Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson crashes $4m car

In a less than comical accident, actor Rowan Atkinson was taken to hospital today after crashing his prized McLaren F1 on the A605 in Haddon, Cambridgeshire.

The Blackadder and Mr Bean star is believed to have lost control of the car in wet weather, causing the powerful super car to spin around several times, run into a tree and a lamppost and catch fire.

According to sources, the 56-year-old was able to walk from the car, and waited with a motorist until an ambulance arrived. However, the actor did suffer a shoulder injury in the incident and was taken to Peterborough City Hospital by paramedics.

"We were called to a single vehicle road traffic collision at 7.30 tonight on the A605 at Haddon," said a spokesman from East of England Ambulance Service.

"The man was taken to hospital in Peterborough with a minor shoulder injury."

Firefighters were also required to put out the blazing car, one of just 65 in existence.

A spokesman for the star could not be reached for comment, but an onlooker at the scene said that "Rowan is lucky to be alive, considering the state of the car".It is the second time he has crashed the F1, after damaging the front in a minor collision in Forton, Lancs, in 1999.

An exceptionally rare vehicle, it was bought by Atkinson for around $1.2 million to celebrate the success of his Mr Bean movie. The car is now believed to be worth around $4 million.

Atkinson, known to be a car enthusiast, recently topped the leader's board on Top Gear's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Notching up the fastest ever time on the show, he completed the circuit in 1 minute 42.2 seconds.

Atkinson is best known for his work on Not The Nine O'Clock News, Blackadder and Mr Bean, in which his hapless character drives an old Mini.

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The unwanted

Beads of sweat trickle down Havi Ameen’s face as she sits silently observing what’s going around her. The 22 year old is heavily pregnant but it’s hard to tell because her belly is so small. She shifts her dupatta to cover her stomach as women and children swirl around her.

When Havi starts talking she becomes animated and uses her hands a lot, her eyes dance around the room as she explains her points forcefully. It’s as if she’s been waiting for a long time to speak, waiting a long time for someone to listen to what she has to say.

“We women loose sleep when we hear we are pregnant. We should be happy, but we know the reality of having a baby, we have to do everything by ourselves,” says Mavi.

I am in a remote village in Bassrio Jat To in Misri Baran, an hour away from Thatta, Sindh, visiting the only medical clinic in the area for miles and miles. The clinic is run by international health organisation Merlin in response to the 2010 floods in Pakistan. Before the floods people in the area had not seen a doctor for years, unable to afford transport to travel to Thatta for healthcare.

The clinic is heaving with women and children seeking treatment for malnutrition and health check ups. On average 200 patients a day attend the clinic. Almost all are women and children. The atmosphere is intense and the air heavy as more and more people arrive squeezing in to any space they can find in the clinic. Mavi is keen to tell me more about her life

“I gave birth to 10 children but only seven survived. I am eight months pregnant. I am weak from being pregnant. We are uneducated people, we feel this a lot. We don’t have any way of making a proper living, of sending our children to school. My husband says so what if we are poor, if Allah provides us with children, Allah will provide us with food for them too. I’m tired of having children and if I had my way I wouldn’t have anymore.” Women around Mavi nod in sympathy and tell her they understand how she feels.

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Days of the mystic

At a distance of 285 km from Karachi, lies a rural town named Sehwan Sharif. Famous for the shrine of Saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sehwan is one of the liveliest towns in the province of Sindh during the Islamic month of Shaaban.

Known to have achieved a high rank as a Dervesh (devotee) of the Qalandar order of Sufis, Syed Muhammad Usman of Marand was given the title of Lal (the colour he chose for his life-long apparel) Shahbaz (symbolising his height of devotion to the flight of a falcon) Qalandar (identifying the order of Sufism he belonged to).

Held every year on the 18, 19 and 20 of Shabaan, the annual Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is no less a kaleidoscope of colours and characters. Walking around in the courtyard of the shrine is an experience in itself. To the uninitiated, it’s like stepping into another world, where mysticism rules. From the malangs dancing to the beat of the large dhols to devotees holding the firm belief that the lord above will have mercy on them and grant their wishes, it’s a place where faith in the unseen reigns supreme.

The mureed (followers) of Shahbaz Qalandar will tell you of the miracles he performed, stories that have been carried down through generations. Be it the existence of a warm water spring at the spot of his worship place in Manghopir to the water well that sprung up when he tapped the spot with a stick to the bread he baked that fed hundreds of starving people. These are just some of the tales, many more will be shared by the attendees, each never failing to amaze you.

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