Don Hale Blog

*Festive parkrunners at Rhos await the start of the Christmas Day event. Massive Christmas Day attendances at Rhos and Nova parkruns... donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Report by Don Hale. Photos at Rhos by Danielle Peevor, Dougie Graham and others.   It was another fantastic event and a new attendance record at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun, held for the first time on Christmas Day, with over 600 finishers on a bitterly cold but bright morning, and it was similar at the Nova parkrun with over 300 entrants! Elite athletes, and club members from near and far, together with local runners and walkers – and many in festive attire – created a warm and friendly atmosphere despite the freezing temperatures. Adam Jones  was the first finisher overall in a very fast PB time of just 16 minutes and 2 seconds, and he was just one second down on the course record set the previous week by  Connor Rogers  (Wrexham AAC).        Emily Hanlon  however (GOG Triat...

NEW UPDATE: Lovely black and white cat returned to owners - thanks to Wilfred and Friends Wilfred & Friends Good news, the owner has been found and the cat collected safely and gone back home. Thanks to Wilfred and Friends for a great and quick service. Previous message: LARGE WHITE CAT WITH BLACK PATCHES LOOKING LOST ON OUR GARDEN IN DEGANWY, NORTH WALES...Photos taken at dusk last night. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Attention all cat owners - IS THIS YOUR CAT - CALLED QUEENIE - has anyone mislaid a lovely big white cat with some black patches in the Deganwy district near to High Pastures Nursing Home and Bwlch Farm Lane?  We have a stray cat who has been camped on our garden for a week or so, and is always starving hungry. The cat has a distinctive squeaky meow, a black patch across one ear and is nearly all white with a black tale.  Very friendly but it seems lost and is in urgent need of attention and constantly demands food. *If this is your cat can you please send ...

*Pictured above - over 400 people joined in with the fun at the Rhos parkrun. No sand, so fast times and plenty of visiting athletes at Rhos parkrun...plus other parkrun results... Report by Don Hale. Conwy photos by Michael Finnie.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   There was another very good turn-out at the new Y Promenade, Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday where, following the council clear-up of the sand last week on parts of the course, two new event records were smashed, whilst other entrants recorded 114 new personal best times in total amongst the 406 finishers. There were some 226 newcomers to this popular fourth event, with many wearing festive attire to add to the usual warm and friendly atmosphere of this fast and furious parkrun. Talented visiting Wrexham AAC athlete  Connor Rogers  set a new record on his course debut as the first overall finisher in just 16-minutes and one second over this flat 5k and picturesque route, and the first female finis...

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Special Coast and Country online magazine promotion. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Memoirs of the Banana Man: An Angler’s Recollections. By author Christopher Robert Willis.   This is the link to the Amazon paperback version:   https://amzn.to/4sjDpQz   For years now, I have harboured a secret wish to write a book documenting some of the many eventful days and experiences that have occurred throughout my angling life.  Due to work commitments and fishing however, I never really had the time to devote to it, but recently I found myself in a situation, through unforeseen circumstances, whereby I had a lot of time at my disposal, and it seemed the perfect time to fulfil my wish.  When it came to actually sitting down to begin writing I found myself a bit stumped as to where to start. I had such a multitude of memories, many of which lacked clarity.  Now and then a photo, or an old piece of tackle from the early days brought a day or a fish, long since f...

*Pictured above - the 'naked' athletes from North Wales Road Runners who took part in their festive handicap run last Sunday from Llandudno prom.  North Wales club runners enjoyed their windy ‘naked’ festive handicap run and annual prizegiving.. Report by Don Hale Photos by John Hatton. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Fifteen members from North Wales Road Running Club braved gale force winds and an extremely challenging 4.5-mile plus course to complete their festive handicap race on Sunday. The event started and finished by Llandudno Pier and travelled along the promenade before climbing up by the side of the Little Orme to the town’s ‘Welcome’ sign, then following an equally undulating route back home. This was not a first past-the-post race as such, with the handicap results based on the initial estimates from competing athletes on their predicted times for this race, against the actual finishing times. It also had the added restriction of being a ‘Naked Run,’ so n...