'We were all born on VE Day!' The incredible family with three generations of May 8 birthdays
The biggest VE Day celebration in Britain may well happen in Sunderland - at the home of these three remarkable women.
They’re all called Victoria, they are all related and they were all born on May 8!
Eighty years old on VE Day
And if that’s not enough reason to celebrate, Carol Victoria Parker will be 80 that day.
She became the first baby born in the then town on the momentous day when she arrived at 12.30am on May 8, 1945.
Another of her daughters, Joanne Parker, was also due to be born on May 8, but arrived early on April 27
Melissa was born on May 8, 1995
Joanne’s daughter, Melissa Victoria Simpson, however, did uphold the family tradition when she was born on May 8, 1995.
Carol said: “They will say it’s funny to have three of you born on the one day.
“The day I was born, the doctor was in the house and he said ‘Oh, it’s VE Day. Have you got a name for her’ They said no and he said ‘you must call her Victoria’.”
Carol added: “My mam was standing at the door and everyone was going down to the town to party.”
‘My mam had to include Victoria in the name’
Melissa, from Washington, said: “When I was born, I wasn’t suppose to be Melissa Victoria but I had to keep up the tradition. My mam had to include Victoria in the name.
“It has always been the big occasion. We have always known that it was VE Day.”
Carol also spoke to the Sunderland Echo ten years ago.
Speaking about her daughter Victoria’s birth, on May 8, 1968, Carol said: “She wasn’t expected that day. She was supposed to be born at the beginning of June.
‘We were told we had a new grandchild on our birthday again. We just couldn’t believe it’
“I was very shocked. I could remember lying in hospital thinking I was going to buy something for my birthday and had a baby instead, but she was fabulous.”
Recalling Melissa’s birth, which made it three times lucky, Carol said: “I can remember my younger daughter Joanne taking bad the night before, but then her labour wore off.
“We had all been out that night and we call about 20 past twelve to say she felt bad again.
“At about 4.30am in the morning we were told we had a new grandchild on our birthday again. We just couldn’t believe it.”
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