ANYONE who has visited London over the last few years will be familiar with the sight of armed police officers on patrol throughout the capital.When firearms first became visible on the streets of London, it seemed a bit unnerving - although now it seems like a familiar part of the capital's street scene.

ANYONE who has visited London over the last few years will be familiar with the sight of armed police officers on patrol throughout the capital.

When firearms first became visible on the streets of London, it seemed a bit unnerving - although now it seems like a familiar part of the capital's street scene.

However it comes as something of a shock to see armed police officers patrolling Ipswich railway station - it is extremely unusual to see such lethal weapons in the heart of our community.

Of course passengers catching trains today realised that this was really an exercise in reassurance - a visible sign that the authorities are taking their security seriously.

There is no specific threat to Ipswich station or people in the town, but after the events of the weekend there is an understandable nervousness among anyone undertaking a journey.

Checking cars arriving at the station is part of the same reassurance strategy - again there is no reason to think that Ipswich is at any greater threat than any other large station with a substantial number of commuters heading to the capital.

Everyone will hope and pray that there is no serious security incident in our town - or indeed anywhere else.

But as long as the threat remains to our country and our way of life, it is likely that armed officers will remain on patrol - and we will have to become as familiar to the sight of a sub-machine gun at Ipswich station as we already are at Liverpool Street.

TONIGHT'S the night that thousands have been waiting for as music legend Rod Stewart takes to the stage at Portman Road.

The near sell-out concert should see Rod rock his way through 40 years of hits to an appreciative audience on the pitch and the stands.

It is good to see a massive music event return to Ipswich, the day of the concert always brings a real buzz to life in the town - not only among those who are lucky enough to have tickets.

Of course the big question everyone is asking is: “Will the weather behave itself?”

Those with tickets in the stands should be fine and dry whatever happens, but if you are one of those with a seat on the pitch, it would probably be a good idea to carry a raincoat with you!

FOOTBALL is a multi-million pound business which means that the grass roots of the game can be easily overlooked.

Which is why families like the Nicholls of Ipswich are so important - in fact more important for the game as a whole than the Glazers of Manchester United or the Abramovichs of Chelsea.

Ed Nicholls and his sons are devoting much of their lives to Ipswich Wanderers, the kind of club that is vital to the grass roots of the sport.

In an era when all the talk surrounding football seems to focus on multi-million pound deals, it is good to see that some people work their socks off just for the love of the game.