Crime & Safety
Rock legends to appear at Jeremy Clarkson farm festival
The 66-year-old former Top Gear host now presents on the hit Prime Video show Clarkson’s Farm, filmed at the former’s Chadlington farm in Oxfordshire, Diddly Squat.
Mr Clarkson has owned the spot since 2008, and Kaleb Cooper is his farmhand, with the pair running the day-to-day life on the farm.
There have been four series of the show so far with a fifth announced on Monday to debut on June 2.
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But just before that Mr Clarkson and Mr Cooper will headline a brand-new national celebration of Britain’s farmers, their craft and their way of life, at the historic home of the Royal Show, Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.
The Great British Farm-Fest will bring together farmers, food lovers, families and festival goers for three unforgettable days of live music, working displays, livestock, machinery and mouth-watering food.
Joining the duo are Lisa Hogan, Kaleb Cooper, Charlie Ireland, Adam Henson and Matt Tebbutt, alongside dozens of farmers, musicians, chefs and rural artisans from across the UK.
Rock legends 10cc will headline the festival on Sunday night.
Alex James (Image: Sophie Davidson/PA)
Other legends to perform includes Britpop star and Kingham farmer Alex James, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Groove Armada.
Groove Armada’s Andy Cato has also starred in Clarkson’s Farm.
By day, visitors can explore a 300-acre country spectacular — eight show arenas, livestock competitions, tractor displays, traditional skills, working animals, field-to-fork experiences and a full-scale British Food Festival.
As dusk falls, the All-Star Tractor Parade will ignite the night, rolling straight into three evenings of live music and entertainment in the Hawkstone Music Arena.
Festival director Chris Hughes said: “There’s never been a more important time to celebrate our nation’s farmers, and never been a better moment for a great British festival that does just that.”
Crime & Safety
Jack Whitehall ‘heckled’ at his own £250k Cotswolds wedding
The 37‑year‑old is best known for his stand‑up, Channel 4 sitcom Fresh Meat and BBC Three’s Bad Education, as well as Netflix and Amazon travel series Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father.
He married model and actress Roxy Horner, with whom he shares baby daughter Elsie, at the lavish countryside estate Euridge Manor.
The spot features terraces, lakes and Italian‑style gardens and is frequently used as a high‑end wedding venue.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson teases new filming with Top Gear and Grand Tour twist
According to the Daily Mail, which first reported details of the day, the couple’s star‑studded celebration cost around £250,000 and was attended by celebrity friends from the worlds of comedy and entertainment.
The paper says Mr Whitehall was “subjected to an X‑rated heckle” from mates as he took to the water during part of the festivities, with friends allegedly shouting a cheeky comment in his direction while he was on a boat.
Despite the interruption, the tone of the event was described as light‑hearted, with guests pictured laughing and enjoying the moment.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire to be hotter than Venice this week according to Met Office
The Daily Mail report describes how Euridge Manor was dressed for the occasion with flowers and fairy lights.
The newlyweds were seen kissing and posing for photos against the backdrop of the manor’s ornate stonework and lakeside setting.
Mr Whitehall’s 32-year-old bride is a British model who has fronted campaigns for major fashion brands and spoken publicly about living with type 1 diabetes
The couple, who began dating in 2020 and welcomed their daughter in 2023, are understood to have spent months planning the countryside wedding after previously talking about wanting a big family celebration.
Crime & Safety
Cleaning guru claims 10p veg is secret to sparkling cookware
We’ve all spent countless hours by the kitchen sink scrubbing our oven trays to scrape away pesky grease and grime that won’t budge.
But one home cleaning expert has shared an ingenious way of removing rust from tins in half the time, using a potato.
Home cleaning Instagram page ‘honestthomee’ claims the humble spud can clean used trays better than a sponge.
In a video shared online, the influencer soaks her grime-ridden tray in boiling water before grabbing a chopped potato, which she covers in salt.
She then rubs the salted potato all over the tray before adding another layer of salt onto the tray and washing it clean.
After being submerged in water, the tray appears to be restored to its sparkly state and ready to be reused.
Why does a potato work so well?
This simple trick works because potatoes are high in oxalic acid, which is sometimes sold in its pure form as a rust remover.
When this comes into contact with rust, it creates a substance called iron oxalate, which can easily be washed away with water and soap.
Honestthomee said: “The reveal is finally here! Who knew a simple potato could clean better than a sponge?
“I stopped scrubbing for hours and tried this trick instead. The result is honestly shocking!”
Potatoes make excellent natural scrubbers, particularly for cleaning stubborn stains on surfaces like cutting boards and pans.
Cut a potato in half, sprinkle some salt or baking soda on the cut side, and scrub away.
The potato’s texture, combined with the abrasiveness of the salt or baking soda, helps lift grime without damaging surfaces.
What’s your best cleaning hack? Let us know in the comments
Crime & Safety
Calls to reduce national speed limit on UK roads to 30mph
A petition launched on the Government’s petition page is calling for the reduction to be implemented on single carriageway roads.
The petition calls for the Government to “reduce the national speed limit on single carriageways usually found in rural areas from 60mph to 30mph”.
More than 4,000 people have already backed the campaign, with more than two months still left to run.
If the petition hits 10,000 signatures by July 5, then it will receive an official response from the Government.
You can view or sign the petition here.
What speed actually triggers a speed camera?
Contrary to common belief, there’s no universal “10% + 2mph” rule baked into law.
Experts from BigWantsYourCar.com explained: ““The idea that you’re safe doing 35mph in a 30 zone is one of the biggest myths we hear.
“Technically, you’re liable for a fine the moment you go even 1mph over the limit.”
While the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) does recommend a “10% plus 2” margin to allow for officer discretion, this is not a legal threshold and can vary depending on the enforcement area or the officer reviewing the case.
RAC advice adds: “The law states that you are liable for a speeding fine as soon as you exceed the limit, so if you’re doing 31mph in a 30 limit or 71mph on a motorway, you’re breaking the law and could receive a fine.
“It is well worth remembering this is totally dependent on the officer who catches the speeder, and it is up to that officer whether to fine the offender or not.
“The best advice is to not speed full stop.”
How do speed cameras work?
Speed cameras work using radar or road markings to monitor a vehicle’s speed and capture evidence of any offence.
While older cameras used film, most modern devices are fully digital and can even track your average speed over many miles.
These digital systems record:
- Vehicle speed
- Time and location of the offence
- Vehicle registration
- Road speed limit
In some cases, they even capture a clear image of the driver and passenger.
Recommended Reading:
Common speed camera myths
Here are some other common speed camera myths :
Is it true that speed vans have to be visible at all times?
No. There are no laws about visibility, so nothing is stopping an officer from operating in the dark. But they don’t often choose to do this and maintain that being visible acts as a deterrent in its own right.
Go Safe Casualty Reduction Officer, Gareth Thomas said: “Legally, we don’t have to be visible. I could camouflage myself if I wanted to – but it’s all about being fair, education and preventing an accident. Even if I parked my van and went for a walk somewhere, it would deter people from speeding right away.”
Is it illegal to flash your headlights to alert motorists of a GoSafe speed van?
If drivers choose to flash to warn others about a speed van, they could be in breach of the law. Under section 89 of the Police Act 1997 it is an offence to “wilfully obstruct a constable in the execution of his/her duty”.
However, Gareth says while it is an offence, it is very difficult to prove. He said: “It doesn’t bother me that people flash to warn them of the speed van – I just want to educate people and the van to act as a speed deterrent.”
What happens if I am caught speeding?
It all comes down to the circumstances within which you were caught speeding, and how much you were more than the limit. The minimum penalty for being caught speeding on the UK’s roads is a £100 fine.
But Gareth explained in some circumstances, police can offer the option of attending a speed awareness course – an alternative to a fine and penalty points. Gareth, said: “An accredited course is far more likely to improve driver behaviour and consequently make our roads safer.
“Courses are available to drivers who respond quickly to the ‘notices’ and who were driving at no more than 10 per cent, plus 9 mph above the posted speed limit.”
So for example, anyone travelling over 86mph on a motorway would not be offered the awareness course. Those who don’t have a clean licence at the time of the office, or if you have been on the course in the last three years, it is unlikely you will be offered the awareness course as an option.
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