At Octopus, we start our day with the papers. We have done so since the day we launched ourselves into the world at Octopus Towers nine years ago.

It's so ingrained that it's almost a religion (not a proper one obviously, more like Jedi-ism or Scientology). Although we have modernised over the years, adding RSS to our inky fingered news search in the morning, the principles are still very much the same.

With our collective noses buried daily in the papers we know immediately when we have arrived at Silly Season each year.  The annual parade of nonsense stories (and, let's be honest, a good helping of PR guff) to fill the otherwise empty news pages.

This year, Twitter has made it all the worse, with farcical stories shouted and bounced off the walls of the online echo-chamber.

But if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  Herewith, my most stick-in-the-mind Silly Season contributions so far. An interesting sign of the times that so many are about fat issues?

5) Most Pet Dogs Are Too Fat, Study Finds

4) One sausage is apparently much better than three

3) Call us fat, not obese (and later we are 'sleeping' not dead)

2) Ashford anglers mourn death of giant carp

1) Cheltenham chicken lays giant egg, but it's not as big as others

If you've seen any better (or should that be worse?) examples of Silly Season in action please do leave us a comment and let us know!

Emily