Charmaine Jennison-Smith jumps for joy as she celebrates her birthday for only the second time today - February 29 - even though she's really eight.

Charmaine, of Long Meadows, Rillington, was the only Leap Year baby born at Malton Hospital in 1992.

She was celebrating with her family today as two more birthday girls celebrated their first and fifth birthdays in York - Chelsea Watson is four today and Alison Moore is 20.

Charmaine will be celebrating again in March when she gets together with about 40 friends for a big bash at the Fun Factory at the Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre in Pickering.

Meanwhile, the nation was bracing itself for leap year's day with warnings of computer glitches and nearly 80 per cent of single women saying they were prepared to pop the question.

February 29 is traditionally the date when women can ask for a man's hand in marriage.

The survey said of the 550 single women surveyed that 78 per cent would happily take up the "hunter" mantle and do the asking.

Leap Year fever started early for one happy couple who became engaged live on GMTV. Unsuspecting Tony Priestley was called into work early as his employers, Nestl, conspired with his wife-to-be, Liz Bennett, who hid in the back of a truck as Tony arrived at the factory in Dalston near Carlisle.

Two couples became engaged 450 feet in the air today - on the London Eye ferris wheel.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.