'Tiff Needell can take a look' says owner of 'England's oldest petrol station' in development row with ex-Top Gear host | 3W665CX | 2024-03-31 12:08:01
The TV star previously
THE new house owners of England's oldest petrol station have hit back at Prime Gear legend Tiff Needell after he led a marketing campaign towards their plans for it.
The TV star previously spoke exclusively with Sun Motors urging Mike Clarke to go away the location "as it's".
The Grade-II Listed property in Turnaston, Herefordshire, is considered the oldest forecourt still standing in England.
It closed in 2010 after over a century in operation and was bought for £300,000 by Mr Clarke in 2023 as a retirement cottage for him and his wife.
They have since spent hundreds to renovate the constructing, together with a one-storey extension and a brand new garage.
However this has prompted backlash from petrolheads who need to protect the "time-warp" station.
Now, Mr Clarke has hit again at Tiff's campaign, arguing that he truly saved the property from falling into disrepair.
He advised the Hereford Times: "The petrol station historical past was a function that appealed to us.
"There was plenty of interest in it but as a result of it was a bit uncared for, with broken walls, I feel that put some individuals off.
"If we hadn't purchased it, the building would have fallen down as a result of there was a fantastic huge crack operating by means of it.
"We need to preserve the heritage of the place, not destroy it."
He added that the plan is to restore the station so it "seems prefer it did in its heyday", including reinstating two petrol pumps and the unique signage.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> And he dubbed Tiff's comments "unusual", claiming that they really shared his aims of preserving the place's history.
Mr Clarke went on: "I'd be very pleased for Tiff to return right here and try what we're doing as I feel he would truly be fairly pleased."
For his half, Tiff advised The Solar that he was nervous that the "pretty little story" of the station, which he believes he filmed at in the course of the '90s, can be destroyed.
He explained: "I simply need it left as it is.
"We've received so few of these real-life treasures left and we maintain making an attempt to bulldoze them."
He insisted that he deliberate to preserve the historical past of the forecourt (stock image)[/caption]
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This consists of reinstating the petrol pumps and unique signage[/caption]
Tiff dubbed the building a time-warp with a pretty story[/caption]
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