Hartlepool couples hail arrival of New Year babies

Martin and Sarah Nixon of Hartlepool with their New Year's Day baby son John at North Tees Hospital.

Three couples from the Hartlepool area started 2017 with a nice surprise when their babies decided to make their entrance into the world.

First to be born on New Year’s Day was little Oscar Doidge at 2.30am, weighing in at 7lbs 15oz, who was three days overdue.

Richard and Angela Doidge of Trimdon Village with their New Year's Day baby son Oscar, at North Tees Hospital.

Parents Angela and Richard Doidge were watching TV at home in Trimdon village when she went into labour.

“I had just put my two-year-old to bed at seven o’ clock and wanted to celebrate New Year quietly but not a chance!” said Angela, 29, a team leader at Sainsbury’s in Sedgefield.

“We came to reception for bang on 12am so the fireworks were going off as we got here.”

Angela and Richard, an insurance company accounts supervisor, were due to go home later the same day to introduce Oscar to big sister Peyton.

Trevor and Samantha Jones of Hartlepool, with their New Year's Day baby Bryn James Jones at North Tees Hospital

Sarah and Martin Nixon, of the Fens, Hartlepool, were also celebrating the arrival of a son.

Baby John was born at 12.44am, weighing 8lbs 13oz. He was also three days late.

Dad Martin, 38, a piping engineer, came home from Africa where he was working, to be sure he did not miss the birth.

Sarah, 35, said: “We were worried he was going to be born on Christmas Day. All the family said ‘not during Christmas dinner’.

“Martin said ‘happy New Year’ as I was pushing.”

The couple have four other children all aged under five.

Martin said: “All the others were early but he decided to be late. We had a bad year in 2016. We lost his granda, my dad, in March, and nine months later he has appeared.”

Baby John has been named after Martin’s dad.

Another late arrival was little Bryn James Jones, born to parents Samantha Horsely, 28, and Trevor Jones, 32, of Middle Warren, Hartlepool.

Due on Christmas Eve, he was born at 7.54am on New Year’s Day and weighed 8lbs 8oz.

Samantha, a nursery nurse, also mum to Rhys, four, said: “I didn’t want to leave our little boy at home over Christmas and didn’t want to miss all the magic.”

Trevor, a rigger, added: “He didn’t want to come out to Santa, he wanted to come out to fireworks instead.”

They thanked the staff at North Tees University Hospital, in Stockton, saying they were “brilliant”.

After missing out on the New Year’s Eve celebrations to be by Samantha’s side, Trevor said he planned to raise a glass to their new addition after being given the all clear to go home.