Strike FactoryThe offical website and blog of Charles Ball2021-10-06T13:14:06+01:00All Rights Reserved blogSpiritblogSpirithttp://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/Strikehttp://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/about.htmlOne month into lockdown my thoughts!tag:strikefactory.blogspirit.com,2021-01-29:32290582021-01-29T18:33:29+00:002021-01-29T18:33:29+00:00 Hello people been a while since I last updated this blog but an awful lot...
<p>Hello people been a while since I last updated this blog but an awful lot has happened in the last year or so esp the last month since my area of England (Sussex) was put under another lockdown on Boxing Day. But I was quite anxious about the news knowing it could possibly run until the end of Easter and was worried due to living alone, not having a partner and no car. Then about 2 weeks into lockdown I reluctantly accepted furlough from work, I was quite mixed about the idea as on the one hand it was quite quiet with not a lot to do and was anxious about whether I should be there and did not want to interact too much with other people at work to keep covid spread minimal so thought it beneficial to furlough esp knowing those that have had covid recently and aware its serious and not to be scoffed at, but on the other hand did not want to lose the routine of going into work and the interaction I could have with people there, and I did not want to be furloughed as long as last time but in the end we agreed 4 weeks, and hopefully will be that with me back at work soon.</p><p>Last 2 weeks have been pretty up and down emotionally having things to do in my flat is not an issue, but loneiness (can't stand being alone in my flat for too long), erratic sleeping and motivation lacking that person to prompt me have been bigger issues for me in the last month, plus not having a car and relying on public transport to get about which is a big no no this lockdown means I miss my escapes to the South Downs or the nearby Sussex coast. Plus I am too anxious to ask anyone if they want to form a support bubble with me as I don't want to get in the way of those that need a support bubble from friends and family more than me. On the positive side I have been trying to organise walks and runs with friends, which helps get me out and give me a bit of company. I know I am not the only one finding things tough with plenty of others experiencing similar if not worse, and doing my best to keep positive knowing the days are getting longer, covid rates going down and the vaccine is coming out soon with possiblity things will be eased at some point in future when that will be I don't know, but willing to be patient and dream of the time when I can go back to day trips in the countryside or coast, seeing friends and family watching the Albion at the Amex Stadium, tennis plus cricket in the sun plus of course parkrun. Keep strong bloggers and readers.</p><p> </p><p>Charles. </p>
Strikehttp://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/about.html18 November 2017tag:strikefactory.blogspirit.com,2017-11-18:30989182017-11-18T15:39:15+00:002017-11-18T15:39:15+00:00 It has been a long time since I last updated this blog true, and decided to...
<p>It has been a long time since I last updated this blog true, and decided to put it into long term hibernation Especially with events that have happened in recent months from Brighton and Hove Albion getting promoted to Premier League to other things, and feel in mood for one off blog entry. I have mostly just carried on with volunteering and got involved with Work Aid, who are trying to help me into work long term, in recent weeks I have started a Level 3 ECDL Computer Licence course with Rewards Training who I did Level 2 ECDL with a few years back but at the time could not do Level 3 as they did not have the funding for that level. Plus I have returned to playing tennis well sort of it did not help I entered a local tennis league and experienced some tennis score defeats, jumping too soon but I have been taking part in a Rusty Rackets tennis sessions which are great for beginners at Crawley Tennis Club and has enabled me to meet people that have that shared love of the game. For some reason the tennis at Eastbourne which I attended with my friend the false Aussie Roger this year and the tennis at Wimbledon somehow spurred me on to do more than just watch tennis. </p><p>That will be all for now, not sure if there will be another blog post soon but thanks for reading. </p><p> </p>
Strikehttp://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/about.html18th February 2017tag:strikefactory.blogspirit.com,2017-02-18:30879622017-02-18T00:25:56+00:002017-02-18T00:25:56+00:00 Well its been a few months since I last posted a blog entry, but after break...
<p>Well its been a few months since I last posted a blog entry, but after break of few months I am back. Hoping 2017 will bring more than last year especially some work and a girlfriend hopefully.</p><p><img id="media-954782" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/media/01/01/699566839.jpg" alt="16681962_10155003149159556_9111421585514707001_n.jpg" />Anyway aside from banging on about the Albion and the tennis, I did visit the Bluebell Railway last week, a great preserved railway line that in the last few years has managed to suscessfully link up with national network at East Grinstead and already long term plans to link up with the Brighton mainline via Ardingly with extra platform space existing at Haywards Heath just in case. Well East Grinsteads rail isolation from Sussex since 1960's seems over albeit its just preserved railway lines. I arrived at East Grinstead to begin this vintage rail journey a bit later than planned due to underestimating the less frequent bus transport links between Three Bridges and East Grinstead. Technically the Bluebell station is virtually a separate station from the modern Network Rail/ Southern managed station with the latter just to the north, you are greeted to the arrival of a fine vintage steam train at the sole platform with the station designed in the 1960's British Rail era (the time the Three Bridges-Tunbridge Wells line via the old East Grinstead High Level Station was closed). The journey begins south travelling over the Imberhorne Viaduct bring back memories of schoolmates from the town boasting stories of their adventures or misadventures on the then abandoned rail bridge. But is nice to see the viaduct back to its original use after recalling the sad lonely state it was in for several years.</p><p>Each station is designed in a different era of British rail with Kingscote set in 1950s British rail era, Horsted Keynes the original true Southern Rail era of 1920's/ 1930's and Sheffield Park the Bluebells chief HQ set in the Victorian/ Edwardian era of the LBSCR (London, Brighton & South Coast Railway). I wonder if next one will be designed in the good old British Rail Network South East era of the 1980s/ 1990s? Anyway Sheffield Park Station has a fine museum and is near the National Trusts Sheffield Park with a manor and historic cricket ground that hosted an early clash between England and Australian cricket teams. Horsted Keynes Station is possibly the largest preserved railway station with 5 platforms having been a junction railway station until 1960's serving trains on East Grinstead to Lewes line and the Ardingly spur line that connected it to the Brighton Main Line. Plus is a fave of tv and film crews due to its preserved early 20th century state and Bluebells catalogue of trains and carriages of various eras with the 1999 version of The Railway Children, and Downton Abbey having filmed scenes there. Though does not have quite as much history museum stuff as neighbouring Sheffield Park Station, it does have a fine refreshment cafe in the middle island platform, a little works museum and loved the 1930 posters in the waiting room along with staff in attire of that era. Towards the end of my visit a Pullman train showed up at Horsted Keynes, popular train for lovers of vintage trains<img id="media-954781" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/media/02/02/1708383455.jpg" alt="16603123_10155003149499556_3984613623999796506_n.jpg" />. All in all a good visit and maybe have to visit some other historic place next, but blog won't always be about that I promise.</p>
Strikehttp://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/about.html31st October 2016tag:strikefactory.blogspirit.com,2016-10-31:30823322016-10-31T15:15:03+00:002016-10-31T15:15:03+00:00 Still recovering from a great weekend, starting off seeing Brighton win 5-0...
<p>Still recovering from a great weekend, starting off seeing Brighton win 5-0 and stopping off in Burgess Hill with football friends on the way to party in Crawley to do a little karaoke gig at The Potters in Burgess Hill, singing the usual Mike Flowers Pops cover of 'Wonderwall' and then uniting with the Hassocks Fatboys football squad for their cover of 'Truly, Madly, Deeply', then racing off to The Swan Pub for the Halloween Disco but having to go as Peter Parker in Albion shirt as did not have time to change at Strike Towers but was a great evening overall.</p><p>Apart from health scares of one or two people I know I have been fine. I have got plans to attend Lindfield Bonfire Parade rather than Lewes due to screwed up trains this year, and trying my best to hold the fort amongst the chaos. But cheers for reading and the great evening people and will update in near future with more news. :) </p>
Strikehttp://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/about.html3rd October 2016tag:strikefactory.blogspirit.com,2016-10-03:30808322016-10-03T20:11:49+01:002016-10-03T20:06:00+01:00 Hey there my first blog article since the summer and there is a good reason...
<p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p> </p>
Strikehttp://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/about.html23rd July 2016tag:strikefactory.blogspirit.com,2016-07-23:30772032016-07-23T19:39:54+01:002016-07-23T19:36:00+01:00 Last few weeks there has been a mix of sadness and nice sunshine. I lost a...
<p>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. </p><p>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!). </p><p>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. </p><p> </p>
Strikehttp://strikefactory.blogspirit.com/about.html6th July 2016tag:strikefactory.blogspirit.com,2016-06-28:30758642016-07-06T23:37:47+01:002016-07-06T23:37:47+01:00 As I write this latest blog entry, I am still hurting from Iceland's shock...
<p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>I am going to go into hiding for a bit, speak soon people. :)</p><p> </p>