Don Hale Blog

*Some of the many hard working volunteers at the Llandrillo  yn Rhos parkrun Hot pace at Rhos after a frosty start for plenty of visitors. Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   It was bright and sunny following a heavy early morning frost at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday, which also commemorated International Women’s Day. And there was another bumper turn-out by club and local athletes, plus plenty of visitors, who this week enjoyed an almost sand-free 5k promenade course. Nicolas Seguin  was the first finisher from 386 entrants, with a new PB in 17.41, and his talented JW15-17 daughter  Tamsin Seguin  (Menai T&F) made it a family double as the first female finisher (16th overall), with an excellent run in 19.45.  Harry Driscoll   (Meirionnydd RC) was the second male finisher in 17.55, with visitor  John Myers  (Helsby RC) third on his debut in 17.58. For the ladies, with  Tamsin ...

So What's Wrong With Dreaming?   Special Coast and Country book review:  Run in conjunction with: donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 *This is a direct link to Amazon books:   https://amzn.to/40LHDn7 Featuring author Richard John Campbell MBE, and his latest book - So What's Wrong with Dreaming? Born into a family struggling, like so many, from the after-effects of the Second World War; where the home was poor and shared by seven people, all packed into a small Victorian semi. With a father who had been in the Navy but having left our family home, permanently a month before I was born, I was ill-prepared for my future schooldays; days which were mostly very stressful, and at times traumatic.  A time when I, mostly, felt insecure at best and totally humiliated at worst; though, surprisingly, some good did come out of it. Once I had finished with school, I became determined to avoid the future expectations of my family and take every opportunity to, hopefully, build a life t...

*Prolific Yorkshire author Mac McKechnie at a book signing. Special Coast and Country book review:  Run in conjunction with:  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 About the Author - Mac McKechnie. Mac McKechnie is a Yorkshireman who lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Now aged 75, he has the welcome luxury of time to return fully to his lifelong love of writing.  Mac is an active Christian and serves as Pastor of his local church in Barnsley.  His writing reflects a deep interest in human character, moral choice, and the quiet resilience that surfaces in times of crisis.  He has written several books across a range of genres, with science fiction and Westerns among his favourites, alongside more reflective and character-led work inspired by everyday life. Exodus: Escape From Earth: The Trilogy -Paperback. By author Mac McKechnie. *EXODUS: This is the first book in the Escape from Earth trilogy.  This is the link to the book on Amazon:   https://amzn.to/3OxDQq...

BMAF 30km Multi-Terrain champs - Gravesend, 28 June 2026 and the BMAF 10K championships this weekend.. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 The North Downs 30k on the 28th June is possibly the best Trail Race in the South East.  It is also once more the BMAF long course Trail Championships. Each year numbers grow within the Championship with many returning joined by new faces. Entry instructions are explained on the   BMAF Opentrack entry page   However, if you are quick you can save money on your entry fee. T he cost of entry to the North Downs 30K Trail Race for UKA registered athletes is £38, but there is an early bird offer of entry for £36 valid   until 31st January , so you only until Saturday to enter. The cost of entry to the BMAF championships is currenttly free for area-club members and £5 for non-members. This offer last until the end of February, when there will be an extra £2 to pay.   Last year the race entry limit was reached long before the stated ...

Time to enter the famous Deganwy 5-mile Dash - limited to just 50 places left for this unique charity race. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 Entries for the famous Deganwy 5-mile Dash are now open, and runners are advised to enter early as numbers are limited with only about 50 places left due to the popularity of this essential fundraising event for Children’s Cancer charities. *This is the important link for Deganwy Dash entries:   https://in.tdlentries.co.uk/2026-deganwy-dash The event on Friday 29th May 2026 starts and finishes on Deganwy Promenade close to the revamped shelter and follows a picturesque course along the river estuary and around Conwy Cob to the RSPB Nature Reserve, where it turns and returns back along the same route to the finish. Run director John Hatton confirmed this week: “The Deganwy Dash is now live now for entries. The aim of the race is to still raise money for Cancer in Children. Joshua Tree is our main recipient for money plus as be...

*Pictured above - Gwen Charlton who organised the Conwy Urban event. Conwy Urban Night orienteering event proved a success. Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   A brand-new Urban Night orienteering event held in and around the historic town of Conwy proved a great success last Thursday night with over sixty runners taking part in several individual or team categories. The event, which was postponed from the previous week due to the freezing conditions, attracted first time orienteers and some more experienced athletes from a varied range of backgrounds including road, fell, trail and triathletes. It also led to a family double with husband and wife Sam Drinkwater and Anna Drinkwater each winning their respective male and female individual categories. Organiser  Gwen Charlton  promoted the event as a chance to explore the Medieval streets of Conwy, and the 60-minute plus challenge included locating and discovering key information from a number of checkpoints...

   *Prolific Northern Ireland author Eileen McCourt (*above) has written and published well over 50 books with bookpublishing4u.co.uk, and now sells her books online via Amazon to a host of regular readers worldwide. About two years ago, Eileen also featured her work on a special Amazon promotion in America. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Calling All Authors! Everyone has a book in them! Isn't it time yours was read?  Turn your story into a best seller! As Self-Publishing Specialists  We Can Turn Your Book Into A Reality!                                         What is self-publishing?  Call now on 01745 832211. https://www.facebook.com/bookpublishing4u Quite simply,  it's a way of quickly and cheaply getting a book published without the need for a traditional publisher (publishing house). More and more authors...