Sir Steve's garden gets trashed for charity

10:21pm Friday 14th March 2008

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CRATERS, concrete, tyre tracks and a burning shed are hardly the ingredients that make for a tranquil garden.

But this was the scene five-times Olympic gold medalist, and Marlow Bottom resident, Sir Steve Redgrave was faced with when the BBC's Top Gear team decided to make over his garden.

Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond descended on Sir Steve's quiet country home to make a charitable spoof of the garden make-over show, Ground Force.

The 'make-over' was filmed three weeks ago and was a complete surprise for Sir Steve, who returned home to find his new garden shed on fire, and deep tyre tracks across his lawn.

The show entitled Top Garden Ground Gear Force was made in aid of Sport Relief and was screened tonight on BBC Two.

The team had eight and a half hours to transform the garden but ended up causing chaos in true Top Gear fashion.

A couple of hours in Hammond had managed to topple over a mini digger, which prompted Clarkson to liken the scene to the Somme.

The team wrecked more havoc by driving a cement lorry, a second diggger and a crane across the grass to help complete their unconventional plans to spruce up the garden.

May's precious shed was trashed three times and eventually set on fire by Hammond's jet powered barbeque.

Jeremy meanwhile was intent on building a water feature to remind Sir Steve of his incredible rowing history, and resorted to blowing up an unwanted rockery as dismantling it piece by piece was taking too long.

But when the man himself returned home he remained stony faced, said nothing and went straight inside to calm down.

Clarkson managed to coax him outside a short while later to show off the fountain, to which Sir Steve replied: "I've been trying for the last eight years to not think about rowing."

Sport Relief aims to raise money for projects, which help youngsters in this country and abroad, and has so far managed to raise more than £15 million.

Hundreds of people are expected to bump up the total this weekend by running a fundraising mile.

High Wycombe sports centre, the Beacon Centre in Holtspur and the Chiltern Pools in Amersham are all holding Sport Relief events on Sunday.