MINEHEAD couple Tony and Jennifer Bullen will have no excuse for forgetting the birthdays of their newly born grandchildren.

Twins Martha and Samuel and their cousin Olivia not only arrived on the same day - April 14 - but within half an hour of each other.

The Bullen's daughters Wendy and Erica both went into labour at about the same time, although in hospitals almost 100 miles apart.

Chartered accountant Wendy, the eldest, went virtually full term with the twins, going into Hinchingbrooke Hospital near Cambridge on April 13 to be induced the following day.

Unbeknown to her, as the inducement got underway, Erica, a software test manager, also went into labour at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

Both mums-to-be were in the delivery room for around 12 hours but Martha was the first to make her way into the world at 2.43pm, weighing 5lbs 8oz.

Samuel, a respectable 6lbs 10oz, followed seven minutes later, while over in Swindon, Olivia weighed in at 9lbs at 3.10pm.

And Tony and Jennifer found themselves flung into grandparenthood for the first time with a trio of beautiful babies.

"It seems too unbelievable to be true that they should all be born within half an hour of each other," said Jennifer.

"But we're absolutely thrilled and delighted."

The couple are well known in the district - Tony worked in the finance department of West Somerset Council for many years and more recently has undertaken internal audit work for a number of town and parish councils.

And Wendy, 33, and 29-year-old Erica both went to school in Minehead.

Wendy married Gary Rule, a company director, last year, and Erica tied the knot with IT software development engineer Francisco Garcia three years ago.

Although the sisters' babies - their first - were due within a few days of each other, they had no idea their labour had coincided until after the event - or events.

Tony and Jennifer were able to see the twins just hours after they were born as they were staying with relatives near Wendy and Gary's home in Cambridgeshire.

And they are hoping to get their first glimpse of Olivia this weekend.

"We can't wait to see her," said Jennifer.

"It's wonderful to have such good news. The girls' husbands are over the moon with the new arrivals - they are just bursting with pride."

And Jennifer added: "It's been a bit of a surprise to have three grandchildren born on the same day but at least if we forget one birthday, we'll forget them all."

Photo: Steve Guscott