Jon Bounds is Founder of a number of classic websites helping promote Birmingham including BiNS and also came up with the idea of Talk Like a Brummie day.

He's taken some time out of his busy schedule to answer some of our random questions.

Bostin: What/when was your first website?
JB: I had a website or two before most people had heard of the interweb - I was doing
a computer science degree in the early nineties. The first was probably the
website for my semi-fictional record label 'Bearwood Ted's Records' (in reality we
only put out one record by our own band - it didn't sell), it didn't have digital
downloads or anything like that. The other was a very basic collection of links,
which i billed as "your one stop for all your Bjorn Borg and West Bromwich Albion
news" but it wasn't anything to do with either - I mention it now as it's still
the best URL I ever bought (don't have it anymore) bjornborgbaggiesbaggies.net.


Bostin: What inspired you to do BiNS?
JB: I always say it was because the council were doing such a shite job at the Capital
of Culture bid, which was probably part of the reason at the start. It's kind of
an online fanzine really - if you can be a fan of a whole city - and I've been
doing fanzines for years.

Bostin: What is your favourite website and why?
JB: Could be boring and say Google Reader, as it's the place I spend most of my time
online, but my all time favourite is b3ta.com - although I refrain from going on
it at work.


Bostin: Do you have any hidden talents?
JB:  I try never to hide my light under Gary Bushell, but not many people know that I
play a mean washboard - I spent some time in a skiffle combo called Skiffilis.


Bostin: What's your best chat up line?
JB: I have never used, or I hope been the recipient of, a chat-up line. My mate Lee
however used to say "Have you got any friends who would be interested in an
Ex-professional footballer?'. He may still, it used to work, and he was.


Bostin: Describe yourself in three words:
JB: The new DeNiro


Bostin: What's your karaoke song of choice?
JB: There's usually not much choice, any Slade, or ol' Rock 'n' Roll. Wedge Grundy and
The Big Rons (the sometime covers band I find myself in at the moment) do a
storming Suspicious Minds - which is empty orchestra of the highest order.


Bostin: What do you love about Birmingham?
JB: The fact that I care, really. It's good to care about something. And it's just
small enough to make a difference in.


Bostin: What makes you feel good?
JB: Northern Soul, The Who, The Mightly Boosh, understanding something, and making
people smile. And jam on toast.

Bostin: Do you have any bad habits?
JB: Procrastin.. ah I'll tell you later.

Bostin: Have you ever told a lie and what was it?
JB: No, and that was one.

Bostin: Have you ever flirted on the train?
JB: I rarely go on trains, I'm a bus man. Somehow flirting on a bus would be just a
little too much like asking "would you like to see what's in my box, it's a
camel?"

Bostin: Winter or Summer?
JB:  I'm an old mod, I like coats. Winter.

Bostin: What one word best describes Birmingham?
JB: "Birmingham" is quite good, although what it means to each person is completely
different.

Bostin: What's the song you're most embarrassed about loving?
JB: Never be embarrassed about loving music, but I wish people - advertisers mainly -
wouldn't ruin songs you love. Jonathan Richman's Egyptian Reggae now means
Wheatabix, and Al Wilson's peerless The Snake has been polluted by Lambrini of all
things.

Bostin: Red, White or Rose?
JB: You choose, actually have you got any Beck's?

Bostin: If you could have one superpower what would it be?
JB: It would be quite handy to do the fantastic four 'flame-on' thing, or actually I
could just turn the central heating on.

Bostin: If you had written one song, what would it be and why?
JB: Willow's Song from the soundtrack to the Wicker Man. I own about 10 different
cover versions of that, each one terrific.

Bostin: Which film do you wish you'd starred in and why?
JB: The Italian Job (original of course) in fact I've gone so far as to write a sequel
- Another Italian Job where we steal vatican gold on vespas.

Bostin: What is your 'Time Tunnel' year and why?
JB: 1992, the beginning of the end for grunge, the height of Stadium Techno, Popscene
by Blur and On a Ragga Tip by SL2.

Bostin: What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for someone?
JB: I'm no judge, you'll have to ask them.

Bostin: What's your biggest fashion faux-pas?
JB: I once wore both halves of a tracksuit at once, and not when I was playing sport.

Bostin: Have you had any disastrous dates and if so why?
JB: Ones where I've turned up.

Bostin: Tell us your favourite joke.
JB: I can't remember my actual favourite ever joke, I laughed so hard I spat my beer
out and after apoligising the joke had gone. It was something to do with
werewolves and the puchline was: "and so I spent 6 months working in a silver
bullet factory". Can anyone help?

Danny Bernardi is the author of numerous short stories and his debut novel, 'Under the Rotunda', set in Brum, was released last year. Bostin hung out with him for a while to chew the fat.

BOSTIN: What inspired you to write Under the Rotunda?

DB: Well, I can’t say it was any one specific thing. To be honest I thought of the title before the story or the characters. I kind of knew I wanted to write something set in my own city, Birmingham, and thought about putting a group of people together on a Friday night after work just to see what happened. I took care of the characters first and then the storyline just emerged. It was only when I did the third or fourth draft that I started to hone the plot to make sure it all made sense by knocking things like time lines into shape. I also had to sit with a map of Birmingham for a couple of days just to make sure I’d named all the streets correctly and that it was possible for all the characters to get from various places in the time I’d given them! Readers spot these things – particularly native Brummies! I suppose it was just really all about a desire to record or witness some of the challenges that I felt my generation has had to deal with. I think there are a lot of people around my age who are dissatisfied and they don’t know why. They feel so out of sorts. Maybe it’s because they have higher expectations than their parents did. When you have very high expectations out of life then sometimes they will remain unmet. Also, work seems to play a much more important role in people’s lives than it ever before and so I wanted to write about contemporary attitudes to work through the characters. One of the characters has no choice but to work but doesn’t take it seriously, another character is a professional who has not really been performing effectively and so has been sacked whilst another is an artist who is unable to pursue his passion full time. So, as you can see there was loads of things all mixed up in my head which made me want to write this story. I don’t know whether I’ve succeeded … that’s for readers to decide I suppose.

BOSTIN: How long did it take to write?

DB: Too long! I do write fast but this just went on and on. I suppose it probably took three years on and off, although I was writing other stuff in between. Trouble was I’d put it down for a while then re-read it and realise it needed re-working in several places. I hope the next one is a bit quicker.

BOSTIN: How do you write?

DB: No particular way. I’d like to tell you I have a particular pen or a special pad or even a room of my own but it wouldn’t be true. I write in many different ways and in many different places. Sometimes it’s a pencil and a pad, other times it is straight onto the trusty laptop … it just depends where I am and what mood I’m in. Generally though first drafts are done by hand in a pad and then from there on it’s typed up and messed around with on screen.

BOSTIN: Why do you write?

DB: Couldn’t tell you. It’s just what I do. It’s certainly not for the money. I’d make more working for MacDonald’s! Some people play golf, others mess about with engines or cook exotic food. I write. It passes the time and I have had some of the happiest times of my life writing. I don’t really look for deep reasons and I’m not that interested in analysing why I do it. I love it though. I must do because sometimes I get annoyed when I have to get up to answer the phone or the door when I’m in the middle of a sentence. I don’t really believe in writing as a therapeutic tool or that it necessarily gives one’s life a meaning. Most of the time it’s a slog. It is what it is – a great way to pass the time before I have to take my leave. I have many regrets but the time I have spent reading and writing are not amongst them! Sometimes I think I might need another lifetime to write up all the ideas in my head but I know that won’t happen so I just try to get as much down as I can. The only thing I catch myself thinking is that I hope that someone somewhere might like reading my stuff otherwise it has been a bit of a waste really. Still, no more of a waste than hitting a white ball around all afternoon I suppose! Most of my friends do not know I write. I keep it quiet. I like the work to speak for itself I guess. Anyway most of the guys I drink with at the Ward End Social Club would probably think there was something not quite right about me if they knew I locked myself away for long periods and made stuff up.

BOSTIN: Are writers born or made?

DB: I think a few are born but the majority are made. You can make yourself into a good writer by application, dedication and practise, I think. The rest of it is down to you. Try to write something every day and if you can’t then try to read something every day. The best tutors are other writers. I view writing as a sport. You need to train as often as possible so that you can perform when the time comes (if it ever comes!). Dancers and musicians practise every day why shouldn’t writers? I think if you approach it in this way you can make yourself into a competent creative writer. The great thing is you need no degree and it doesn’t matter who you are … anyone can write something if they really want to.

BOSTIN: What does Bostin mean to you?

DB: Umm … it’s a word, an expression. It’s Brummie, it’s Black Country too. Is it rock 'n roll? Perhaps not. I used to use the word a lot and thought it was going out of fashion but obviously not. I will use it more now that I’ve met the nice people at the Bostin website. When I hear the word it makes me smile and it makes me think of Brum and all things Brummie ... good and bad.Oh and it makes me think of Tiswas too. Now it’s a website, a t-shirt, a secret code and a way of life for many. The word has been reclaimed … and why not?

BOSTIN: What next?

Danny Bernardi: A cup of tea and a bit of a stretch and then back to the keyboard until some bugger phones me or ring the doorbell. Seriously I’m working hard on a second novel but I don’t wish to tempt fate by talking about it!

Danny Bernardi’s debut novel is ‘Under the Rotunda’ and is available direct from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/184685184X/202-9128696-2101469?

Danny’s website is www.dannybernardi.zoomshare.com

You can also find him on www.facebook.com