Wednesday, August 27th Aside from the sketchy arguments both sides are peddling in the debate over Scotland’s future, it seems the PR faux pas is also very much in vogue at the moment. The Better Together campaign performed a fine foot-shooting performance with their political broadcast that quickly became known as #patronisingBTlady in the world of Twitter. It presented a disgruntled mother who was sick to the back teeth of listening to her politically-engaged husband prattling on about the referendum. Alas, the message, whatever it was, didn’t go down well and was roundly lambasted for promoting the idea that women are more concerned with household chores than fanciful political notions. The head-scratching in our office was equally vigorous after the latest big TV debate involving Salmond and Darling when a certain ‘Alistair shut yur pus!!!’ comment popped up briefly on East Renfrewshire Council’s official Twitter feed. No sooner had the accidentally posted tweet been hastily removed than it was spreading round the internet like wild fire. It’s hard not to feel a flicker of sympathy for the person whose itchy finger got them into such a pickle, less so the people behind #patronisingBTlady who presumably had time to pause before giving their carefully considered film the green light.

Thursday, August 28th The day after the night Celtic tumbled out of the Champions League - for the second time in the same season - one of our reporters overheard an angry punter bemoaning the ability of the man charged with the task of ensuring the Glasgow side continue to dominate Scottish football and punch above their weight in Europe. Sitting in a Barrhead cafe the vexed elderly lady berated the esrtwhile unknown Norwegian Ronny Deila for his failings. “I forget what you call him, he’s German or something. I can’t mind his name but he’s rubbish. I was watching on the TV but I feel sorry for the 50,000 folk who paid to watch it for real.” If only the masses could be persuaded to forget the glamour of the Champions League and throw their lot in with the likes of Johnstone Burgh and Arthurlie the world would surely be a better place.

Friday, August 29th It seems the appeal of the Ice Bucket Challenge hasn’t yet ran out of steam with even the hardened old cynics among us raising a smile and a bob or three for charity. Indeed, the teachers at Auchenlodment Primary proved they have a sense of humour when they took time out from their normal duties to participate in the craze that’s been sweeping the nation. A photographer was on hand to capture the action and one wonders if he pondered the possibility that the primary one contingent who are only just getting used to the school routine may be under the misapprehension that chucking ice cold water over your teachers once a week is part of the Curriculum for Excellence. They or their teachers could be in for a rude awakening when Friday rolls around again.

Saturday, August 30th It’s a shame that Jim Murphy MP decided to cut short his tour of Scotland due the increasing number of hecklers who prefer to throw insults and the occasional rotten egg rather than debate the issues. Regardless of what side of the fence you stand on there’s surely something to admire about Mr Murphy’s decision to immerse himself in old school soapbox politics. He stands apart from more anonymous MPs who prefer to stay in the shadows with their fingers crossed rather than stand toe to toe with those who do not necessarily share their views. The baying mob brings shame on us all and does its cause no credit whatsoever but let’s also remember neither side in the #indyref debate is unique by virtue of its idiots.

Sunday, August 31st The Sunday papers were awash with the referendum with all manner of articles questioning the arguments for and against an independent Scotland. It’s little wonder some voters are feeling a little worn-out with it all. It is of course vital that everyone engages with what is certainly a massive moment for us all, on both sides of the border. But if you’re looking for some respite, as I was on Sunday evening, I recommend you tune in to a BBC documentary about the construction of the Forth Road Bridge which is now available on iPlayer. Not many things in life meet with universal agreement but admiration for this outstanding feat of engineering is surely an exception to the rule.

Monday, September 1st Mondays have an uncanny knack of sneaking up on you and then disappearing over the horizon before you’ve barely had the chance to take a breath. Maybe it’s an age thing but it seems to me the days fly by so quickly these days. Still, in between the flow of coffee that keeps our reporters motoring towards deadline there are moments when you can lift your head from the desk long enough to ponder what’s fast coming down the line. The journey towards the referendum has given us plenty of things to write about over the past two years but it’s amazing to think that in just over two weeks’ time we’ll know one way or t’other if we’re destined to remain part of the UK. Who knows what will happen? This poll says one thing, that poll says another but it looks as if it’s shaping up to be a very close call and the clock is now well and truly ticking.

Tuesday, September 2nd DEADLINE day in our office is a strange mix of the tried and tested routine with the inevitable arrival of a curve ball. Rarely does Tuesday pass without something coming out of the blue. I won’t bore you with the unnecessary details but there is one thing that always seems to crop up when you’re back’s against the wall and time is running out: the dreaded PR phone call, often from a far-flung London-based agency. The hapless caller’s job is to try and lever in an article to every paper in the land about a three-legged dog called Lucky whose just landed a national award for having the waggliest tail in the UK, or something similar. It usually starts with: “Hi there, my name’s Rosheen and I’m just calling to make sure you got the email sent from my colleague Esmerelda about the little dog with the waggliest tail in Scotland.” You get the picture. Deadline looming. Bye for now.