A former newspaper and magazine editor is launching his new project today.

Don Hale was made redundant from North Wales Living at Christmas after the magazine ceased production.

Undeterred, he set up Coast and Country Productions Ltd and assembled a small editorial team to launch Coast and Country Living Magazine.

The new monthly will be run from the team's office in Llandudno, north Wales, and carry lifestyle and history features as well as reports on places of local interest.

Don told holdthefrontpage: "I was made redundant from my position as editor of North Wales Living magazine and it has turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened.

"I ran my own company before I joined North Wales Living and, with some of the other staff that were made redundant, we have started the new magazine.

"It is a free lifestyle magazine covering north Wales, mid Wales, Chester, Cheshire, Shrewsbury and parts of Shropshire.

"The circulation will be 10,000 to 15,000, rising to 20,000, and will be delivered to hotels, shops, businesses and selected postcodes."

Joining Don are editor Carolle Doyle and designers Katie Gatton and Paul Gibson.

The magazine, primarily aimed at the over-40s, will also appear as a digital version on its website where readers can "flip" over the pages on-screen.

The first issue has a portrait of Rolf Harris, a feature on Shrewsbury's new theatre and a look at Chester Food and Drink Festival.

Don was previously the editor of the Matlock Mercury and is also a published author.

He was awarded an OBE for campaigning journalism and fought tirelessly for a review into the murder conviction of 17-year-old Stephen Downing.

Downing served 27 years in jail for killing Derbyshire woman Wendy Sewell but was released in 2001 by the Court of Appeal.

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