It's New Year's Day, so what does the sensible middle-aged matron do to mark the event?


Why, she dresses up as Penelope Pitstop of course, in order to run up and down Box Hill a few times.

Regrettably, she decides that the blonde wig is too uncomfortable and will have to go.


Not everyone is so wimpish about a li'l ol' wig, though! I'm not sure whether she's meant to be Lady Godiva or ZZ Top, and I have to confess that I can't quite place the Mexican superhero skeletons either.


Yoda leads the charge. The Farce is strong with that one.


Amanda is looking very nervous at the sight of the descent ahead. Number 285 is looking quite enthusiastic about it!


"Oops, my jelly beans are slipping."


I'm not sure where he bought his motor, but I think they saw him coming.


And down they all go. When they get to the bottom, they'll have to come right back up again. What's that phrase? "Only fools and horses..."


And here they are. Plenty more hills where that one came from, folks.


Superman looks like he had a bit of a night of it and hasn't even managed to get dressed yet!


A quick selfie with the piper. Thinking about it, I've never seen anyone come to the race dressed as a piper, which would cause a bit of confusion.


Is there something about the way I'm looking at his pipes? He seems very protective of them...


Nicky and Grant are sweeping. But they've decided they can sweep perfectly well from here without actually following the mad people down the hill and up again.


This seems to be a slightly more hygenic version of Lady Gaga's dress.


Dr Rob demonstrates his famous Hop Dance.


Sorry, mate, but your bum does look big in that.


I've no idea who she's come as, but she seems happy!


Ah, two members of that well-known a capella group, Donald and the Mexicans, famous for their cover version of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall". The thing in his hand is a somewhat flaccid potted cactus, but I'm sure you knew that without needing to be told.


I think these are actually 'go-slower' stripes.


Soup and a sarnie - just what the hungry Crusader needs after a long day's liberating of the Holy Land.


Or for the more penitentially inclined, a good flailing with the scourge is just the thing for a sinner.


I wonder if that came to her in a dream?



"Well hello y'all, I'm ba-ack!"


There's always one!

And there's only one: as she crosses the line, Rob tells us she is Christina Victor who has taken part in every single Knacker Cracker to date!


The Pope may kiss the ground, but the pilgrim just slips in the mud.


Amanda has chosen a particularly muddy spot for her star jump, so she's quite lucky she doesn't end up doing the same!


"I spy with my not-so-little eye..."


Yep, they're still full of beans metaphorically, although a lot less literally than when they started!

And finally, if you are vegetarian or vegan (or just squeamish about where your food comes from), look away now.


This is Box Hill in a frying pan! The National Trust and Surrey Wildlife Trust keep Belted Galloway cows grazing the land to maintain the natural balance, and the Surrey Hills Butchers in Oxshott sells them cut up into delicious pieces :-)

If you look closely, you can see some of them in the background of pictures taken from the trig point. So this meat is not murder, it's nature conservation. So there!

Until next time.

Love to all,

Steve.