Jeremy Clarkson takes on major rival in 'battle of the Cotswolds farmers'

It was impossible to resist the temptation of billing Friday as the "battle of the Cotswolds farmers", with two very famous faces hosting celebrations within just ten miles of each other.

Bank Holiday weekend had already been looking perfect for all things traditionally British: Liam Gallagher was to celebrate the 30th year anniversary of Oasis' debut album 'Definitely Maybe' by performing it in its entirety during his headlining set at Reading Festival on Sunday. Though Alex James will indeed be vying for attention with his 1990s Britpop rival tonight, on Friday it was Jeremy Clarkson's new pub launch that was stealing the show.

Could Alex's festival on his cheese farm, Big Feastival, still draw in crowds of up to 25,000 with so much else going on just a short distance from the farm? That was the question I set out to answer when I attended both Jeremy and Alex's festivities on the same day.

Express.co.uk can reveal that Alex is a fan of Amazon Prime show Clarkson's Farm - and that he counts Jeremy among those he'd most like to invite to a dinner party - but their worlds didn't collide this weekend. While Alex was busy hosting live food demonstrations in Kingham, Jeremy was serving up pints personally to customers at the Farmer's Dog, in the quaint village of Asthall.

There was a healthy appetite for Jeremy's pub classics as a crowd of several hundred people began queuing before the doors had even opened - and hundreds were ultimately turned away. After tucking into some of his soon to be legendary sausages and mash, soaked in Hawkstone beer-infused gravy, I headed over to Alex's event where partying was already in full swing.

It was a festival that appealed to all age groups, from children enjoying the vintage fairground rides to pensioners dancing the night away in sequined capes.

One celebrity who definitely wasn't dining in Jeremy's pub that evening was Myleene Klass, as she partied at the Big Feastival in a purple floral dress, chic sunglasses and an array of Taylor Swift-style friendship bracelets.

Meanwhile, odds are that Keir Starmer wasn't there either, after being slapped with a ban by the proprietor himself.

Woody Cook, the son of musical legend Fatboy Slim, was DJing with massive enthusiasm at Alex James' Cheese Hub, while pop-up shops and stalls nearby catered to those who needed a top-up of glam, selling face glitter and sparkly costumes.

A silver sequin cropped blazer quickly caught my eye, but then I was distracted by the tantalising tunes blaring out from nearby bar Oh Sante, so I wandered away in pursuit of the beat.

The headliner of the night on the main stage was former The Voice contestant Becky Hill, who competed on the first ever series of the show, joined Jessie J's team and climbed all the way to the semi-finals.

However, I was also seduced by Fool's Delight, a secret circus tent on the outskirts of the festival where revellers dined while being entertained by aerial acrobatics and ballerina twirls.

An amputee in a wheelchair also impressed with his astounding flexibility of movement.

Then I did a double take: was the same man who'd checked me in at the ticket office now doubling as an acrobat and performing stunts on stage?

My advice at Big Feastival would be to expect the unexpected, as entertainment crops up all over the place.

Alex James once claimed that his only competition when he started out as a festival host was the likes of Glastonbury and Reading Festival, with diabolical portaloos and "horrible" food.

However, now the options are endless, with Wilderness and Big Feastival being the two stand-outs in the area - and while at first I'd wanted to pit Alex against Jeremy, I realised that comparisons are impossible.

The verdict? Try to pack both into the same day.