THE launch of the Yes campaign on Scottish independence reminds Ken Wimbor of a recent flight to Gatwick from Edinburgh where, due to congestion, the plane was directed to a stand at international arrivals.

Says Ken: "The captain came on the intercom to let passengers know we would be disembarking within the international arrivals area. He then added: 'I would quickly like to reassure passengers that British Airways, for the time being, still regards flights from Edinburgh as internal ones.'"

Poetic licence

READING one of her works at the Yes campaign launch was the Scots Makar, or national poet, Liz Lochhead. It prompted Gordon Campbell in Crieff to recall: "The week before last I happened to spot Ms Lochhead enjoying a lunchtime coffee in Glasgow's Oran Mor. I hadn't expected to meet my Maker quite so soon."

Sticky situation

MOST depressing news for many at the weekend was Scotland's 5-1 humping by the US. Tartan Army members took to message boards to denounce hapless manager Craig Levein. As one fan colourfully put it: "Call that a bonding session for the Scottish players? There was about as much bonding as a Pritt Stick trying to bond a marble to a mirror."

Out of tune

EQUALLY depressing for some – although hugely enjoyed by others – was the Eurovision Song Contest in which the UK again sank without trace. But as one critic contacted the Diary to tell us: "I don't want to live in a world where the euro collapses, but doesn't take Eurovision with it."

Late chart entry

OUR tale of Blue Nile singer Paul Buchanan checking in a Glasgow music store if his new solo album was in stock, reminds Paul O'Sullivan: "When I was working in Bruce's Record Shop in Sauchiehall Street, Billy Connolly came in and asked the same question. Of course, this was before he was the Big Yin. He was asking about his first post-Humblebums album.

"I told him we had it in stock – but not that we hadn't sold any."

Dynamic Kev?

MISUNDERSTANDING young ones continued. A Kilsyth reader was puzzled when his five-year-old grandson announced the other day that his mum was going to take him to see Diane and Kev – a mental check of all the family's friends could not throw up such a couple.

They later learned he was being taken to the Edinburgh tourist attraction Dynamic Earth.

Sizzling question

THE other topic of conversation this weekend was of course the glorious weather. A reader swears a chap at the golf club announced he was flying off to Switzerland shortly.

"Are you going to Bern?" asked a fellow member.

"No, I don't think it will be that hot," he replied.