Kenneth Cook has just celebrated his ’10th birthday’ with his wife and family - who all have an unusual story to tell.
The story starts 40 years ago on February 29 when Helen and Robin Cook became the proud parents, with Kenneth becoming Scotland’s first leap year baby of 1984.
Being born on a day that only occurs once every four years is relatively rare and the unusual set of circumstances - with the odds of being born on a leap day being one in 1,461 – attracted a fair amount of media attention and Kenneth’s birth was featured in both the Arran Banner and the Daily Record.
Four years later, a Record reporter contacted Helen and Robin and asked what the family were doing to celebrate Kenneth’s birthday.
As it happened, the ferries were on strike at the time so Robin said that they would not be doing much and that they would buy him gifts locally. This led to the reporter hiring a fishing boat to ferry Kenneth a boatload of presents.
Once again, Kenneth was catapulted into the media limelight and publications continued to report on his life’s milestones, such as his first day at school and other big birthdays.
Kenneth eventually left Sliddery and moved off the island in 1999. He now has a family of his own this year, he ’turned 10’ which is the same age as his daughter.
West Coast Today asked Kenneth how he felt about being a leapling.
He said “It’s great being born on February 29, it’s different and kind of special”.
“Arran is a very special place and I will always hold it dear to my heart.”
Unbelievably, Kenneth is not the only child in the family with a story to tell. Fiona, his sister, also made a bit of history when she was born in 1980 as she was the first girl to be born to the Cook family in 80 years.
Kenneth enjoyed his 10th/40th birthday with his family, friends and parents in Dunfermline where he now lives.
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