Strike Factory

The show that started on this day 30 years ago celebrates its 30th anniversary today, I was born a year after the show started in Australia though was about 10 months old when it first aired in the UK in October 1986. My earliest fond memories of the show revolve around Bouncer the dog in the early 90s along with the then catchy Neighbours theme I know about the Scott and Charlene stuff and got it on DVD but too young to have watched it first time round in late 1980s, Gradually I got into the show, growing up seeing moments like the deaths of Julie Martin and Cheryl Stark, Helen Daniels words of wisdom,  Annalise Hartman brightening up the day, seeing Toadie Rebecchi grow up and lose his ponytail, the return of Harold Bishop and the shock affair of Karl Kennedy and Sarah Beaumont.

Then in 2000s we saw the storms of the Scullys eg the feud between lovely sisters Steph and Flick over Marc Lambert, losing legend Madge Bishop, me admiring ladies and their stories like Sky Mangel and Elle Robinson, the House of Trouser game, Dee Bliss disapearring into the sea, Paul Robinson returning in style burning down Lassiters and killing Gus Cleary, superbitch Izzy Hoyland causing mayhem around Erinsborough. Afro Harold andhe entertaining Timmins family. Could go on and on. haha

I then went off the show for a few years but resumed watching regularly in 2012, seeing moments like Toadie and Sonyas stormy wedding, the death of Kate Ramsay, and the 30th anniversary episodes sure look to be tasty, and happy to continue enjoying watching the show like I have done down the years.  

Its been a great 30 years and long may this great show continue to produce great moments, and being a great popular Aussie export here in England and rest of the UK, cheers Neighbours cast and crew, happy birthday. :)  

As I write this just been at a quarterly meeting with the lovely people of CCVS discussing our plans over the next few months, having only just found out about the meeting earlier this morning via Michael on Facebook, but once I was informed was there in a flash, and despite my initial shyness and quietness the meeting was fine.

The last week, things have been looking up my flat is getting sorted, the Albion in football are performing and enjoyed Great Britain in the Davis Cup beating the United States for the second year running, in Glasgow with the James Ward John Isner match possibly one of the best tennis matches I have ever watched with the victor winning 15-13 in the final set. It means a home tie with France in July hopefully held at Wimbledon or Eastbourne (easy for Mr Ball to attend), though imagine Nottingham and Birmingham will be considered as well as Glasgow, so wait and see. Plus on course to make my Wembley debut at the end of the month watching England Vs Lithuania.

So next week will be the Neighbours 30^th anniversary, with special episode, past cast interviews and showing of 2 classic episodes (though I have got them both on DVD at Strike Towers.), though something I am looking forward to as a long term Neighbours fan since the early 1990s. The return of Harold Bishop and Sky Mangel being the biggest highlights, though this week looking forward to the debut of a lady in Emmerdale on Wednesday, I know well from a few TV shows down the years pictured below.

My work experience at the Citizens Advice Bureau has continued to go well, with me running the twitter pages of the Crawley CCVS, and currently tidying up Strike Towers with plans to revamp it after 5 years at current Strike Towers and had a bit of female help so can attract girls when I decide to look for lovely one, although until I get paid work deciding to firmly stay single. Plus I want to thank Colin Bryden-Pitt and George Thacker for a great Oxfam annual dinner at the Harvester in Crawley a few days ago, was fun even though I was a bit late.  Sadly I wont be attending Audios final night tonight, though I visited the legendary club 2 weeks ago for the final time with the legendary Ben Miller (not the actor/ comedian the more famous Brighton legend one), was a nice mix of 90s style American house, and the usual electro goodness that has come out of that club since my first visit back in 2005. It has been a fave of mine down the years, with the likes of Simian Mobile Disco, Babyface, Cagedbaby etc, I have witness performed there, won't be another place like it. 

While the Eastenders has come and gone and boy it was a great episode though a bit surprised they have brought Kathy Mitchell back from the dead, got away with it with Den Watts, wonder what next Pete Beale coming out of witness protection or Dee Bliss coming back to Neighbours to give Toadie a shock of his life ( to be fair the idea of her return is pretty popular with sections of the Neighbours fandom even though it might destroy the show, has to work out well and be well written.), but if you see a dead body in soap thats death and no coming back. 

Finally I did manage to see one of the stars of last weeks Eastenders specials Jamie Lomas who played Jake Stone in the Flashback episode appeared in Dead Simple the play at Theatre Royal,