Strike Factory

So have left this a bit late, well been pretty busy with life recently gaining a new role at CCVS this time helping out with their social media like I do the Oxfam Crawley shop, plus been pretty busy helping out the folks at We Luv Eastenders fanpage prepare for the BBC One shows 30th anniversary,which will be screened next week and as an watcher of the show since 1994, I am looking forward to the occasion. Indeed last night saw legendary original villain Nick Cotton, bow out in style of an overdose of dodgy drugs given by Dot, and his fate decided by guest appearance of Jesus, in the very same room of the house where he commited his first vile act in the opening episode of Eastenders killing Reg Cox. The house is similarly just as dark in 2015 as the dreary flat Albert Square residents entered to discover Mr Cox's corpse on the sofa in 1985, I loved the black out at the end though shame there was no Nick's theme at the end, and unlike poor Reg he died with a loved one present well the only person to care until finding out full truth at the end, nice Karma for Mr N Cotton. But credit to veteran legends June Brown and John Altman pulling off those amazing final scenes and whilst Walford won't be mourning Nasty Nick's demise, sure me and plenty of other fans will miss John Altman and his recurring potrayal of Nicholas Charles Cotton. Gee plus got Neighbours 30th anniversary to look forward too next month, and the appearance of a certain ex Oaks fave girl into Emmerdale, so a bit into the soaps at the moment. 

RIP Nick Cotton 1959-2015

Today marked the end of an era at Crawley Open House, as one of the original members of staff who has been working hard for local people having housing or homeless issues since the place opened in 1995 is retiring today the legendary Sue Miles. Although she plans to keep busy in retirement still volunteering and looking after her husband. I first encountered her in late 2003 when just after I left home, living in a hostel scared and unsure about my future especially as 17 year old with mild autism living alone, I went to the Open House seeking help and first person I encountered was Sue, who calmed me down helped me out with getting to grips with living independently whilst still studying at college, and introduced me to other great people at the Open House, and on and off whenever I have had problems down the years whether financial or emotional etc Sue has been a massive help. It was an honour to attend her retirement party this afternoon, which saw a massive packed hall full of various people she has helped down the years, and even 3 members of the House Of Lords attended including Lord Bassam or Steve as he prefers to be called who fellow Albion fans need no introduction too, there is only one Sue Miles. :)

As for me things are going smoothly at the Crawley CVS getting used to how things work there, and looking forward to the Australian Open finals this weekend featuring Serena Williams Vs Maria Sharapova the battle of the experienced giants of womens tennis in recent years, and Britain's (or Scotland's depending on point of view) Andy playing against Novak Djokovic should be crackers of matches. Plus finally sad that it will be the end of an era of a fave haunt of Strike Factorys blogger and followers Audio Nightclub in Brighton over the last 10 years, and will certainly try and attend one more club night before it closes in late February. 

Was very sad to hear as I was watching the last of the soaps (Eastenders BBC 3) and getting hyped up about the tennis, only to then that Anne Kirkbride famous for portraying Deidre Barlow had passed away suddenly after short illness, leaving me and the nation in shock and sadness (plus Corrie fans elsewhere in the world from Canada to New Zealand).

She was a big part of the show for over 40 years over 5 decades from 1970s to 2010s, with many lovers but the No.1 was her on and off relationship with Ken Barlow (their first wedding apparently had a higher TV audience than Prince Charles and Dianas wedding in the early 1980s), and her love-hate relationship with daughter Tracy As a child of the 1990s I can recall Deidre’s big storyline around 1997 when she was wrongly sent to prison for fraud after being set up by former lover Jon Lindsay, the nation was such in shock that they started campaigns and petitions to Granada Television to free her, even the then Labour Government and Tony Blair attempted to intervene to free Deidre, eventually bitter enemies and love rivals for Deidre Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin worked together to free her, and Lindsay was rightly sent behind bars.

 Although not the biggest Coronation Street fan, and admittingly a little frustrated with Deidre recent years, Anne Kirkbride continued to portray the role amazingly, and the above storyline was one of my faves in any soap growing up, and just last summer was honoured to visit the site and house where so many of these great scenes were acted out by Kirkbride , one of  the greatest and iconic soap actors, she will be missed by many especially the Coronation Street crew and cast. RIP