Martha Lane Fox back in business

Nah...no more websites...let's open a bar...

The poster-child for dotcom madness, Martha Lane Fox, has recovered from the car crash which nearly killed her and is back to launch her latest business - a chain of upmarket karaoke bars.

Fox, who co-founded lastminute.com with Brent Hoberman, has spent a year recovering from horrendous injuries she suffered while on holiday in Morocco. She was driving in the desert with two friends in May last year when she was thrown from the Jeep and broke her pelvis in six places, broke 28 bones and suffered serious internal bleeding. Her friends got away with minor injuries. After treatment at Essaouira hospital she was airlifted back to Britain.

She did not leave hospital until December and has returned for two operations this year. Titanium plates were put in her arms, legs and pelvis and she had a series of skin grafts. Any future travel involving airports will require a doctor's letter explaining why she keeps setting off security screens with the amount of metal in her arms and legs.

Fox said the accident hadn't changed her. She told the Scotsman: "No, absolutely not. It's just made me more determined to enjoy life and make a difference with things like my charity work."

The first Lucky voice bar opened in London's Soho last week. Fox's partner in the business is Jonny Shaw. Its website, which suffers from Flash overload, promises private rooms and "technology like you've never seen". Fox hopes to expand the venture into a chain of bars.

Lastminute.com was sold to Travelocity for £577m in May netting Fox a reported £13.5m.

Lane Fox also runs Reprieve - a charity which campaigns for people on Death Row. It has funded investigations which led to several convictions being overturned.

There's more on this on the Scotsman's website here.®

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