In a weekly series The Royal Gazette's Matthew Taylor takes a look at the past seven days on the campaign trail.

After the fire and fury of Premier Ewart Brown's adrenalin pumping speech to party colleagues, Bermuda's mammoth seven-week general election campaign simmered down in week two.

It began with 'Son of the Soil' whistle-blower Harold Darrell announcing his intention to stand as an independent in Wayne Perinchief's marginal Pembroke Central seat.

A Progressive Labour Party poll, given to The Royal Gazette, suggested the Government, with a healthy eight-point lead, could be on course for a third straight victory. But the figures were roundly condemned by the United Bermuda Party as being self-serving while a PLP website ironically referred to the "PLP trailing the UBP" before the blooper was fixed.

With a public holiday disrupting the flow of press conferences, week two had the feeling of the calm before the storm.

However, PLP leaflets to supporters urging them to register to vote and donate took a hardline, accusing political opponents "and their allies in the media" of "spreading nasty rumours" and even "tricking people into not voting".

Meanwhile politicians and politicos were busy pounding the pavements and making sure voters were signed up to vote.

United Bermuda Party Shadow Attorney General John Barritt reckons he is putting in up to 30 hours a week door knocking in his own Devonshire safe seat and neighbouring ones.

Both parties sense a hardening of attitudes. Mr. Barritt said: "I think people have an impression of the PLP over nine years under their Government, and a year under Ewart Brown, and I am not sure anything is going to change in the next couple of weeks."

He said announcements of transport boosts for St. David's and the like would probably cut little ice, given inaction for nearly a decade.

And whatever the PLP say, Ewart Brown's leadership is definitely an issue on the doorstep, said Mr. Barritt. "It's big for some people."

He said voters either like or dislike him, suggesting: "There are more in the dislike camp."

But Hamilton West PLP branch chairman Melvin Alick said Dr. Brown attracted mostly support and encouragement.

"Out of close to 400 homes you might find one or two homes where people have some reservations about his style."

At the sharp end of the election in marginal Hamilton Parish, Mr. Alick is confident PLP candidate Charles Clarke can overturn Wayne Furbert's 61-vote majority by promising to do more on local issues.

Nationally, he said the PLP's promise to limit Bermuda Housing Corporation rents to a quarter of a family's income was a big vote winner.

Asked if the PLP had done enough on the wider housing issue, he said: "It's a huge problem to get right and I think we are finally getting the proper elements to getting it right.

"I expect Government to be a neutral agent in taking the initiative in bringing some sanity to the whole housing marketplace by making more projects available."

Both parties agree education is a key issue with Mr. Alick saying voters wanted skills to better reflect what was needed in the work force.

"Maybe the reform needs to be more radical," he said.

The week also saw the PLP unveil plans for ten more buses, a new minibus service in St. David's and a ferry for Boaz Island while Premier Brown also said free public transport could be in place by next year.

The campaign also saw its first pre-emptive strike as Opposition leader Michael Dunkley said he expected the Premier to announce another plan to revamp the empty Club Med property in St. George's as he wryly noted nothing had come to pass from previous promises.

And there is much at stake with both parties sensing taking the East End marginals could be the key to power.

Sure enough Premier Brown was at the Club Med site yesterday, announcing Government was in the final stage of negotiation with Bazarian International regarding a new luxury hotel property with demolition likely to start before the end of the year.

And along with the traditional election promises comes the usual photo opportunities. Neither party leader could resist a visit to 101-year-old Nellie Joell's birthday party at a Devonshire Rest Home.

Dr. Brown went with flowers, Michael Dunkley went with a cake with his party's name on it and the both politicians got their picture on the front of the paper. Maybe they are not so different after all.