Have I been swanning off round the globe? Have I contracted a horrific flesh eating illness that has prevented me from accessing my computer? Were my hands chopped off by rogue pirates?

Alas, no, dear readers, the reason I haven’t been able to keep you updated on my Wonderful Life of late is that I have simply been too busy spinning too many plates. We’re organising a charity fundraiser, you see: a Ball, in fact, (well, a less starchy affair than most people might envisage when we say ball) to raise funds and awareness for Macmillan Cancer Care Support. So many a sleepless night has been had fretting about how this event is going to pan out with lots of jolting awake at 5am worrying about floor plans and welcome drinks and I’ve been so busy persuading some lovely local businesses to support us that I simply haven’t had time to blog. But we’re just 16 days til D-Day now so I figured I had better let you lovely lot in on it in case you wanted to come along: I’ll be doing a speech and everything (anyone who knows me well knows this is likely to be comedy highlight of the year considering my track record with public speaking)! What will this ball of ours look like I hear you ask, well:

Those that witnessed Myles Weston’s opening performances for the Gills will be forgiven for getting a bit excited.

Not since the days of Matt Jarvis have the Gills had a winger to make full-backs quake in their boots.

He may not be Jarvis class, but Myles Arthur Euguene Wesley Weston – his full name according to Wikipedia - certainly proved too hot to handle for Wycombe in the opening periods of Tuesday night’s game and that pace is something that has been badly lacking at Gills in recent seasons.

On Tuesday they were able to use Weston as predatory attacker in the first half and then, when up against it with ten men, the Gills were able to feed him the ball and let him do what he liked as an outlet to give the rest of the team some much needed recovery time.

Gills, under Martin Allen, are set up with just three midfielders and someone sat infront of the Back four (Jack Payne on Tuesday). It means the full-backs are required to get forward as often as possible, which does tend to suggest a winger is not required.

But Weston has shown versatility already. His favoured position is on the left flank, where he made an impressive substitute showing at the weekend, but on Tuesday he went upfront with Danny Kedwell and appears to have been given license to roam.

He is fast and direct and it is just a shame his early run down the flank on Tuesday, where he jumped two sliding tackles and even got the home fans off their seats, wasn’t rewarded with a goal. A fine save denied him a really special moment.

But no doubt we will eventually see a run and finish, assuming Weston can maintain that quality, and there is no reason he can’t. He is young, he has dropped down a level and he just wants to play games and express himself. Allen seems set to give him that opportunity.

Consistency, like all lower division players, will be his biggest obstacle.

Another to have impressed since signing has been Charlie Allen. He will be facing doubters after being signed by his father but young Charlie is proving what a class player he is. And again, it is his pace from midfield which is unsettling opponents. He also has an eye for a pass, like the one he served up for Danny Kedwell to open the scoring on Saturday.

It is early days for both Weston and Allen but both, so far, have given the Gills so much more energy and certainly made them more entertaining to watch.

Today definitely feels different.

Welcome back to the Olympic Park. This is my third day based here and we're officially counting the hours, minutes even, until the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the 30th Olympiad this evening.

Today's the day that everything changed, the trains I got on this afternoon to make my way up to Stratford from Kent were different to those I got yesterday, and Stratford International itself was a different scene today as well.

The past couple of days there has been a visible but low-key presence of the fuscia-clad Games helpers and flourescent police. However this afternoon the air feels different.

There are helpers wherever you could possibly want them, standing there just waiting to, itching to, help someone. There are police sniffer dogs and constant patrols around the concourse. The station staff themselves have all adopted waistcoats in line with the special Games uniform and even the posh announcement lady on the high-speed tannoy was saying different words today than yesterday.

Around the Park there are more journalists that I have ever seen in one place, anyone would think there's a free bar nearby. The English accents are fewer and farther between and the sun has gone in, it's just really muggy up here. The relaxed laughs and smiles of the last few days are slowly disappearing.

As of today, everyone has got their Games face on.

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Yesterday was a pretty hectic one up here. Much of my day was spent walking the 500m or thereabouts from one end of the Main Press Centre to the other to pester the nice BOA people for a ticket for tonight's Opening Ceremony.

Well, I'm not sure exactly what I did, but it's worked. I have a nice shiny gold ticket in my hand and I'm pretty much running about like Charlie from the Chocolate Factory.

It's my birthday today and I got a lovely card saying I was one in a million. Well I am able to prove that I'm actually far better than that. 7.029 billion people alive. 80,000 tickets for the Opening Ceremony. You do the maths. The fact that there are apparently only 140 members of the British media who have been issued tickets makes me feel even more special. So, thanks BOA!

0o0

Part of my afternoon was spent with the exceedingly pleasant GB hockey boys, including Kent's own Ashley Jackson.

Now, four years ago I was invited to West Malling to visit a bright-eyed 20-year-old who was an up-and-comer in the British hockey world.

The blonde lad had made the squad for Beijing and was excited about the opportunity. So excited he made me a cup of tea and sat me down on his sofa to talk about it.

Well four years later Ashley claims to have no recollection of his hospitality that day, I guess his memory bank is probably stuffed with pleasant images of being handed awards, scoring vital goals and playing professional sport at the highest level over the past four years.

After chatting with Ashley, I spotted Olympic hero Sean Kerly of 1988 gold medal fame in the room and took the chance to grab a few words with him about Ashley, Canterbury and himself.

He was as incredulous as I was that someone from a local paper in Canterbury had managed to get into the Olympic Park, but he still gave me some good stuff which you'll be able to read next week.

The only low-point of the entire day was that my hockey commitments meant I missed the Swiss Olympic Association press conference with Roger Federer by five measly minutes. Oh well. Maybe I'll get another chance to meet him and pass on some tips on a cross-court backhand another time.

I couldn't help but notice that Canterbury striker and South Africa international Jen Wilson had more luck that I did, she posted pics on twitter of herself with Federer in the village on Thursday night and next to Usain Bolt in the canteen on Friday lunchtime. Nice life eh Jen, haven't you got practice or something!?

0o0

Last night saw Team GB's footballers held by Senegal in their opening match of the tournament, and their first as a unified nation in 52 years.

Medway's own Ryan Bertrand put in a good shift at left-back - which must have been nice for him after being employed at right-back in the final warm-up game.

There are flashes of some very decent stuff from the GB team, which is understandable as most of them have plenty of Premier League experience, but they always appeared ruffled by the sheer physicality of the West Africans who threatened to kick them back into four separate countries on more than one occasion.

Hopefully UAE on Sunday night will prove a less physically demanding challenge.

0o0

This is the start of a pretty long shift for me. The Opening Ceremony is due to begin at 9pm (crowd are being warmed-up from 8.12pm though) with the finish predicted at something like midnight or just after.

Now once I've gotten out of the Stadium and back to the Main Press Centre to tidy up some stories for KentOnline, it's likely to be pushing 2am, and, typically, there's a 5.30am bus to Eton Dorney tomorrow morning with my name on it.

So the plan is to find a comfy chair in a quiet corner and have a power nap, ready to watch Ashford's Tom Ransley and the men's eight in action in the heats tomorrow morning (around 10am, or should be) and then get back to London for Bromley star Ellen Gandy in the 100m butterfly second round (Around 7.45pm).

Orpington's Claire Rafferty and the GB Women will also be in action, taking on Cameroon in Cardiff at 5.15pm. Sadly I can't get there. I'm not Superman.

Remember I'll be providing live text updates from the Opening Ceremony from around 8pm tonight, and will also be posting pics and updates on twitter via @kentonline2012

Enjoy the evening - it's never going to happen again you know!

As Gillingham schoolboy Ryan Bertrand walked off the pitch at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League Final last month, a chant began to rise from the massed ranks of Chelsea fans to his right.

“One Ryan Bertrand, there’s only one Ryan Betrand.”

The Gills youth team product and Robert Napier pupil could probably hardly believe what he was hearing. From my vantage point high in the upper tier I did a slight double take as well.

Just a year ago he was kicking his heels in the Blues’ Reserve team having been out on loan to a number of Football League clubs to build up experience.

How things change.

What was remarkable about his performance against Bayern Munich is that he didn’t look out of place. It was his debut in the competition, and the pressure on him would’ve been immense.

He was an assured presence on the left flank, diligently helping left-back Ashley Cole shackle Bayern’s attacking triumvirate.

Many watching back here in Medway would have been intensely proud.

There are the teachers at Robert Napier, in Third Avenue, who first came across his talent as a fresh-faced schoolboy. 

Then there are those at Gillingham, where Bertrand spent four years before being spotted by Chelsea during an under-16s game at Chatham Town Football Club in 2005.

Seeing one of their own play so well in the biggest game in European club football is a great advertisement for the club.  "If you work hard, this is what you can achieve" will be the message being passed on to the current crop of Academy players.

There is also a financial interest for the club. The more games Bertrand plays for Chelsea, the more money they get. The final total could be more than half a million.

The initial compensation when he moved in 2005 was £125,000, and the club received £50,000 when Bertrand made his first team debut in April 2011.

Installments of £100,000 are due for every 10 appearances up to and including his 40th. The final in Munich was Bertrand’s 16th game for Chelsea.

Now we wait to see how far he can go. From what I've seen he has all the attributes to carve out a successful career.

Next season will be key. Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo had faith in Bertrand and gave him chances to shine, will the new manager do the same?

Bertrand is learning from one of the best in the business in the shape of Ashley Cole, and if things work out he could very well replace him as first choice for club and country.

Many in Medway will certainly be hoping he does.

Well this entry is a special one as I have a business man who is affiliated with Maidstone United F.C!  Come on you Stones!!!

His name, Terry Casey, 61 years of age from Maidstone.

Terry is currently a company director but most of his time is consumed with his extensive work for a charity he operates in Ethiopia.  So good to hear of a Kent resident giving something good to the world. When not involved in his charity work, Terry is heavily involved in with the current construction of the new Maidstone United stadium in Maidstone.  Finally the Stones' are coming home and their is a lot of buzz from the people of Kent to see their local team return where they belong after spells in Ashford and Sittingbourne.

Terry does not have much spare time aside from that so understandably he could not comment further on my 'what do you do in your spare time' question.

An interesting fact that I have found out about Kent is that Leeds Castle is sometimes referred to as Ladies’ Castle. The reason being because many Queens of England have lived there Eleanor of Castile Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife and even his daughter Elizabeth all have lived in the castle.  Did you know that?  Well you do now!

Terry does not eat out in Kent very much but instead prefers to eat out in London.  If you want a good place to eat in the capital, I personally recommend you try the Texas Embassy Cantina near Trafalgar Square.  This place does awesome Mexican food and superb strawberry margaritas.

When asked to supply me with a story that summed him up, Terry responded "My character should be summed up by others, not by me."  This is one of the most intriguing answers I have ever received and Terry is right.  Others should decide on our characters, it is not for us to decide what we think we are.

Terry is closely associated with his Irish roots as opposed to his Kentish background and I respect that he could be honest and say that to me.  It all to easy for people to just make up a sentence for me to publish about Kent but if they are truly more associated with other places than its better to be honest about it.

And now for my random question, If you could take on the life of any person, past or present, who would it be and why?  Terry again gave me another interesting answer.

"I am very happy with myself"

A very good answer, if you are not happy with yourself than you wouldn't be happy being anyone else.

A big thank you to Terry and my very best luck to him and the Maidstone United team for the final stages of the stadium development.  I can't wait to see them in action at home!

Keeps those eyes peeled for more interviews, you never know it could be you next!

If you live in Kent, let's talk!

If you would like to appear on my blog, all I ask is that you live in Kent and that you are willing to talk to me for 10 - 15 minutes about yourself.

If you think you'd like to give it a try, drop me an email on millendauthor@gmail.com and we will see what we can do!

I have every sympathy for Fabio Capello.

He was left with little option but to quit after his falling-out with the FA. Who wouldn’t want to get out when your employer fails to consult a senior member of staff on a crucial issue?

Too many employers - and the FA has a poor track record as a model employer - make arbitrary decisions at senior level without proper consultation or communication. It is a curse of much of modern business.

For a chief national coach paid £6m to have his captain stripped of the captaincy - granted, a more symbolic than critical role in football (unlike cricket) - without prior knowledge or consultation was crass and high-handed by the nabobs of soccer. 

I hold no brief for John Terry, but he should have been treated as innocent until proven guilty of alleged racist remarks.

Under the same principle, Harry Redknapp would have been suspended from management of Spurs when he was charged with alleged tax evasion. Sensibly, his employers kept faith in their key employee during a stressful time.

Fabio was misguided to air his concerns on Italian TV but his limited English language skills – and fury at the decision - probably prompted that.

He should have gone after the World Cup fiasco, but the FA failed to act when they should have done. Now they have acted when they should not have done.

It’s another object lesson in how not to do HR – and PR for that matter.

Now the FA must up its game on senior staff recruitment.  With a pretty miserable record on hiring England managers since the exceptions of soccer knights Alf Ramsay and Bobby Robson, few fans will bank on them or their headhunters getting it right next time - with or without ‘Arry.

Well I return with a great interviewee this week, one who was mistaken for a popstar if you can believe it.

But we will get to that later.

This is Matthew Webster, 27 from our very own County Town of Kent, Maidstone!

So Matt is his name and Account Management is his game (Occupation for all those who are not up to date with their rhyming slangs).

As always, I like to find out what my interviewees like about Kent and this is what Matt had to say.

"I like the people, the places and the general atmosphere of Kent."

To expand on what Matt has said, he likes having a game of football with his mates, shortly followed by a cold pint or 10 down the Albion and the elegant banter with other fans about who is the greatest footballing side in England.  We both know it is Manchester United but he lets them stress their point on why the other teams are worthy of competing against United before casually turning to them and singing "He scores goals galore, he scores goals, he scores goals galore, he scores goals, he scores goals galore, he scores goals, Paul Scholes, he scores goals."

A fitting tribute to one of the greatest English Midfielders of modern day football and also a great way of sticking it to the other football fans.

Since the beginning of 2011, I have introduced a new question which is designed to find out what the people of Kent really know about their County and to see if they can inform others in Kent of interesting facts or pieces of information that are not well known.

"Kent is the most populous County in the UK." Matt said "Over 1.6 million people reside in Kent."

I found this to be a very interesting fact as I thought Greater London and the Northern Counties such as Lancashire had bigger populations so thanks Matt.

Matt's favourite eating spot is Buenos Aires in Maidstone which he describes as "The best steak in the county."

In his free time, Matt likes to compete in various sports such as Football, Squash and Tennis.  Equally, he does enjoy going to the Cinema, eating out at a range of eating spots and socialising with his friends.

So the part you have been waiting for, the mistaken identity of a popstar.  I let Matt fill in the rest.

"I was once spotted by a young woman who worked in the Bowling Alley in Maidstone who thought I was Danny from Mcfly.  I played along temporarily before confessing.  It was a long time ago."

Looking at the picture above, I think this woman was either crazy or blind because I see no resemblance.  Sorry Matt!

As always, it is important for me to find out my interviewees thoughts on how to improve the county.

"I think the county could have some bigger gigs / festivals.  We have the space for it and I think it could be a big money spinner for the county.  We have a picturesque county so we should utilise it.  I'd certainly go..."

Again this suggestion has come up and I think it is about time that we did start using the facilities available in Kent to cater to the entire population.  Often there are events held that are in the interest of a small majority of people which is a waste of public money and inconsiderate to the rest of the residents in Kent.

And now for my random question of the week: If you could travel to any planet in the Solar System, which one would it be and why?

"I think it would be Jupiter.  I liked the song by Train and it looks cool.  Mysterious."

A good choice!

So another Kentish resident has given me their views and opinions on our county and as always I would like to extend my thanks to Matt, my interviewee, for his time.

I will post again soon so who knows, it could be you next!

If you live in Kent, let's talk!

If you would like to appear on my blog, all I ask is that you live in Kent and that you are willing to talk to me for 10 - 15 minutes about yourself.

If you think you'd like to give it a try, drop me an email on millendauthor@gmail.com and we will see what we can do!

Read more: http://blogs.kentonline.co.uk/author/Dan+Millen.aspx#ixzz1SJYJTrvX

GILLINGHAM are being snubbed from all angles at the moment but luckily we are still in May and so there is no need to panic.

Andy Hessenthaler currently has an 18-man squad at his disposal, albeit seven of whom have no first team experience, so it looks like being a busy summer for the Gills boss.

Cody McDonald won’t be here next season, which I suppose is no surprise as he will have plenty of offers at his door, while Andy Barcham has also got better offers on the table.

Adebayo Akinfenwa looks set to also depart. He heads away on holiday on Wednesday and with bigger clubs apparently sniffing around it is no shock to hear Hess say he doubts the big man will be sticking around. He waited until well into pre-season before signing on at Priestfield last season and it looks likely he will bide his time again. The Gills would be better to say thanks but no thanks and move on.

Chris Palmer appears to be moving back up to the Midlands and there is no news on Kevin Maher at the moment, as he has been on holiday.

A budget cut at the club means their deals won’t be as good as they had hoped so no doubt they are looking around for what better offers they can get. Both Palmer and Maher impressed last season so perhaps they think they deserve more. Can they be replaced? Certainly.

Joe Martin is supposed to be tying up a deal and expect that to be concluded soon. At least that’s one staying!

It could mean that out of the five players Hess offered deals four will have said no. But fear not.

The market for free-agents is still huge and Hess and his team have been non-stop trying to bring people in. Last week the Gills boss was as busy as he had been all season, fielding calls from agents, representatives managers and when he got a spare five minutes the press.

Jon-Paul Pittman, who played for Wycombe last season, was brought to Priestfield for talks but shortly after leaving signed for his local club Oxford.

For fans of the U’s they may be happy to see boss Chris Wilder filling his squad early, with Ryan James and Tony Capaldi also checking in for next season. But this is no time to rush your business.

It is doubtful that the Gills can compete for the signature of the likes of Clayton Donaldson (Lg 2 top scorer last season) and when I asked Hess about Marvin Morgan, a player who was put to them last season, he didn’t seem overly keen.

It shouldn’t be doom and gloom now though. Hess has the chance to mould the team the way he wants it.

Could the Gills be set to raid Dover? Matt Fish and keeper Ross Flitney have yet to sign terms there and Hess will always be linked to some of the players down Crabble.

It is certainly time to move on and for Hess to say to those players who may be wavering on new deals, see you later.

Of course we all want to hear about new signings now, but many players are still actually being paid by their former employers at the moment, ahead of their contracts expiring in July. It means there is a certain reluctance to announce signings. Some are sitting on a beach taking it easy.

Stevenage and Torquay don’t even know what division they will be playing in next season so the Gills at least have a headstart on them.

Patience at this stage is definitely the key.

Gillingham’s decision to release eight players last week leaves plenty of room for new blood and there is no shortage of players available.

The Gills won’t have a mighty purchasing power but with hundreds of players available for free they shouldn’t need it.

It looks like boss Andy Hessenthaler wants a squad of 18 players with experience to handle League 2 next season.

By taking out the youngsters, that leaves him about seven or eight players short, so we can expect plenty of activity in the coming weeks.

Top of his priority will be a keeper and several strikers.

Last season Alan Julian and Lance Cronin battled for the number 1 shirt but personally I feel it would be better to spend big on one decent keeper than have two lesser talents. With first year pro Daren Hawkes as back-up they will have cover in case of emergencies and there are always plenty of decent keepers available for short-term loan if needed.

That leaves seven more spaces and four of those need to be utilised in attack.

Dennis Oli was hampered by injury last season and Stefan Payne is still raw so experience is a must up-front.

There are some recognisable faces in the free-transfer market with the likes of John Akinde, Rory Fallon, Ryan Jarvis, Scott McGleish, Leon McKenzie, Marvin Morgan, Jason Price and Calvin Zola all on the look out for new clubs.

Add a couple of them with Adebayo Akinfenwa and Cody McDonald, if (a big if) they both sign, and you really have got a quality front-line.

I’m sure Hess is looking at all options and if he has any cash to burn then possibly Gillingham-born Danny Kedwell could be prised away from AFC Wimbledon if they don’t get promoted from the Blue Square Premier.

Defensively the Gills obviously need a left-back and Joe Martin has already been offered a deal but he’ll need competition. Former Millwall man Andy Frampton maybe?

In central defence King, Richards, Lawrence, Essam and Davies offer plenty but maybe one more wouldn’t harm just incase.

There is an abundance of talent in central midfield but out wide the Gills still look lightweight, especially with Andy Barcham still not committing himself for another season. It’s one area in need of attention for the new season as the Gills missed options on the flanks with Barcham and Oli continually injured.

No doubt once Peterborough have finished with their play-off campaign Hess will be knocking on Chris Whelpdale’s door.

We saw at Priestfield what an injection of pace and enthusiasm can do with Barnet ripping the Gills defence apart.

So a busy summer awaits for the Gills and the battle now will take place with the cheque book.

Hess won’t be wanting to deal with money-grabbers though so if the big names don’t arrive it might not be a bad thing. We’ve seen in the past that a name matters for nothing. Finding someone with experience, talent and hunger and someone the club can afford are all things Hess will be dealing with as he begins the rebuilding task.

Who would you want to see at the Gills?

With Gillingham’s recent track record in end-of-day scenarios we should have known it would all end in tears on Saturday.

The Gills had only achieved their pre-match goal once in their previous six final day showdowns and after the recent catastrophes on home turf they had it all to do.

For so long though it looked as if the Gills would do the business. I had one eye on the match and one on the score-flashes filtering through during the afternoon. It made for a tense game.

In the closing stages Bury were beating Stevenage and Torquay were also losing their match. With McDonald’s equaliser at Chesterfield it left the Gills sitting pretty in sixth.

Cue defensive meltdown. The Chesterfield left-back Scott Griffiths twice got in behind the back four and twice put the ball on a plate for his team mates to score. For the Gills they had got within 14 minutes of a play-off spot but eventually showed their weakness.

This wasn’t all about that one game though for Gillingham. It should never have come down to that. After beating Rotherham so well it was criminal of them to then face Macclesfield and get well beaten on home soil. While the away form sent the Gills down last season, it was ironically their poor home form that keeps them in League 2 for another year.

Financially it may not be a disaster but fans will hardly be excited about another year travelling to the likes of Hereford, Burton, Morecambe, Torquay and now Plymouth.

On paper the Gills should have got promoted but those players who should have guided the team to League 1 spent more time with physio Steve Allen (who, after his exploits at the end-of-year award night, seems destined for a spot on x-factor!).

Last season’s player-of-the-year Andy Barcham wasn’t fit from start to finish and nobody was able to see the best of him.

Simon King, well we all know about him and next year looks like being make-or-break for his career. Fingers crossed he is over the worst of his problems.

Dennis Oli was injured for most of the season, Curtis Weston barely got a run-out because of injury, Garry Richards was in the treatment room for much of the campaign. Chris Palmer started the season well but a training injury ruined his second half.

Danny Spiller was out for a while, so was Cody McDonald at the start of the season. Maybe had he been fit from the off he might have helped them get over the relegation hangover quicker.

There were so many players who were unable to get up to full match speed and it showed in their performances. They must have been as frustrated as the fans.

The Gills were short of options in attack at the end of the season as budget constraints meant Hess had to rely on Adebayo Akinfenwa to play every minute of every game. He really did need someone with experience to come off the bench late on in games.

Unfortunately the budget was already spent but who could have envisaged having so many players on the sidelines?

The injury list may look like an easy excuse but how can a team achieve anything without their best players? A consistent team breeds consistent results but rarely did we see that last season.

Fans cursed the team’s reliance on pumping balls up to Akinfenwa, but then without Oli and Barcham on the flanks, the options were pretty limited.

Let’s hope Mr Allen is nowhere near as busy next season and Hess can assemble a side that starts the season fit and continues that way. Injuries will always occur but it’s rare to get so many long-term ones. It really ruined the season.

When you see players like Oli and Fuller limping into the end-of-season awards-do on crutches it does highlight what has been, for me, the biggest problem this season.

The retained list will be out this week and Hess will be already on the phone trying to build for next season. It clearly wasn’t a good season but then it could be worse.

Not only do I now have to report on League 2 football again, but my team Lincoln were relegated to non-league at the weekend and I don’t see them coming back for a long time.

There is always someone worse off!

**If you have time today log into kentonline.co.uk/gillingham at 1pm for the live Q&A session. Come along and contribute to the discussion.

Picture: Barry Goodwin.