May 12, 2011 9.56 pm This story is over 153 months old

Jeremy Clarkson speaks highly of Lincoln

Unexpected: Top Gear star amazed at people who came “to watch two portly middle-aged men fool around” in Lincoln.

After Top Gear’s electric cars ran out power leading to an impromptu visit to Lincoln, presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May spoke about their unexpected day trip.

Clarkson, speaking to BBC Lincolnshire was amazed at the number of people who came “to watch two portly middle-aged men fool around”.

Clarkson explained why the Top Gear team were in Lincoln saying: “We are road testing in a genuinely sensible way two brand new electric cars to see how they work. And here we are in Lincoln while they are charging up so we are filling the time by seeing the sights.”

Once the cars had been pushed onto the University of Lincoln’s Brayford Campus to charge the BBC presenters were left to sight see as they visited restaurant Prezzo for lunch and discovered Uphill Lincoln.

Whilst Clarkson was amazed at the creative naming of Steep Hill, James May said: “To be brutally honest our visit to Lincoln is a matter of circumstance because the cars ran out of electricity and there was nothing we could really do about that.

“But we are actually rather glad it happened because we have found out all sorts of interesting things about medieval history, the cathedral, the plan of Lincoln, the tower.”

James May thanked the people of Lincoln for hosting them, and said the new series of Top Gear is expected to start in June.

— Video by Robert Lloyd