Strike Factory

So I have been settling into my new role volunteering at CCVS and have grown into the role so much that they are happy for me to volunteer more hours, which is great news. Will be carrying on at Oxfam as well, though might have to quit the Rewards Training course for the time being. 

I travelled to Horsham at the start of the week to attend the North West Sussex Seagulls club meeting featuring Albion legend Adam Virgo, at first I went to the Horsham Superbowl venue, where the first NWSS meeting was held back in 2011 until noticing the venue was a bit quiet with not much football supporter activity it was only after contacting one of the chiefs of NWSS Mike Wilson via facebook I found out I got the venues mixed up and the actual venue was Horsham Bowling Club on the otherside of town. At first I considered getting a taxi to the venue being 1.5 miles away and unpredictable weather, but then ringing company up found out it would be a 20 minute wait before cab arrived, so seeing luckily that it was not raining and holding out I decided to walk instead from the town centre to the venue taking a bit longer than I thought, but luckily did not rain and made the venue albeit a bit late but then still was able to enjoy Adam Virgo storys of his days with the Albion which made Sky Ones classic show Dream Team look tame, and lower division English football in the early 2000s was more crazy world than I thought when I got into supporting Brighton around that time. Overall it was a great evening, and will be more careful not to get the venues mixed up again.

Finally Tennis Charles will be coming out when the Australian Open starts in a few days should be an interesting championship pretty interested to see how Aga Radwanska gets on with Martina Navratilova at her side can she repeat what the top male players have done last few years appointing former Grand Slam champions and gaining success, certainly will be a girl to watch along with Genie Bouchard. Plus helps this year Aussie Open finals don't clash with the FA Cup 4th Round (when Brighton will be playing Arsenal). 

Firstly incidental that my first blog entry of 2015 is on a sad day people are tweeting #JeSuisCharlie after the tragic scenes in Paris thoughts and prayers with the victims of the shooting, and sad there are loons out there that can kill you just for things published in newspapers, magazines or blog.

My first blog entry of 2015 and would like to wish readers a Happy New Year whereever you are, yes I had a great Christmas though the New Year and my birthday after it were quiet affairs (save a trip to the Black Swan pub at Pease Pottage on New Years Day. Whilst I was not suscessful in gaining the assistant managers job at a charity shop, I have started volunteering as data entry/ receptionist man at the building that houses Citizens Advice Bureau (which I did a bit of work experience with when this blog started in 2005), and other help organisations, and has been a fun experience and have found the role a bit easier than I thought, and been invited to volunteer more hours, there though will resume helping out at Oxfam as well.

Finally, quite happy to hear one of my fave soap girls Gemma Atkinson has been cast in Emmerdale as Carly Hope, the former Hollyoaks and Casuality actress star continues to rise, will most certainly be watching when she appears.

Well what an interesting year it has been that started for me at a Onesie themed New Years party in the Bryden-Pitt house, and as I write this from the comfort of my parents house on this festive day, I look on the highes and lows in the life of Charles Ball 2014, and what to look forward to next year.

At the start of the year I decided to go back to regularly updating this blog after leaving it pretty dormant for most of 2013, and pleased to see the revival of Strike Factory has gone down well with old and new fans, and this blog feels better than ever, with the usual diary updates my thoughts on sport, women ranging from Jenna Coleman to Eugenie Bouchard, the odd theatre performance and TV show. Though maybe not quite on the scale of reading aloud from Christmas Dinner Tables, but sure you enjoy having a read whilst on a break from Christmas Day madness.

For most of this year and documented in this blog I have been trying hard as an adult male with mild Autism/ Aspergers to gradually gain employment, with the assistance of Rewards Training and Shaw Trust. With the former I have managed to gain all Level 2 European Computer Driving Liecence qualifications, and recently a Level 3 in word processing, all these I received in a presentation hosted by Crawley MP Henry Smith. In October I thought I had got lucky when I gained some employment, a first paid role since my editor role at Rivals.net ended in 2009, but sadly this role proved to be not suscessful, however more doors have opened recently. I have carried on with volunteering at the Oxfam charity shop, and recently the appointment of Haywards Heath Oxfam's George Thacker (who like me has Aspergers Syndrome as Deputy Manager of the Crawley Oxfam branch and I have considered taking a similar path by looking at similar roles at charity shops around Sussex, but one oppertunity has recently arisen with an Voluntary Admin/ Receptionist role at local Volunteering/ Citizens Advice Bureau that starts on January 5th 2015 that I am pleased to have, which could still lead to desired employment in office/ admin role, so feeling very optimistic at the end of the year on this front, and I thank you all for you support especially messages I greatly appreaicate it.

There has been some low lights this year, including poor performances from the England and Brighton & Hove Albion football teams at the World Cup and 2014/15 Championship season so far though hopefully that changes soon starting tomorrow on Boxing Day, Roger Russell not free of False Aussie Syndrome. The tragic deaths of father of House music DJ Frankie Knuckles and former British ladies tennis No.1 Elena Baltacha from stomach cancer at the age of 30, the latter was sad for me especially as I had followed her since the start of her career and saw her in Eastbourne and Wimbledon a few times, her passing left just about everyone in the British and World tennis community in mourning, and we will never forget her. Plus still single but don't regret deciding not to appear on The Undateables show.

However there has been plenty of highlights this year, ranging from witnessing Team GB manage their best Davis Cup performance since the 1980s with a shock win against the US in their backyard at San Diego to meeting the lovely Amy Willerton and witnessing a cameraman split his trousers whilst performing squats at filming of a We Got Game project show. Plus the arrival of nephew Lucas, a new addition to the Ball family, along with a few good friends having babies this year (you know who you are.)

So I believe things are looking up for me, going into 2015 which will also see the 10th anniversary of Strike Factory will carry on plugging away with the volunteering, doing the odd bit of raving and enjoying the usual sport. I hope you are all having a great Christmas wherever you are, and next blog post will be in the new year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all readers. :)