The reopening of Jeremy Clarkson's farm shop has drawn large queues following its winter closure. The Diddly Squat store in Oxfordshire opened following the release of the second series of the 62-year-old presenter's hit Amazon Prime show Clarkson's Farm on Tuesday.
Cars were parked on grass verges close to the farm on Sunday after the public had been warned by Oxfordshire County Council last week to park “safely and considerately”. On Facebook, the council posted: “Don’t park on the A361. It’s just too dangerous. And please avoid parking on the verges of the narrow Chipping Norton Road as it causes damage.
“The farm will be doing what it can to deal with the influx of visitors, so please follow signage on the day. But bear in mind the car park is small. If you are directed by staff, whether you are through traffic or visiting the farm shop, please be patient with them – they are trying to keep you safe and allow traffic to flow.”
READ MORE: Clarkson's Farm season two 'criticised' as fan spot same problem
The second series of Clarkson's Farm shows another year on the farm that the presenter bought in 2008 and began running himself in 2019. The programme cover's Clarkson's dealings with the local council as well as new animals and crops.
Some residents of the nearby village of Chadlington were reportedly unhappy when he expanded the business to include a farm shop and restaurant. But Clarkson has previously said that there are “plenty” of other locals who appeared to be more receptive, and even encouraging of the work he has done.
The controversial TV presenter appealed an order for the closing of the restaurant last year following two planning applications being rejected by West Oxfordshire District Council. He subsequently said he “no longer wished” for a restaurant and wanted to develop on-site parking in a letter to the council in January.
Last week, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) said is investigating a column written by Clarkson in The Sun about the Duchess of Sussex. The regulator said it had received more than 25,100 complaints about the article.
In the piece, Clarkson had said he hated Meghan Markle “on a cellular level” and dreamed of her being paraded through British towns and publicly shamed and humiliated. Clarkson and The Sun both apologised for the article and it was later removed from the newspaper's website.
The TV star said his language was “disgraceful” and he was “profoundly sorry”, adding that he had reached out to apologise to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Ipso confirmed that the investigation's conclusion will be made public.
Clarkson also co-hosts Amazon Prime show The Grand Touralongside his former Top Gear co-stars Richard Hammond and James May. He has also hosted ITV gameshow Who Wants to be a Millionaire since 2018.
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