NEW YEAR SURPRISE: Farmer Tom Lord had a pleasant surprise on New Year's Day when he discovered two newly-born lambs among his flock. Mr Lord of Springbank Farm, Tottington, said the lambs had been born six to eight weeks early.

LUCKY NEW YEAR: Almost all the nursing night staff at Bury General Hospital had a happier start to the New Year after scooping £17,000 on the pools. Because of the Christmas festivities the 33 nurses, who won £500 each, forgot to check the coupon and the first they knew of their win was when the cheque arrived through the post.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Mrs Merlyn O'Halloran and Mrs Audrey Smith were celebrating after giving birth on New Year's Day at Fairfield General Hospital. For Mrs O'Halloran of Hudcar Lane, Bury, Richard Marc Westley, who weighed in at 5lb 15oz, was her first child. He was born at 12.20pm. Mrs Smith, of Brook Drive, Whitefield, named her new baby boy Mark Christopher. He was born at 10.30am, weighing 7lb 14 oz.

STABLE CONDITION: As revellers continued their celebrations into the early hours of New Year's Day, Joe and Barbara Houghton waited patiently for their Arabian mare to give birth. Finally, at 3am, their vigilance was rewarded with the birth of a filly foal. For the Houghtons, of Isherwood Farm, Affetside, it was the culmination of four years of trying to breed a filly, which they named Mayalixa.