February 29th only comes around every four years, so reporter Alice McKeegan spoke to three people celebrating their birthdays on Friday ...

MEGAN Harrison made her first appearance in the Observer with her proud parents Beverley and David at the tender age of four days old.

Now, eight years later, she’s back in the paper once again, celebrating her leap year birthday.

Her mum Beverley said: "She’s got quite a good grasp of leap years because she joked that she’s going to be two this year on 29 February.

"She was born two minutes before 1 March so she normally celebrates then and that’s when she receives her presents.

"I think being born on a leap day is special but it doesn’t mean that you can only celebrate your birthday once every four years.

"She was the only baby born at Birch Hill on that day and that’s why she was in the Observer and since then she’s appeared on the Junior League page a couple of times as well."

Megan attends St Thomas’ Primary School in Newhey and can’t wait to celebrate her extra-special birthday with a family meal followed by a pampering session with four friends at a health and beauty salon.

LITTLE Morgan Ellison is celebrating her first official birthday in four years.

She was born the last time a leap year came around on 29 February 2004 and her family can’t wait to celebrate her ‘first’ birthday in style.

Until now she’s opened her presents a day earlier but, this year, her mum, has organised a party for all her friends at the Mark Twain pub in Whitworth Road.

Her grandmother Doris Ellison even admitted that she’s unsure whether to send her a first or a fourth birthday card but is looking forward to the occasion.

She said: "We think there was only one or two other babies born on that day in Rochdale.

"We weren’t sure if we wanted a party but we’ve decided to celebrate at the Mark Twain. We love her to bits and she’s a really lovely child.

"Some of our family have said they don’t know if they should send her a first or a fourth birthday card but we know that it’s her fourth birthday really."

Morgan’s mum, Yolanda was also shocked when her daughter was born on the special day. She said: "I didn’t expect her to be born on a leap day. She’s still very young so I don’t think she really understands what a leap year means, but she does tell us that she’s going to be four not one."

ANOTHER ‘leapling’ celebrating a special birthday is Denise Hartley.

Mrs Hartley, of Weston Avenue, Buersil, works for Rochdale Council’s planning department and will turn 60 on 29 February, although in leap year terms, she’ll only be 15.

Even though her official birthday only comes around once every four years, she always tries to make the most of the situation by celebrating the day twice.

She said: "We are having a family get together with a meal out on my real birthday and then a few days later I am going out for a meal with work colleagues.

"I use it as a good excuse to celebrate my birthday twice a year on 28 February and 1 March. My family and friends have no excuse to forget."

Despite now being proud of her status, when she was younger she used to resent being a ‘leapling’.

Denise, pictured left, added: "There was another boy in my class called John McHale with the same birthday so I didn’t realise that I was different until I was about 10 years old.

"I resented being a leap year baby until I was about 20 because until then I wanted to be older than my years not younger.

"I wasn’t too happy, either, when it was my 21st birthday and I didn’t have a real birthday but I still have that to look forward to.

"I will have a proper 21st birthday when I am 84 years old."

"Whenever I gave my date of birth people would say ‘Oh you are one of those funny people’, but now I am quite proud to be different. I don’t mind ageing four times slower than the rest of the population."