Noostyle Featured in Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph caught up with 'the boss', Peter Robinson at the weekend, to find out what makes him tick. Here's the transcript:
Peter Robinson is the creative director of Noostyle Web Design in Belfast. He works with voluntary sector, corporate and public sector bodies providing them with a web solution for their business and audiences' needs. Peter lives in north Belfast and has two sons, aged 11 and 5
Do weekends find you at the coalface or drawbridge up?
It depends on the time of day really. Weekends at home are centred around taking the children on outings. A typical weekend will be spent in parks, swimming pools and toy shops. Once the kids are in bed though, the pyjamas are on and we are primed for a few hours in front of the Comedy Channel or watching a film.
If you can, do you grab a lie-in?
We affectionately refer to our youngest boy as 'The Rooster' so there is little chance of a lie-in -- ever! Even if that weren't the case, I'd much prefer to be up, ready and doing something. Every minute at the weekend is precious.
What do you remember most about weekends as a child?
I remember having a built-in body clock that seemed to wake me just in time for the latest episodes of Gummi Bears and The A-Team. Perhaps I'm looking back through rose-tinted glasses, but I like to remember the weather being much sunnier; we seemed to spend all our time in T-shirts and shorts. We were definitely very active children. Status was earned by running and jumping rather than shooting aliens and zombies from the settee.
If you could do anything you wanted this weekend, what would it be?
Ideally, I'd be in a corporate box at Anfield or in Prague with my camera. But I'll happily settle for a day at Carnfunnock if the weather is good.
If you could buy anything at all this weekend, what would it be?
I love my gadgets but now own most of the 'boy's toys' I've had my eye on. I'm at the age where I prefer to buy experiences rather than material goods. Therefore, I'd ideally like to buy a holiday this weekend.
At weekends, do you eat out or do you rustle up something yourself?
We usually finish family outings by going for a meal -- the kids' favourite course is, of course, the sweet. It's probably not always the healthiest food, but we have to mix hard work with the things we like. Still, I do like to cook so I'm just as comfortable cooking and eating in.
A night at the flicks or a DVD?
It's a bit of a mixture. I enjoy the good old-fashioned escapism of going to watch the latest Disney film. The most recent films I've seen are Shrek and Toy Story 3 (below). How I wish they would hurry up and make The Hobbit movie.
I also have a large enough collection of DVDs which I like to keep for emergencies (when there's nothing better on TV). I really enjoy watching my box sets of comedy classics like Only Fools and Horses and Father Ted.
If you had time to read a book this weekend, what would it be?
I'm a real bookworm. It's the ultimate escape after having read countless lines of code all day at the computer. On a recent holiday, I read a cracking crime thriller called The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo so I've ordered another of his novels, Nemesis. I hope it arrives soon as my stockpile is depleted.
Do you switch off your mobile and log out of emails at weekends?
Much to the annoyance of those at home, I never do. I'm quite active on social networking sites as it allows potential and existing customers to see the 'real' me. It builds rapport. The weekend is my best chance to do this.
I actually get lots of enquiries from potential customers at the weekends so I like to answer them quickly, just to acknowledge their interest. I usually send replies on Sunday evenings while I am planning for the week ahead.
Sunday morning -- do you go to church?
I went to church for years before realising that I prefer to observe my faith in my own way. I view spirituality as a personal relationship with God so I don't get a lot out of group celebrations.
In saying that, I do quite enjoy the services at Christmas and Easter. We are quite lucky to have a priest who's a very engaging speaker.
Your perfect Sunday?
For me, the perfect Sunday requires some planning. Cooking the sausages and bacon in advance allows more time for a relaxing breakfast. I generally like to do something 'outdoors' on a Sunday and if my beloved Liverpool are playing on TV, that's a real bonus.
And when do you start to get depressed at the thought of the week ahead?
I'm very lucky to have a job I love so work-related depressions would be extremely rare.
Because of the nature of my work, I get to meet a variety of really interesting people. One day I could be talking to a voluntary organisation and am blown away with their selfless and pioneering efforts while the next day I could meet an up-and-coming entrepreneur who you just know is going to make it. It's all quite exciting.
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