Don Hale Blog

READ ABOUT WILLIAM AUSTIN JOHNSTON'S LATEST SERIAL KILLER SEQUEL NOVEL: donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 :  Leading a Double Life Two (Book 2)  exciting new paperback by William Austin Johnston. 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 Offic...

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...

*Pictured above - the delighted NW trio of Cheryl Frost, Kay Hatton and Karen Butler at the Inter-Counties XC at Newtown. Clutch of prestigious silver medals for Road Running trio at the Inter-Counties cross country champs at Newtown. Report by Don Hale. C omment  from Bernie Jones, and action photo by Andy Davies. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com Three top female veteran athletes from North Wales Road Runners exchanged their trainers for spikes on Sunday and competed in the Inter-Regional Cross Country championships at Newtown, and celebrated by winning a clutch of prestigious medals. The trio all performed well and enjoyed their runs on a very muddy but relatively flat course, and between them they collected several championships medals with  Cheryl Frost and Kay Hatton  winning team silver medals in the W55 event; and  Karen Butler  winning a team silver in the W65 event, plus an individual silver medal in her race. Their results were:  Cheryl Frost 29.5...

*Pictured above and below - hundreds of runners listen intently to the instructions given by run director Richard Peevor at the launch of the new Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun New Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun celebrated an amazing launch event...with over 500 athletes from across the UK. Exclusive report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk What a fantastic turn-out for the very first Llandrillo-yn-Rhos (Y Promenade) parkrun last Saturday, as over 500 mixed ability athletes travelled from near and far to help create and enjoy a spectacular occasion. Run directors  Richard Peevor, Sharon Hughes, Dougie Graham,  and Chris Spillane , together with their hard working support team of new volunteers and marshals, worked their socks off to produce an excellent event on a near perfect day - weatherwise - after recent storms had deposited a load of sand along the promenade course at Rhos on Sea.     *Above left - Run director Richard Peevor...

 *Pictured above - Welsh Master athlete sprint champion Russell Whiting in action. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025. www.welshmastersathetics.co.uk Two amazing sprint records for Welsh Master Russell Whiting. Well done to one of Welsh Master Athletic's top sprint champions in Russell Whiting, who has just had two of his outstanding track results verified by Chris Prussia, the WMAL records co-ordinator. This week, Chris confirmed: " Hi Russell.  On behalf of Welsh Masters Athletics Limited, it gives me great please to confirm that you have set two new record performances; 100m with a time of 11.93 seconds [bettering your own record] and 200m in a time of 24.58 seconds. Many congratulations and please find your attached certificates recognising your performances." Chris Pruski WMAL records co-ordinator.

AGM details for Welsh Masters Athletics via Zoom next week on 3rd December 2025. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Rod Davies, a director from Welsh Masters Athletics Ltd, has sent some details about next week's AGM via Zoom. All relevant documents were sent to members previously by email. A link is now attached to give notification of joining the online meeting. This email is being sent to all confirmed members of Welsh Masters Athletics Limited who are on the Register of Members as at today’s date to provide the formal notice of Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held, by Zoom, on 3 December 2025 at 8:00 pm .  This is a reconvened meeting as that called on 19 November was one member short of a Quorum.  Those wishing to attend need to register in advance by emailing me before 1 December 2025 to get the system set up.  The link is:   https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75559217691?pwd=uY0w8aa3kxco74dbMcwO8FQlJaMAFi.1 I attach - Notice of Meeting, Proxy Form     ...