Brian Bell, my friend and former Observer colleague, who has died of cancer aged 70, was a first-class journalist. He was innovative and influential in two areas. One was in helping make financial journalism more palatable for the general reader; the other in pioneering new forms of photojournalism, making high-quality photography and words work together in travel publications.
Born in Dromore, Co Down, Northern Ireland, Brian was adopted and attended grammar school in Armagh. He graduated in psychology from Queens University Belfast, despite devoting most of his time to editing the student newspaper. After learning his trade on the Belfast Telegraph, he moved to England to edit Open Sesame for the Open University. By chance, he met Donald Trelford, future editor of the Observer, who later recruited him as a writer/subeditor on the business pages.
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