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Dear Stan, Calling all dogs in Bahrain! Do you have a story to tell?

If so, Jack and Baloo want to hear from you!

With the help of our mum Sarah and trainer Pauline, we want to put together a book about dog adoption in the desert.

We aim to give dogs in Bahrain a space to tell their tales and to provide your parents with training tips (actually we don't think that's necessary but mum insists!).

When the book's finished, the plan is to sell it to raise money for a specific (yet to be defined) animal welfare project in Bahrain. Call 39717609 or 39989727 for more details or email: sfclarke2@aol.com

Pauline and Sarah, Bahrain

Dear Stan,

TO all you parents who are probably going to whine for years to come about how unfair it is that your children cannot attend the F1, think about this.

Do any of you stop to think or realise that there are many, many Western expat children here on the island who do not have schools to even go to because all the schools are full or for whatever reason will not accept our children?

Stop whining and instead be thankful that your children have schools to go to.

Sue Parker, by email.

Dear Stan,

Your competition with a photographer's job as the prize is a wonderful initiative and a great opportunity for a young local enthusiast.

The advice from your photographer to just shoot, and try to see things in a different way hits the nail right on the head. I've attached a recent picture I took of the Bahrain World Trade building, using a Canon EOS 40D with a 10-22mm zoom lens which zoomed through a five-second exposure creating a rather "funky" WTC.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the entries to the competition.

Ian Scott,

Rigging supervisor, Bahrain.

Dear Stan,

I take this opportunity to thank you for the article about 'Limousina' in last week's GulfWeekly, it was excellent!

I really appreciate Shilpa and Sophie sparing their valuable time with us, your support on this matter was really great.

George Kuriakose,

Sales and marketing manager,

Limousina (Ajalat Group).

Dear Stan,

I Have an interest in Bahrain through a friend of mine who now lives out there.

As a Lebanese guy who lived in Earls Court, naturally he is a Liverpool fan, but he isn't allowed to forget the time I took him to see his team get beaten at Loftus Road in 1994.

In answer to your questions:

As for Gulf Air - Fantastic! As our last three sponsors have been JD Sports (shoe shop), Binatone (cheap cordless phones) and Cargiant (West London's biggest used car supermarket), Gulf Air is a massive step up for us and a sign that we may be coming back to the big time.

Great logo for the shirt too. I can't believe that anyone won't like it.

To be honest, we're not in the top 30 clubs in the country by fan-base but we did very well to survive in the top division for so long in the 1980s and 1990s.

When we dropped out in 1996, just as the money began to gush in the Premier League, a new owner splashed out to get us back as quickly as possible. When it failed, financial disaster followed, the team broke up and we sank into the third level in 2001.

We started there in administration, having narrowly survived an attempt to merge us with Wimbledon and relocate us to Milton Keynes.

After hitting a low point of defeat at home in the 1st round of the FA Cup by Vauxhall Motors (yes, really!), things stabilised on the pitch, and after a play-off defeat in 2003 we were promoted in 2004 at the end of season when we were unbeaten at home (and sold out most weeks).

However, back in the second level, the continuing financial problems of the club meant that we struggled to survive the relegation that everyone feared would lead to the club's final extinction, as the crowds ebbed away.

Coupled with the murder of one of our best youth team players (Kiyan Prince) and the death in a road accident of our England Under-20 player Ray Jones, we were close to our lowest ebb when the Formula One boys, and then the Mittals arrived.

It's been amazing since, though some have adjusted quickly enough to grumble about the new regime as much as they did about the old.

All the adversity has formed a greater enthusiasm among the fans who have endured so much, and the team have been more passionately supported than when we had much better players playing better football more than 15 years ago - if only we knew then what was coming.

We consider ourselves proper supporters, who go to the game and put up with whatever disaster is coming next, unlike fickle fans who pick their team based on how likely they are to deliver reliable success, and mostly never bother seeing them in the flesh.

The success of Chelsea in particular, local rivals and traditionally a horrible place to go in the old days, has been hard to bear - a mixture of old school thugs and know-nothing fakes (apologies if you're a fan, but that's how they appear to us), but now at last, we're happy with who we are.

As for promotion this year, I'm not actually expecting it, as the squad and the manager are new, and will take time to understand each other. there have been grumbles about whether Dowie is high enough calibre - he hasn't had much success in recent years, and whether the players we have signed live up to the billing of the owners - mostly superior championship players, but unlikely to interest many Premiership teams.

Hopefully, either we are wrong about them, or reinforcements are coming.

The standard of play in the Championship isn't great - we spanked most of the top sides with the exception of West Brom last year - so if we can get consistency and stop slipping up against the lesser lights we should challenge, even if we don't succeed this year.

That said, the relegated sides should be strong, and everyone will want to beat the moneybags this year.

QPR fans have always been more welcoming in their attitude to foreign fans and players than most in London, let alone the rest of the country, so if a Bahraini boy wants to wear the Hoops, send him over!

I'm sure most Bahrainis who visit London know the Edgware Road.

It's two or three miles along the Bayswater Road, or five stops on the Central Line from Marble Arch, and you're in Shepherd's Bush.

Give it a try!

Yours,

Stephen Martin, by email.

Dear Stan,

I think almost all QPR fans are really pleased with the recent Golf Air sponsorship deal.

These are exciting times at Loftus Road and a new era beckons - joining up with such a serious brand is a major step forward.

What's it been like to be a QPR fan in recent years?

Scary. We've gone from being one of the best teams in the Premiership renowned for stylish football and great players to being within minutes of catastrophe last year.

Roller-coaster wouldn't be close to describing our ups and downs. Behind the scenes in the boardroom it has been too far fetched to even be taken seriously as a soap opera script.

Now we are looking forward to progressing to a whole new level as a club.

QPR are favourites for promotion to the Premiership but it is probably too early at this stage to take that seriously.

It is clear the club has a business plan to progress and it is set over a four-year timescale.

This year the foundations are being put in place in terms of financial and playing staff infrastructure.

Next year will see things start moving forward at a pace, I think.

The squad we have now though is very good, but perhaps a couple of players short of promotion this season. But who knows, if some of the new kids come through we might just be on the edges this year.

There has been talk of finding a 'young David Beckham' playing street footy in Bahrain who will one day shine in a QPR shirt - but would we not prefer a Sheikh Bowles or Marsh?

Love to have either to be honest. QPR are and always have been a very international club in where we have drawn players from. If someone has the skills and potential then there is no doubt we will look to use them.

If they come close to the abilities of the great players mentioned then they will certainly be welcome at Loftus Road.

Stuart P Danehoop, by

Handsome, fit young sportsmen - beautiful, fit air hostesses .... How long before Gulf Air boasts its own footballer's wife or WAG now that the airline has signed up to sponsor the shirts of Queens Park Rangers.

Akos Buzsaky, 26, is fast becoming a QPR legend and his performances have won significant praise from his manager and fans alike.

The Hungarian international midfield star's heart appeared to be pounding under the legendary No 10 shirt when his eyes met pretty Elena Evlante, 24, at the press conference announcing the club's union with Gulf Air. - The Whisperer email.