United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
BBC’s Martin Bell undergoes surgery after tripping over suitcases at Gatwick
BBC war correspondent Martin Bell had to have surgery to rebuild his face after tripping over his suitcases at Gatwick Airport.
The 80-year-old, who is famous for his trademark white suit, tripped while buying a train ticket at the airport on his return to the UK from a cruise, where he was promoting his latest book.
One of the suitcases was filled with copies of the publication, called War and the Death of News.
The former MP said he was unable to put his hands out to break his fall and ‘face planted’ into the concrete floor, fracturing his upper jawbone, both eye sockets, nose and an area at the base of his skull.
"I have come through 18 wars almost unscathed and I trip up at a railway station. I have no one else to blame for this. I feel a complete idiot," he said.
He was treated by staff at the specialist maxillofacial centre at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, south London where he underwent two-and-a-half hours of reconstructive surgery. The team later released this photo.
The operation was carried out by a team led by Helen Witherow, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
She told the Evening Standard that Bell had suffered a ‘phenomenal amount’ of damage after the incident, in November.
Bell, who suffered nine fractures altogether, paid tribute to the NHS. He told Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show: "It has brought home to me that a war zone can be wherever you are. I will only take one suitcase in future."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel