Don Hale Blog

*Richard Scamans (*above) ran well at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun. Road Running trio on their parkrun travels. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Three North Wales Road Runners went on their travels last Saturday to enjoy a couple of parkruns at different venues due to the early cancellation notice at Conwy.  Steve Mason  performed well on his debut at the  Alexandra parkrun  at Moss Side, Manchester, and he finished 23rd despite a fast time of 19 minutes and 38 seconds. Meanwhile,  Will Williams  and  Richard Scamans  both ran in the  Penrhyn Castle parkrun , where Will won his VM50 age cat, finishing 8th overall in 18.50, with Richard 35th in 23.54. After his run Will Williams admitted : “Not feeling it this morning and didn’t give it my full effort. No races for few weeks, so didn’t really have the motivation to go to the pain cave, but still a decent threshold effort.” *Pictured left Steve Mason, Will Willi

Road Runners struck Welsh Gold at Sportcity indoor championships in Manchester. *The dynamic NWRRC duo Don Hale (left) with Pat Finnie at Sportcity. Veteran runners Pat Finnie and Don Hale swapped the great outdoors for the magnificent indoors last Saturday and struck gold at Sportcity during the North Wales Regional Championships. The two NWRRC athletes ran for the very first time on the superb and steeply banked indoor track in Manchester, which is often used for World, International, or for other national running finals. The meeting on Saturday had to be re-arranged due to fixture clashes yet it still attracted a host of top elite performers backed by a large vocal and enthusiastic support group from across the UK. In addition to recording massive PBs, both Welsh runners also collected prestigious gold medals for winning their respective age categories and time trials in the 200m and 600m track races, which has now propelled them into the top Welsh rankings over these distances. And

 *Kelly-Marie Alford and Cai Roberts in Heaton Park Deserved podium place for Kelly at Heaton Park half-marathon Report by Don Hale. North Wales athletes Kelly-Marie Alford and her partner Cai Roberts crossed the English border to Heaton Park in Manchester on Sunday to take part in a “live” half-marathon event where Kelly claimed a deserved age-related podium place. In a popular race that would still be prohibited in Wales due to current Covid-19 restrictions on running events, Kelly battled the weather and a series of challenging hill climbs to earn a silver medal position as 2nd in her F35 age category. The half-marathon was part of a welcome three-race programme, including both a 5k and 10k, and recording nearly 800 finishers in total  Despite a lack of endurance training and race fitness, both Kelly and Cai, who were representing NWRRC, ran well and enjoyed their first major race competition for over a year, with Kelly running home in 2 hours 8 minutes 39 seconds.  She was less tha

When Charlie' lost' his mind - By Don Hale  IT was on the number 6 bus back from Eccles, near Manchester, on a bitterly cold, wet day, one November, that my friend Charlie first mentioned something about his amazing mind-reading claims.  We had been playing football against St Joseph's School at Monton - and won 3-2, - thanks to our centre forward Brian (Sniffer) Harris scoring a last minute penalty. The home side accused their goalkeeper of 'sleeping,' and of being 'nobbled,' as Sniffer struck home the winner.  Certainly the lad appeared to freeze, and made little or no effort to save the shot.  Charlie Cressbrook played on the left wing for our school team. On the journey home, as we celebrated a sweet victory with a packet of salt and vinegar crisps, some toffee cigarettes and a can of pop, he tried to tell the boys' about a dangerous trick he claimed to have mastered.  Charlie was a bit of a 'swank,' always boasting about something or other.

                                   The genuine detectives' office at Manchester Town Hall SHERLOCK HOLMES, DYNAMITERS, FOREIGN AGENTS AND ROGUES The perils of old Manchester & London  Report by Don Hale The period shortly before and after the turn of the 19th century coincided with the fictional publications of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who depicted his hero as the super sleuth Sherlock Holmes, and his able assistant Dr Watson.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - the creator of the Sherlock Holmes character His work was extremely topical, and although at times it was criticised by senior Manchester Detective Jerome Caminada, he often included important references to the ‘Dynamiters’ and ‘Foreign Agents,’ and Holmes regularly pitted his wits against the admirable Inspector Lustrade at the new Scotland Yard.                                   Famous Manchester detective Jerome Caminada By this time, London could also boast of a unique police riverboat force, incorporated within the main city