1. Up and at it - what is your morning routine?
I wake up some time between seven o’clock and 7.30am and then get the kids up and out for school. It’s the usual kind of stuff - getting packed lunches ready, trying to get them to remember what books they need, as well as their PE gear... and making sure everyone has brushed their teeth.
2. What might you eat in a typical working day for...
Breakfast? I usually piggyback on what the kids are having – like tea and toast.
Lunch? Lunch varies from a cup of tea and a biscuit to a foray into the fridge for leftovers.
Evening meal? I do most of the cooking at home, but we mostly eat vegetarian, as my eldest son Ben (16) is veggie. We eat a lot of Mexican-style food, mostly tacos, chilli and burritos.
3. Is nutrition important to you – do you take health supplements?
As a family, we go through phases of trying to eat more healthily and we encourage the children to take vitamins, but we are so busy from day-to-day, that it’s never consistent.
4. Ever been on a diet – if so, how did it go?
Not really, but once in a while I’ll go on a health kick - just watching what I eat and trying to avoid the snack cupboard.
5. Weekend treat?
A bacon sandwich or a fry for breakfast - a proper, full Irish with all the trimmings, and a big mug of tea.
6. How do you keep physically and mentally fit?
I’m a youth football coach with local side, Newcastle Football Club under-14s, so training twice a week, along with match day on a Saturday, helps keep me relatively fit. I’ve just joined the fundraising committee for the club, so that will keep me busy mentally, alongside all my other work. I’ve never been one for the gym.
Gimme a cup of tea and a Battenberg any day of the week
— Rob Manley
7. Best tip for everyday fitness?
To be honest, I never really stop, from when I get up in the morning until I get into bed around 11pm or 11.30pm. I’m constantly on the go all day every day – I don’t know if that’s a tip or not.
8. Were you a fan of schools sports/PE or do you have a memory from those days that you would rather forget?
Yes, I absolutely loved sports and PE in school, probably to my academic detriment. They are all good memories, although I’ll never forgive my PE teacher at high school, Mr Adair, for his reluctance to play football – it was always rugby.
9. Teetotal or tipple?
My tipple of choice is gin - although I can go for weeks without touching a drop of the hard stuff. Gimme a cup of tea and a Battenberg any day of the week.
10. Stairs or lift?
Stairs, for now. My knees are starting to go, so it might be the lift soon.
- ‘I’m very happy to be back at The Brandywell, cheering on Derry City’ - Derry musician Marty CoyleOpens in new window
- ‘Walking up and down steep cliff paths with full diving gear is the best gym’ - surfer and freediver Hanno WindischOpens in new window
- ‘I am my five year-old self: I still want to eat chips with red sauce, be outside, read and write stories’ - playwright Alice MalseedOpens in new window
11. What book are you currently reading?
I’m reading Assault on the System: The Nonconformist Cinema of John Carpenter by Troy Howarth. I’m a big fan of John Carpenter films.
12. Best Netflix/streaming TV?
I don’t watch an awful lot of TV, but usually some series will catch my attention. I’ve just finished Fallout (Prime) and The Gentlemen (Netflix). Film-wise, I like introducing old horror and sci-fi films from the 70s and 80s to my two eldest boys, whether it’s watching them at home or heading to the cinema. With my new role at Film Hub NI, I get the chance to encourage so many wonderfully dedicated community groups, charities, schools, festivals and community cinemas in Newry and Mourne to screen films in their local area. Cinema can be a fantastic way of bringing people together.
13. Any new skills or hobbies?
I am teaching myself how to use some new music production software (Ableton).
14. How do you relax?
Football or a film with an ice cold beer.
My aim is to engage new audiences for independent cinema
— Rob Manley
15. What would you tell your younger self?
Buy some Bitcoin… lots of it. On a more serious note, I think I’d probably tell myself to work harder in school.
16. What are your goals for the rest of 2024?
I’m looking forward to focusing on my new role with Film Hub NI as Spotlight facilitator. My aim is to engage new audiences for independent cinema through the very best in Irish, British and international film in the Newry and Mourne Area. With Newcastle Community Cinema, I’m looking forward to delivering a bumper Full Moon Film Festival in November - its 10th year.
17. What time do you get to bed and do you think you get enough sleep?
I’m in bed by 11 o’clock or 11.30pm. As long as I get six hours, I’m usually grand. I could sleep on a clothesline, to be honest.
18. Biggest gripe or regret?
My gripe would be ‘influencers’… or maybe I’m just getting old. As for regrets, I don’t really dwell on mistakes or missed opportunities; I’m a firm believer in learning from all life experiences. Every day is a school day.
19. Have your priorities in life or perspectives changed?
Absolutely. I think since Covid, most people’s life priorities have changed. As a family, we love travelling and trying new things - so spending more time doing things together has become a priority.
20. Has coronavirus – or any health epiphany or life event - changed your attitude towards your own mortality?
It wasn’t a health scare, but before my new role with Film Hub NI, I owned a pub for the past 15 years, which unfortunately burned down two years ago. After managing to get through the difficulties of Covid in the hospitality industry, things were looking up again, only for a devastating fire to tear through the Anchor Bar in Newcastle in January 2022. It was absolutely heartbreaking at the time, as the bar was very much at the heart of the community, but we’ve made peace with it now and have pledged to turn a dire situation into a positive one, as we begin the rebuild. Watch this space.
