AS MORE people from other countries arrive to live and work in our area, they are bringing a welcome new element to the culture of Suffolk.It is, however, vital that they integrate into British life - learn the English language, understand our customs and obey our laws.

AS MORE people from other countries arrive to live and work in our area, they are bringing a welcome new element to the culture of Suffolk.

It is, however, vital that they integrate into British life - learn the English language, understand our customs and obey our laws.

But for many people it is also vital that they retain their cultural links to their homeland - so it is good news that a special school has been set up to teach Russian children about their language and homeland.

Retaining links with your parents' homeland should in no way diminish these children's role as part of Suffolk society.

It should enrich and enhance their lives - and in an increasingly global world children who are fluent in English and Russian and who understand both cultures should have a real head start in life.

It also gives their parents the opportunity to meet the fellow countrymen and women, to provide a support network so they do not feel isolated in a foreign country.

The Russian school is a model that could be followed by other nationalities in the area - although in effect Russian is such a dominant culture in eastern Europe that people from some other countries can instantly feel at home at the school anyway.

With a Russian school alongside the Polish shops, Portuguese cafés and centres for many other cultures around the town, Ipswich is really starting to feel like a cosmopolitan centre.

DESPITE regular warnings, the message about drink-driving still seems to escape many people - especially at this time of the year.

The cases we cover today show that drivers of all ages - from 21 to 72 - still think they won't be caught, still think they're all right to drive after drinking, still feel they'll be immune from getting into an accident even if they have had too much to drink.

The fact is that they were not immune from being caught - and now they are all suffering the consequences by losing their licences, large sums of money, and their good names.

But, of course, in a sense they are the lucky ones. They didn't lose their lives - or cost anyone else their lives.

As long as there are selfish, thoughtless drivers like this on the road over the Christmas period The Evening Star will continue to ram home our Name and Shame campaign to try to drive them off the road.

SO ONCE again, with a little bit of luck Ipswich Town have been transformed from hapless travellers to home-loving hotshots in front of their own fans at Portman Road.

The team was able to show the home fans yet again that it can produce the goods - a result which has lifted it back near the play-off zone.

But the fact is the results at home are not good enough to turn the club from upper-half wannabes into genuine promotion contenders.

With two more home matches before Christmas, there is no reason for the club not to enter the festive season well-placed. How the team reacts next time it takes to the road - again against Leicester - on Boxing Day will be a crucial test.