Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Run Directors Richard Peevor and Dougie Graham at Rhos. Festive demands and the weather kept numbers down at NW parkruns... Report by Don Hale. Rhos parkrun photos courtesy of Pat Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   It was a cool, damp morning at most of the local parkruns last Saturday, with numbers down at the majority of them, probably due to festive demands and the problematic weather conditions, with some flooding on numerous 5k courses. Conwy may have suffered the most, with entrants down for the third week on the trot, and only 80 determined athletes – including 24 visitors – who completed the swampy riverside route at the RSPB, whilst Nant y Pandy’s event was cancelled altogether! The new  Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun  still remains a novelty but entrants were down from last week’s launch of 501 to 345, and the stats were very interesting with 240 first timers, and nearly half of the previous week’s entrants recorded new PB’s this week! *S...

*Pictured above and below - Cheryl Frost and Kay Hatton North Wales Road Running duo completed the gruelling Sea to Summit Challenge... Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Two top veteran female athletes from North Wales Road Runners completed the gruelling Sea to Summit Offa’s Dyke Challenge on Sunday. This was a very demanding race for Welsh international, club colleagues and friends  Cheryl Frost  and  Kay Hatton , as the event covered 14-miles and some 3,700ft of ascent, and took the pair 3 hours and 40 minutes! After the event, Kay said:  “Cheryl and I have just finished the Challenge. It was a race, but most of us either ran/walked as there were numerous steep gradients and was very muddy! ”        

*Pictured above - joint restaurant owner and athlete Dave  Hughes with his family at Conwy parkrun after completing his 100-mile fundraising race for charity. Joint restaurant owner Dave Hughes ran 100-miles for the Pancreatic Cancer charity.. Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Well done to popular local athlete and restaurant owner Dave Hughes who has completed an amazing 100-mile ultra running challenge to help raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer in memory of his father-in-law Alun Yu. Dave, who jointly owns the  Paysanne restaurant at Deganwy , finally achieved his mileage target at Conwy parkrun, where he was welcomed by family members on the finish line, with the exciting news that his sterling efforts are now close to raising nearly £1,000 via his JustGiving charity for this worthy cause. On his fundraising page he confirmed the reasons for his gallant efforts and explained:  “ This year, I lost someone special - my father-in-law – and it w...

Coast and Country spotlight book feature:    Cronkle and the Hedgehog   – another new p aperback by Sebastian Stumblebum with some superb illustrations by Cerys Edwards.   donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Now available from Amazon:   https://amzn.to/3Meh9qG   Cronkle and the Hedgehog is the latest book from established children’s author Sebastian Stumblebum, and forms part of the ‘Cronkle’ series of books.    Illustrated throughout with colour artwork created by talented artist Cerys Edwards. Follow Cronkle and his friends as they hurry to rescue Spike the Hedgehog, who has become trapped in a dangerous net. Suitable for children of all ages. Coast and Country spotlight book feature: The Adventures of Skye and Other Tales of Enchantment  -  exciting  new children's p aperback by Sebastian Stumblebum - with some superb illustrations by Cerys Edwards. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   The Adventures of Skye and Other Tales of E...

Coast and Country spotlight book feature: The Adventures of Skye and Other Tales of Enchantment  - exciting  new children's p aperback by Sebastian Stumblebum - with some superb illustrations by Cerys Edwards. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   The Adventures of Skye and Other Tales of Enchantment is the latest book from established children’s author Sebastian Stumblebum.    Talented artist Cerys Edwards created the illustrations throughout the book. Join Skye the fairy and the other fantastic characters on their adventures of fun, enchantment and mystery. Suitable for children of all ages. Now available from Amazon:   https://amzn.to/4pgMkjy Coast and Country spotlight book feature:    Cronkle and the Hedgehog   – another new p aperback by Sebastian Stumblebum with some superb illustrations by Cerys Edwards.   donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Now available from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Meh9qG   Cronkle and the Hedgehog is the lat...

READ ABOUT WILLIAM AUSTIN JOHNSON'S LATEST SERIAL KILLER SEQUEL NOVEL: donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 :  Leading a Double Life Two (Book 2)  exciting new paperback by William Austin Johnson. NOW available on Amazon:   https://amzn.to/4awefr8 Synopsis: As a writer you somehow want to finish the story in your book with a good ending, but with this book I felt that I had run out of scenario’s to go on any further. Then one day out of the blue, a news story of a murdered family sparked my interest. I could not get this story out of my mind. So, as you can see from the title above. I was drawn back into trying to give these unspoken victims the justice that they deserved with the demise of Tony Fennel. To get the information that I needed on Fennel, of course, I had to go back to my old friend Mike Rodsinkski. Mike told me that he had missed me, and that he had several cases that he thought I could help him with. So came the scammers, the opportunist, a bent Police Officer...

Coast and Country spotlight book feature:  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 What being a teacher is really like: -  YEAH, BUT YOU GET LOADS OF HOLIDAYS THOUGH:  By Bill Simon. Now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pS1PP0 Synopsis:  As children we are oblivious to the inner workings of teaching and school life. Leaving the impression that teaching is easy, with short hour days, high pay, no pressure and all the holidays you could ever want. What really happens in the safety of the staff room? When stepping into the job you are met with a barrage of challenge, responsibility, accountability, reward, politics, abusive children, delightful children, stress, and anxiety. All of which you had no recollection of from your own school days, and never fully anticipated when posing in your cap and gown upon completing teacher training. Yeah but you get loads of holidays though, is a record of the typical highs and lows of being a teacher. Exposing the frustrations of being go...

Coast and Country spotlight book feature:  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 He’s Somebody’s Son - Paperback - by CD Nullis. £10.00 Now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pUH8lx   Synopsis:   Raised in relative poverty by my mixed-race mother, a single parent with my two older sisters, leaving my father for life in a new town, as he no longer had to hide his sexuality for fear of being persecuted and criminalised.  Experiencing racism throughout my life and unable to find a sense of belonging, and a feeling of acceptance.  Dishonourably discharged from the Army, living through 15 years of chaotic drug addiction, homelessness, and prison. The struggle and social injustice in life almost broke me, but I never gave up and I never gave in.  

*Pictured above and below - some of the fun runners at the Mental Elf events. Mental Elf 2k and 5k races proved a huge success at Eirias Park, Colwy Bay last Sunday... Report by Don Hale. Pictures by Caitlin Faye Photography. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 John Hatton, who was one of the charity event organisers at last weekend’s Mental Elf races at Eirias Park, was delighted by the fun frolics and the great public response, plus the generous funds raised for such a worthy cause. Sponsored by Jennings , participants were told that they could either walk, jog, skip or run whilst soaking up the festive spirit, and whilst supporting Conwy and the Vale of Clwyd Minds, with a Mini Elf 2k fun run, and 5k event. After the event, John confirmed:  “A massive thank you to all the volunteers last Sunday at the Mental Elf 2k & 5k, held at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay.  What a day, and it began at 8am setting up the course. It was white everywhere, and a hailstorm was incredible. “The weathe...