Strike Factory

A week and a half of busy college work and the frustration of getting a joint editor sorted out for the Rivals.net website has led to me being late updating this website. Anyway following Albions disapointing defeat, an intresting conversation developed between Charles Ball, Steve Valder, and Ben Miller at the Duke of Wellington, where I mentioned that I plan to eventully visit all the Brightons and Hoves around the world, originally it was going to be all places with Sussex names but I have scaled down to visit the Brightons of the world, not forgetting the Hoves.

Well here is all the Hoves in the world courtesy of Wikipedia

Hove can refer to

Hove, a former town (now part of a larger city) in England

• Hove Festival, a music festival in Norway
• Hove, Belgium, a municipality in Belgium
• Hove, South Australia, a suburb in Adelaide, Australia
• a part of a small German city, Jork
• Hove Mobile Park, North Dakota

The Brightons are starting with the Australian ones

• Brighton, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
• Brighton, South Australia, a coastal suburb of Adelaide
• Brighton, Tasmania
• Brighton, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
• Brighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
• Canada
• Brighton, Ontario
• New Zealand 
• Brighton, Otago
• America
• Brighton, Alabama
• Brighton, Colorado
• Brighton, Illinois
• Brighton Park, Chicago, Illinois
• Brighton, Indiana
• Brighton, Iowa
• Brighton, Boston, Massachusetts, a section of the city of Boston
• Brighton Plantation, Maine
• Brighton, Michigan
• Brighton, Missouri
• Brighton, New York
  • Brighton, Monroe County, New York
  • Brighton, Franklin County, New York
  • Brighton, Syracuse
  • also see Brighton Beach
• Brighton, Ohio
• Brighton, Tennessee
• Brighton, Vermont
• Brighton, Wisconsin
  • Brighton, Kenosha County, Wisconsin
  • Brighton, Marathon County, Wisconsin
• Brighton Ski Resort, Utah
• Brighton High School (Utah)

I wonder if I seriously will be able to visit all these Brighton and Hoves, I might try and visit one in each country to make it easier. With a special report on each one for this site and possibly even a book, anyones intrested in sponsoring me on this obsecure quest, let me know.

I am meanwhile getting the final photos of my fashion guide for 2008 ready which will show up in the next month. Work depending.

Happy new year to everyone.. Hope you had a wonderful christmas and behaved yourself on New Years Eve. Though guess most reading this have possibly just got out of bed. I had a wonderful Christmas around my parents, watching endless Morecoombe and Wise. Having a wonderful christmas dinner. Other than that I have had a quiet last few days due to being cautious with funds. I ended up staying in for New Years Eve, entertaining young at heart middle aged neighbours with games such as Who Wants to be a millionaire. I was informed by Andy Rumble he was at a wonderful 90's party in Hove, though he would not give the exact location, so I did not go. Although it seems a mystery fan or friend of Mr Ball, decided to give me a special mention on National TV.

As me and my neighbours were sipping down drinks and watching the London Fireworks on ITV1, broadcast along the bottom with other texts, was a message that went something like "Having a wonderful time/ party at Arnolds Place, missing Mr Ball & Co, in the Hove area". Who was the mystery female that decided to mention Mr Ball on National TV, and was it really mean't for me or another Mr Ball that lives in Hove?

Meanwhile tomorrow is a special day, as it marks 22 years since the arrival of Charles Ball to planet Earth. Although not much will happen due to lots of people being hungover. Plus next week will see my return to Haywards Heath College, continuing to complete the course.

Well you are either missing the Queens Speech, or it is long after the annual feast and you have crawled towards your PC or laptop stuffed full of Christmas dinner and various toxics possibly this is being read days after Christmas Day.

Well it has been an eventful year for myself, whether it has been dancing alongside hardcore ravers at the Concorde 2 in Brighton, to wandering around Cheltenham in a skirt. On the positive side it has been great being back at college, even if I am doing the course over 2 years rather than 1 year, it seems to be benefiting me either way.

Also my stint as editor of Seagulls Nest on Rivals.net has also benefited me despite the problems I have had (mostly problems trying to get internet access), I am hoping when I move to carry on the good work with hopefully some home web access, that way not only the Rivals site will be better but also Strike Factory will be more enhanced as a result.

The above has led to more money and more getting out. Meanwhile it looks like I will be moving to a lovely home in Burgess Hill the next two months, which I am looking forward too.

It has also been a great year music wise (even if you are not allowed in the UK to include ‘slut’ and ‘faggot’ in your song lyrics), I have been to some good events in Brighton and some not so good events, won’t go into details. I am hoping to get to some concerts next year, plus will be planning a far better wacky challenge than the Sussex Museum tour, which has sadly turned out to be a bit of a farce (although it is only the Chichester and Eastbourne museums that elude me.). 

Sports wise things have been kool, with Brighton and Hove Albion finally getting the go ahead for their new stadium, and doing ok in the league, Sussex CCC being County Champions again. The England Rugby team reaching the World Cup Final despite being tipped to do poor in the tournament. 

Meanwhile I will get the photos for my delayed photo shoot in the new year as the fashion guide to 2008. Sorry if it seems to have been in the pipeline since about 1850. 

Well hopefully 2008 will be a bigger and better for Charles Ball, Strike Factory and everyone proud to be assocatitated with my proud self. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Be careful when you come off the PC, as there is a banana skin some clown has put near your seat!