PR heavyweight

PERFORMING security duties was probably not uppermost in mind when former journalist Jonathan Rennie joined the press team at Royal Bank of Scotland.

But, as footage recently posted on a well-known social media site shows, that is precisely what he found himself doing outside the bank’s Gogarburn headquarters last week.

Eagle-eyed Twitter viewers will have spotted Mr Rennie, once of this newspaper parish, intervene to stop ITN journalist Peter Smith pursuing chief executive Ross McEwan with further difficult questions on the bank’s branch cuts.

The experience could come in handy should Mr Rennie ever consider a move into heavyweight boxing PR…

Chocks away

THE idea of accountants jumping out of aeroplanes is something which some business folk might dream about.

But that will be the reality for bean counters at EQ Chartered Accountants, who will shortly be performing a sky dive from 10,000 feet at Fife Airport in Glenrothes.

The team, who will be doing the parachute jump on Sunday (June 10), are raise funds for Maggie’s Centres.

It is part of a year-long programme of activities staff across offices in Dundee, Glenrothes, Forfar and Cupar are taking part in to drum up contributions to the charity. So far more than £3,500 has been raised through bake sales, a curry night and a pub quiz.

Taking part in the sky dive are Rachel Bell, Katie Edward, Hannah Grubb and Laura Hutt.

Chocks away and all that.

Malt memories

AFTER 45 years in the licensed trade, it was no surprise that not every tale recounted by Paul Waterson made the final cut in an interview with The Herald, published on Saturday.

There was one further anecdote we feel is worth an airing, though.

Mr Waterson recalled the reputation his family had built for the extensive whisky collection at The Pot Still in Glasgow had prompted a visit by a broadcast food and drink journalist from London.

The hack in question duly got talking to the regulars and enjoyed the trip so much that, in the final analysis, there was not that much he could remember about it.

Mr Waterson took a call from the reporter the following week, during which he asked if he had left his notebook in the pub…

Idea shortage

IS the BrewDog marketing machine running short on ideas?

The controversial brewer marked the launch of its latest US crowdfunding campaign by parachuting taxidermy “fat cats” from a helicopter above Manhattan.

The stunt aimed to mock the stereotype of the Wall Street fat cat banker, with the brewer having given the sky-diving felines pinstripe suits and fat bellies.

We couldn’t help but notice the scheme’s similarity to a previous stunt carried out by BrewDog several years ago in the City of London.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, would appear to the brewer’s mantra.