New Year 2010 and what it holds for me...............

Hi friends,
Well another year has ended and the festive season has so quickly passed, with the grind of daily working life so quickly approaching. What happened in the Autumn was very sparce for news but what there was will fill a little of this news flash.
The best part of the autumn into winter was quite an uneventful and it was not until December that special events started to fill up the days and evenings. Work was very sporadic during the autumn with quite big chunks of weeks being spent at home waiting for work to come in. It even got so bad that I went and signed on with an agency and to this minute in time I've not had any driving work from them. It's even at the point when I'm thinking of signing up with another agency to see if I have any better luck at getting work that way. Getting into December I had some work come in with a roofing and cladding company and also as a mate for my electrician friend for a couple of days and a couple of days with Miracle Street on stage events that took me up to the week before Christmas.
The First event for the Outdoor Stages part of Miracle Street was to head off to Portsmouth, to a school where they wanted to put on a carol festival for all the school and their families. The day was cold and damp but the team that was there soon had the stage built and the classes were soon on and off the stage getting their practice in. Once this was over it was off site and into the warm pub just outside to get thawed out and have a drink together. But time was not on our side and we were soon on our way back onto the site, only to recieve the good news that dinner was being served in the hall and there was portions for us as well. So we're back in the warm and sit down to roast beef and mountains of roast potatoes, peas and sweet corn, enough to feed an army. Soon we're fed and back outside finishing off the front of the stage and securing the cable runs so the did not become a trip hazzard. Once that's done it's an invite into the staff room for tea of sandwiches, cake and hot drinks before the start of the show. By 1815hrs the friends and families are soon filling up the field and so the show starts at 1900hrs. An hour later and the show is over after a very enjoyable time and good performances by all the kids. Packing up is just as quick and wer're soon on the road, having had fun reversing the rig out of the school gates into the not so wide road. The second event was a trip into London with the small mobile stage, to a venue that we had been to during the summer. Our destination was Camden Lock near Kings Cross Station and the event was for a Youth Centre to do an outdoor Christmas performance for family and friends to enjoy. The weather was not too good and we were glad to be told that the event had been cut short due to lack of acts and we were soon packing up and on our way home. That was all the work with Miracle Street on the run up to Christmas and the next event of worth was run by New Community Church and that was the Christmas presentation, run on the last Sunday before Christmas and was an evening performance. The event filled up Central Hall and was very warmly recieved by all the atendees. The show was a usual mix of spoken word, singing video, lighting effects and pyrotechnics that made for a very enjoyable performance, even though the pyrotechnics did manage to set off the fire alarm right at the end due to the intensity of the smoke that was produced by them. On the 21st December I departed off to be with family for the Christmas and New Year period, the train journey was a nightmare, one that should have taken 1 hour 26 minutes but took me 7.5 hours to do. The nightmare was caused by 100% negligence on behalf of South West Trains, who sent short trains into service in the icy weather and wondered why the failed on route. When I and others got chucked off the train the help line on the platform kept giving excuses as to why we were not going any further and then ignored us until I and others paid extra and got to where we wanted to be, to get a Southern Trains service to my final destination. All the agro lasted 7.5 hours and just to say I could go on for a lot longer but it would make this entry long and sleep inducing. If you want to know more drop me an e-mail and Ill give you ther full story that way. The Holiday period was lovely and this continued into 2010 as I went for two weeks with only one days work and no money to pay the bills for February and also part of January's rent. But God in his infinite wisdom gave me a nice tax rebate at this time and I also had a gift from the office staff at Central Hall and that filled the gap as usual. If anyone ever wants to hear stories of living by faith, look no further as this is my testimony ever since I have lived in Southampton. Call me and I'd be more than happy to tell you some of these......
So what have I got to look forward to in this year of 2010. Miracle Street is going to be utilising my services again during the year on various tours round Europe and the UK, New Community church have me doing keyholder duties five times a week and in between that I've got to try and save money to cover my income tax bill for 2009 - 2010, where ever that may come from. So until next post, God bless you all and have a rewarding 2010...........