NEW arrivals Octavia and Merlin Howard had their first taste of the limelight in the spring sunshine at Castle Howard today.

The seven-week twins were in the grounds of their stately home with proud parents Rebecca and Simon Howard. There was not a peep out of them as they experienced their first public appearance.

Mrs Howard said: "They are very good babies - I am very lucky.

"The only time they play up is when they are going to sleep and then there are blood-curdling screams." Mrs Howard said feeding time was: "the most hectic".

She said: "They had two weeks of Mummy's milk and then it was the bottle."

Mr Howard added: "It's all hands on deck." And although the new dad insisted he was doing his fair share, he did admit to only changing four nappies so far, not the four-a-day he had promised.

Both Mr and Mrs Howard said the twins were not down on any long school waiting list.

Mr Howard said: "We are still looking at that, but we both feel the same way.

"We want the twins near to us at Castle Howard."

Updated: 11:35 Thursday, March 28, 2002