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OLD MANCHESTER & THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

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                                  An old lady newspaper seller Old Manchester & the Industrial Revolution Report by Don Hale. Manchester, like so many other major cities throughout the country was completely transformed by the Industrial Revolution. It led to the rapid construction of canals, railways, housing, and scores of factories - many were built close to rivers and made extensive use of waterpower.   The city soon became a magnet for people seeking accommodation and work. And part of this labour force included many Irish immigrants, who started to arrive in great numbers from about 1852, followed by the Italians in1865, and numerous other foreign workers. The unprecedented growth of cotton mills and the increasing demand for additional labour continued to swell the population of Manchester.  In 1811, the regions census figures showed a population of 79,459; and by 1838 it had more than doubled to 181,708. It continued to increase, reaching 303,382 just thirteen years later i

EARLY AVIATORS, A FILM STAR PILOT, AND WELSH INCIDENTS

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Robert Loraine (pictured above) as John Tanner in George Bernard Shaw's  Man and Superman , produced at the Criterion Theatre, London, on 28 September, 1911 EARLY AVIATORS:  FILM STAR ROBERT LORAINE, MABEL LOVE,  AND SOME WELSH MEMORIES Exclusive report by Don Hale.   During the early days of World War One, and as a raw recruit to the British Army, the world-famous actor Robert Lorraine volunteered to join the newly-formed Royal Flying Corps, where his experience in early aviation often proved invaluable.   He also helped form the early ENSA troop of actors, entertaining the troops in battlefields in France and Belgium. He encouraged fellow members of the RFC and RNAS forces to join in the fun, and eventually helped utilise and launch the careers of many famous performers who also went onto to further fame and fortune. Included within this group at one time or another, were said to be: Ivor Novello, Jack Warner, Billy Cotton, Mervyn Johns, Basil Rathbone, Vernon Castle, Lewis Carso

WILKIE BARD & THE MUSICAL NIGHT WATCHMAN

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                    Comedian Wilkie Bard as Widow Twanky in Aladdin, c.1906. WILKIE BARD & THE MUSICAL NIGHT WATCHMAN Report by Don Hale The poor old Night Watchmen in the late 1800's often came in for some stick from a variety of sources. And in particular, he was also the butt of many jokes and songs in the ever-popular music hall.  The famous Victorian entertainer Wilkie Bard, who originally hailed from Manchester, was noted for singing a popular monologue about the unfortunate   Manchester Watchman , and for using their exploits as part of his famous music hall act. Heralded as probably one of the great all-time music hall stage performers of his day, Wilkie Bard, was born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester in 1874. He was actually christened William August Smith - the August being a popular German name at that time. He was a popular Lancashire singer and comedian who told and sang the stories of the day in an amusing style.  On stage, he was noted for his unusually high for

LONDON TO MANCHESTER – DAILY MAIL AIR RACE 1910

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                                 French pilot Louis Paulhan LONDON TO MANCHESTER – DAILY MAIL AIR RACE 1910:  Two amazing flying-machines competed for £10,000 prize money Report by Don Hale. On 28th April 1910, and after more than four years of prompting by the public and press, two intrepid pioneer flyers, an Englishman Claude Grahame-White, and a French rival, Louis Paulhan, fuelled the country’s enthusiasm for aviation racing, by taking part in an exciting challenge, flying from London to Manchester in an attempt to win an incredible £10,000 prize offered by Daily Mail newspaper proprietor Lord Northcliffe.                                                         Louis Paulhan Paulhan and Grahame-White were thrust into direct competition and the previous afternoon, and very late in the day, they had begun their mad-dash attempt to reach Manchester, flying high over the exposed tracks of the London & North Western Railway Company, closely following the route to the North West.  Al

NWRRC athletes struck gold at half-marathon championships

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                            Martin Green won gold at the half-marathon championships NWRRC athletes struck gold at half-marathon championships Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. Athletes from NWRRC claimed seven prestigious awards, including five gold medals last weekend, at the North Wales virtual half-marathon championship event. Run as individuals on their own preferred local courses due to Covid-19 restrictions, the team of nine, all celebrated with an unexpected bag-full of medals, and some excellent finishing times, despite often competing on waterlogged trails, or on other challenging routes, in wet and windy weather conditions.                                                           Carla Green - another gold medal winner Golden couple  Martin and Carla Green  were the pick of the runners with Martin finishing 2nd overall and 1st in his M45 age category in 1 hr 13 mins 49 secs; whilst Carla was 20th overall, 2nd female runner, and 1st F45 athlete in 1.34.00, beating

Newborough Forest won the virtual World Cup Parkrun Final against North Wales rivals

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Newborough Forest won the virtual World Cup Parkrun Final against North Wales rivals Archive report by Don Hale. Flashback story to earlier in 2020. The picturesque beauty spot of Newborough Forest on Anglesey finally won the epic local derby Parkrun battle over their North Wales rivals Conwy earlier in 2020 to win the top global tourism prize, with both teams recording a record number of votes. In a dramatic 24-hour final staged online, Newborough led for most of the way, and backed by tremendous Island support, fully deserved their victory. With this inaugural, virtual running competition, which attracted 24 teams worldwide from a variety of tourist locations based in Australia, Germany, Holland, Norway, and from all around the UK, it seemed quite bizarre, and perhaps a shade unfortunate that two teams situated just 30-miles apart in scenic North Wales, should meet in the final.                                                         Images from Newborough Parkrun It is however, perh

Llinos recovered from Coronavirus symptoms to complete extreme challenges

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Llinos recovered from Coronavirus symptoms to complete extreme challenges                                                                                                    Llinos Davies Report by Don Hale   A Deganwy based triathlete, who faced a gradual recovery from several debilitating Coronavirus symptoms, has just run the equivalent of three marathons to complete a demanding task as part of a unique “Mudder Challenge,” in memory of her late father. GOG member Llinos Davies explained that her interest in extreme challenges first began during lockdown and admitted that she was trying hard to keep herself motivated and active, after a host of regular races were suddenly cancelled due to this horrific virus. She said: ‘I entered so many events, including the Harlech Triathlon in April, the Gold Rush 8-mile trail run, a standard distance triathlon in June, the Tour de Mon 107-mile bike ride in August, and then, the one I was fearing most – the Snowdon Marathon. ‘My father was a fell r

9/11 GROUND ZERO - ENGLISHMEN IN NEW YORK - A UK DOCTOR'S TRUE ACCOUNT AT GROUND ZERO

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THE DAY THE WORLD CHANGED AN INCREDIBLE PERSONAL STORY WITH EXCLUSIVE PHOTOGRAPHS ABOUT THE TWIN TOWERS’ ATTACK:   *READ THIS SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE BOOK: 9/11 GROUND ZERO: ENGLISHMEN IN NEW YORK - AFTERMATH.    Don Hale reports on one of the world’s most dramatic terrorist attacks ever. PLEASE SEE THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE: IT IS LESS THAN 3 MINS BUT IT MIGHT CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND GIVE YOU AN INSIGHT INTO THIS TERRIBLE ATTROCITY WHICH TOOK THE LIVES OF SO MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE: THE DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD - 9/11 Ground Zero https://youtu.be/xj17ZHGzuOM via @YouTube https://www.amazon.co.uk/11-Ground-Zero-Englishmen-Aftermath/dp/1517098459/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=9%2F11+dr+sam+allen&qid=1631284636&sr=8-3 Exactly 20-years ago, I was contacted by my friend Dr Sam Allen, a well-known, and highly-respected doctor, and a global specialist on highly infectious diseases. I have known Sam for about 40-years, and we both ran for the same Derbyshire athletics club in Matlock, when I was editor