Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - veteran foreign correspondent and author Colin   McIntyre. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon. Tiptoeing Through the Cold War:  A veteran correspondent looks back - by Colin McIntyre. *NOTE: This book is now available on amazon:   https://amzn.to/49992Tu ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Former foreign correspondent and author Colin McIntyre.   Published by North Wales based firm:   www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com In this very interesting memoir the author, Colin McIntyre, looks back on 34 years as a foreign correspondent mainly reporting the Cold War.  After joining Reuters news agency in the 1960s he is posted to East Berlin, the only Western correspondent accredited to communist East Germany, and Czechoslovakia, still reeling from a 1968 Soviet-led invasion to crush attempted reforms.  After a spell in Asia covering communist takeovers in ...

*Pictured above - NWRRC super vet Sandy Johnston at Rohan's Run. Happy 75th birthday to Murray (Sandy) Johnston - a great master runner and a very talented musician. Report and photos by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It’s a very happy 75th birthday today (Tuesday 4th June), to one of our latest extraordinary newcomers at North Wales Road Runners, in Murray (Sandy) Johnston, who is not only a superb master veteran athlete, but he is also a very talented and experienced musician!   *Sandy Johnston (*above), is shown at Conwy parkrun, and at Colwyn Bay. Sandy is a well-known figure at Conwy parkrun, and at many local races, together with his daughter Alice, and he regularly won his previous VM70 age cat there, and at many local events, but from today, he has now moved into his new VM75-79 section.  He joined NWRRC from Les Croupiers earlier this year and has already made his mark with several notable age cat victories on the roa...

Will Williams tackled the gruelling cross country course at Dolgellau. Mud, wind, and rain at a very muddy cross-country race at Dolgellau... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Lesley Goodson. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Three Road Runners braved the strong blustery winds, rain, and heavy mud at Dolgellau this weekend during the latest fixture within the Grand Prix Express, North Wales XC league. Will Williams  ran well in the  Senior Men’s race  and finished well in 38th place overall amongst 125 starters, and he was 3rd in his MV50 age cat in 36 minutes and 19 seconds. Will later said: “ I really love cross-country. Always a great atmosphere.” The race was won by  Matthew Collins  (Oswestry Olympians) in 30.11 and he won his SM age cat.  Janos Vranek (Aberystwyth University) was 2nd in 30.22, with  Rhodri Owen  (Meirionnydd) 3rd in 31.11.  Emyr Davies  competed in the over 65’s race and won his M8...

*Four veteran age category winners celebrated their victories at the NW Regional Indoor championship on Saturday, (l-r) Michael Finnie (NWRRC), the MV65 winner; Martin Weetman (Cannock & Staffs AC), the MV60 winner; Joe Horner (Menai T&F), the MV55 winner; and Don Hale (NWRRC), the MV70 winner. Road Running trio smashed records, set new PB times, and won prestigious medals at the North Wales Indoor champs. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Nearly one-hundred top male and female competitors, aged from 11-80 years of age, took part in the North Wales Regional Indoor Track & Field championships last Saturday, held at the Deeside Stadium, Connah’s Quay, where three North Wales Road Runners (NWRRC), smashed records, set new PB times, and won prestigious age category medals. These particular championships attracted a mixture of junior, senior, and veteran track & field athletes from clubs around the region, with gold, si...

*Jonathan Kettle (*above) was the first man back at Conwy Parkrun. Fast finishers at Conwy parkrun despite the blustery conditions. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk *SEE ALSO: John Earlston's live video from the start of the Parkrun 20/1/24.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvCszIXHYJY   It was wild, windy, and very wet underfoot at Conwy parkrun last Saturday for nearly two-hundred mixed ability entrants who braved the cold and the challenging 5k course to record some superb times despite the unpredictable conditions. North Wales Road Runner   Jonathan Kettle  was the first man home in just 17 minutes and 49 seconds, to win his VM45 age cat, but he was made to fight all the way following a determined run by  Harty Woodford , who finished just one place, and eleven-seconds behind in 18.01, to win his SM30 cat. And  Stephen Skates  (Prestatyn RC) deservedly claimed the 3rd spo...

THE UK ENERGY CRISIS: DON’T BLAME IT ALL ON THE UKRAINE SITUATION. Special feature by John Hatton (*pictured right).   The UK is now in an extremely serious energy crisis, but as the title states it’s not all down to the Ukraine situation.  Successive Governments over the last 50 plus years, have let down the British public, as every aspect of life in this modern world is ENERGY based.   The UK was the first country in the world to have an operational commercial nuclear power station generating electricity back in 1956.  A few additional nuclear power stations were then built, but as these were coming towards the end of their life, no plans were ever introduced to replace them. These Governments have all failed miserably ever since to plan-ahead regarding a situation to secure new energy requirements for a growing population.   This is due to no strategic long-term planning and is the main reason we are now in this current situation. The Gove...