about repeating the sun lotion in my eyes trick of Eastbourne 2014, I was not really in serious pain though eyes were slightly watery, however when I left the All England club, a concerned female copper stopped me telling me my eyes looked red and wanted to check that I was not some trouble maker, after the confirmation came through from Met Police HQ that I am as harmless as a Slow worm I raced home wanting to avoid people staring at me.

I am going to go into hiding for a bit, speak soon people. :)