Crime & Safety
Tearful Jeremy Clarkson thanks neighbour Amanda Holden
The former Top Gear and Grand Tour host lives near Chipping Norton and runs Diddly Squat Farm in nearby Charlbury.
He also owns The Farmer’s Dog pub in Asthall near Burford, which he purchased for around £1,000,000 and opened in 2024, serving his alcohol brand, Hawkstone.
Ms Holden, known for being a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and presenting Heart’s Breakfast radio show, lives nearby.
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The two Cotswolds celebrities’ worlds collided in the past week when the Hawkstone Farmers Choir appeared on Saturday’s Britain’s Got Talent.
Assembled by Mr Calrkson for an advertising campaign for his lager, the group of real-life farmers stuck together and auditioned on the ITV talent show.
Impressing the judges with their rendition of Elbow’s One Day Like This, they secured a golden buzzer from Ms Holden.
The rare honour, which sends the 32-strong collective straight through to the live semi-finals, was given following their performance at the Birmingham Hippodrome.
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On the show, Ms Holden said: “As soon as you started, I completely welled up. I felt so much power. I love the whole community, I love how you’ve all got together.
“You work so hard every single day, you absolutely smashed it, and I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do in the semi-finals.”
Mr Clarkson was left visibly emotional by the performance as he took to the social media site Instagram to share a raw clip with his instant reaction.
In this, he thanks his Cotswolds neighbour for pressing the golden buzzer, despite admitting he had no idea what it was.
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“I watched Britain’s Got Talent tonight for the first time because the Hawkstone Choir were on and they were just fantastic,” he said, appearing to be close to tears.
“These guys are all farmers, and they work incredibly hard for really incredibly small rewards, and to see them all on that stage with all that love in the room made my heart sing. I actually welled up.
“And thank you, Amanda Holden, for pressing that Golden Buzzer thing. I don’t know what that means, but it obviously is important.
“It shows that people quite like farmers. They were very, very good, well done, all of you. I’m a very happy man tonight.”
Cotswold Wildlife Park was established by John Heyworth on the Bradwell Grove Estate and opened on Good Friday, March 27, 1970.
It began with 341 animals and has since grown to house more than 1,500 animals across 250 species.
A spokesperson for Cotswold Wildlife Park said: “We hope you’ll join us in celebrating 56 wonderful years of Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens and we’d like to thank our visitors for their loyal support over the years.
“We must thank them for all their support for more than half a century.”
From its early days on a shoestring budget, the park has expanded to include giraffes, which arrived in 2010 for its 40th anniversary, and rhinos such as D’ora, named during its golden jubilee year in 2020.
George the Aldabra giant tortoise is the park’s oldest and only original resident.
To mark the 50th anniversary, keepers made him a special cake during the lockdown.
The Wantage Orchestra Spring Concert at the Old Mill Hall in Grove was celebrated as “an inspired afternoon” with the highlight being a recital by 17-year-old Katherine Payne.
The young violinist has been described as a “virtuosic performer” and is in her final year at the Yehudi School of Music.
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She will go on to study violin further once she turns 18 and is the recipient of many prizes including the Celia Walker overall prize.
Ms Payne was the leader of the Thames Valley Youth Orchestra and was playing on a Castagneri violin and a Morizot bow, sponsored by the Cherubim Trust.
Typically these violins sell at auction for between £5,000 and £15,000.
At the performance on Saturday, March 21 there was standing room only with Beethoven’s Symphony no.7 and Rossini’s The Thieving Magpie being played.
Conductor Christopher Fletcher Campbell called it “an inspired afternoon”, with home made cakes made available at the interval
One audience member said: “We enjoyed the Wantage Orchestra concert yesterday.
“Lovely programme, and Katherine was very accomplished. Good to see it so well supported.”
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Another added: “What a wonderful afternoon performance, beautiful sunshine outside and amazing performance inside.
“The choice of pieces brought out the best from everyone and they bought enjoyment to us all. Thank you I look forward to future concerts.”
The group’s next concert will be on Sunday, July 5 at 7pm at The Wantage Parish Church, with more information available on its website.
Originally scheduled to close on April 10, Blueprints of Power at Blenheim Palace will now remain open until May 31.
The decision marks 300 years since the death of Sir John Vanbrugh, the architect behind the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Heather Carter, managing director of the visitor attraction at Blenheim Palace, said: “Blueprints of Power has sparked remarkable momentum, opening conversations across generations.
“The response has been excellent, so we’re pleased to be extending the exhibition to give visitors more time to explore Sir John Vanburgh’s remarkable life.
“From his architectural brilliance to his larger-than-life character, never-before-seen items, interactive experiences and an immersive finale in the Long Library make it a must-visit for history enthusiasts, architecture fans and anyone curious about the fascinating story behind Blenheim Palace.”
The exhibition offers an immersive journey through Vanbrugh’s diverse career, from playwright to architect, and sheds light on his complex relationship with the First Duchess of Marlborough, Sarah Churchill.
Visitors begin in the Great Hall, where models, plans, and letters introduce Vanbrugh’s work, before moving through other rooms that explore his influences and connections.
A highlight of the exhibition is the finale in the Long Library, featuring a projection experience with light, sound, and motion.
This segment tells the story of Blenheim Palace’s construction.
Admission to the Blueprints of Power exhibition is included with a valid day ticket or Pass to Britain’s Greatest Palace.
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