-

The annual Autumn Fair will be held from January 21 to 29 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre in Sanabis.

In its 20th year, the Autumn Fair will host an exciting bazaar of traders selling spices, handicrafts and carpets and an assortment of products including food delicacies, electrical goods, toys, luxurious textiles, cosmetics, interior dŽcor accessories, rugs and novelties.

There will be over 500 stands brought together from more than 25 countries worldwide, including China, Egypt, Iran, India, Kuwait, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey and UAE alongside Bahrian.

Special to this year's show is a raffle for a Kia Opirus, sponsored by A.A. bin Hindi Motors. Entry to the raffle is free of charge on purchase of an Autumn Fair entry ticket.

Held under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Autumn Fair will be open daily to the public from 10am to 1pm and 4pm to 10pm. A special ladies only morning will be held on January 25 and 26 from 10am to 1pm.

Entry is 700 fils while children up to age five enter free.

******

British songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Denny Laine, former guitarist and lead singer of the Moody Blues and the co-founder of the rock band Wings, along with Sir Paul McCartney. He will be joined on stage for two shows by bassist and mandolin player Alan Thomson and percussionist Jeff Allan. The band will perform at the Dilmun Club, Saar on January 15 and tickets are BD12 for members and BD15 for non-members. A dinner concert will take place on January 16 at the Upstairs Downstairs restaurant, Adliya priced at BD30.

Laine took up the guitar as a boy under the influence of Gypsy jazz legend Django Reinhardt and had his first solo performance as a musician at the age of 12. He began his career as a professional musician fronting Denny & The Diplomats, which also included future The Move and Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan. In 1964, Laine left The Diplomats to join Mike Pinder in The Moody Blues and wrote a number of hits, including 'Go Now', 'From The Bottom Of My Heart', 'Can't Nobody Love You' and the harmonica-tuned 'Bye Bye Bird'. He quit the band in 1966 to form the Electric String Band, which also featured guitarist Trevor Burton and Viv Prince on drums. The success of the band's two singles Say You Don't Mind / Ask The People and Too Much In Love / Catherine's Wheel brought them success that saw them share the bill with the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Procol Harum, at the Saville Theatre in London in 1967. Laine and Burton then began the band Balls from 1969 until the band's breakup in 1971. He then formed Wings with Sir Paul and stayed with the band until it officially disbanded in 1981. He is currently working on an autobiography. Doors will open at the Dilmun Club at 7.30pm on January 15. For the dinner concert at Upstairs Downstairs, doors open at 6.30pm on January 16 and curtains rise at 9.30pm.

****

World Beat Fitness Centre in Budaiya will have an Open Day on Wednesday, January 21 from 8.30am to 12 noon and from 4pm to 8pm. Various fitness programmes including nia, yoga, BOSU, pilates, belly dancing, modern jazz and children's classes will run throughout the day. Entry is free for all. For details contact 17612576 or visit www.worldbeatfitness.com.

Artist Demi McLeod will be hosting her exhibition 'ephemeral space' at the Gulf Hotel's Palace Lounge which opens on January 29 at 7 pm and continues until February 7.

Demi McLeod was trained at the Royal Collage, London and now lives in Bahrain. Working as a gallery owner and curator in Australia, she has been intimately influenced by the art world. This is reflected in her upcoming exhibition.

For details contact 36425701, 0061404090789 (Australia), email demi.mcleod@hotmail.com or log on to www.demimcleod.com.

The Arabian Gulf University is organising a training course for those working in the GCC disabled centres from January 12 to 14.

Strategies for 'How to Look for Early Signs of Disabilities in Children' will take place in the university.

Dr Nabeel Sulaiman and Dr Mariam Al Shirawi, both from the university's Mental Disability Programme will be conducting the course.