I started this blog in January 2008 four months after I moved back to Kings Hill after living in a couple of properties my wife and I rented after selling our first property on the old airport, eighteen months before. Kings Hill is a lovely development, it has grown over time and take out those that only live here because they think it makes people's perceptions of them different, it is populated by nice people. Until recently it was mostly families - due to the size, and type, of the properties that were built when the development was started. Recently the developers have been building flats as single people and childless couples have wanted to live here. I imagine some of that will be divorced parents and the children of the initial families that moved in here.
Despite being very happy on Kings Hill tomorrow I am moving off the development. My son still has another year in the school here so I will be coming back here every day until July next year, but I will not live here.
This brings into question this blog, or rather, it's name. Let's ignore, for a moment, the fact that I've been as good as retired as far as writing the blog is concerned. I'm moving to an old cottage on the outskirts of Maidstone. For those that know the area it used to be in a parish called Bearsted, but due to changes in the boundaries it is now in the Parish of Maidstone.
Maidstone Addick doesn't appeal to me due to the fact that it's a big town, besides I'm sure I've seen posts from a Maidstone Addick on Charlton Life. Bearsted Addick would be an alternative, but as the cottage isn't, technically, in Bearsted it would be incorrect.
If we assume that I intend to come back to blogging at some point, which I believe will be the case, and on the basis that I would prefer to have all my Charlton ramblings in the same place I'm tempted to keep this blog open and make my moniker even less indicative as to who I am, in reality, by continuing to write under the name Kings Hill Addick.
I have a couple of weeks of unpacking and 'putting away' ahead of me then my son and I are off to Tenerife for half term, but I will look to get back into updating this blog more regularly towards the end of the year. With the team performing so well and with the new owners looking like they really do know how to run a football team this is a good time to be a Charlton fan. It should, also, be a good time to be a Charlton Blogger.
The last year has been a challenge. Many of you will know that my wife and I separated last summer and I've been living with my son (who sees his Mum very infrequently - her choice, not mine) and with him taking the eleven plus exam this September I have had little free time to waffle on about Charlton, and have always felt that anything I do that is not, potentially, helping my son with his exam would leave me with guilt if he didn't pass. Note I'm avoiding to use the word fail. With that part of our lives behind us I anticipate that I will have more time, again.
I won't make any promises, not that any of you are, exactly, waiting with baited breath, but all being well I will be back spouting my drivel once I've finished sunning myself in the Canary Islands.
Up the Addicks!