While revellers were beginning to drift away from parties in the early hours of New Year's Day, little Ollie Emlyn Downes was keeping midwives busy at the James Paget University Hospital(JPH).

While revellers were starting to drift away from parties in the early hours of New Year's Day, little Ollie Emlyn Downes was keeping mid-wives busy at the James Paget University Hospital.

At 1.18am the 9lb youngster arrived in the world, and secured his place as one of Norfolk's first babies of 2007.

But while hospitals across the region were starting 2007 with a bumper number of bundles of joy, little Ollie was the only arrival at the JPH.

Yesterday proud parents, Samantha and Ross Downes, of Lowestoft Road in Gorleston, said Ollie had given them New Year's Eve they would never forget.

Mr Downes said: "It has certainly been our most memorable. I'm probably more tired than if I'd had a New Year's night out, but at least I haven't got the headache to go with it."

He added: "It's quite funny really, when we got Ollie's due date a lot of people kept joking and saying we could end up in the paper with a New Year's Day baby. I bet they'll be having a laugh now."

Meanwhile, in Great Ryburgh, near Fakenham, the first Stephen Sayer knew of 2007 was his wife Leena elbowing him in the ribs to tell him their daughter was on her way.

Two hours and twenty minutes later at 4.59am, Melody Alexandra Sayer, weighing 7lbs and 9ozs, arrived at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital.

Mr Sayer said: "We had a very quiet New Year's Eve. We just had a glass of wine each and by 10.30pm we were fast asleep; we didn't even see the New Year in. The next I knew was Leena elbowing me in the ribs saying 'I think I'm going to have it'.

"She arrived very, very quickly, and she wasn't even due till January 6. It's a great start to the New Year, we are both absolutely ecstatic."

Yesterday, senior midwife at the JPH, Sally Jones said: "It is quieter this New Year. Ollie is our only arrival so far and we haven't got any other mothers in labour.

"It makes it quite special for him really," she said. "But the trouble with babies is you just can't predict when they will arrive."

In Norwich, midwives at the N&N had their hands full with five babies arriving before lunchtime and a good few more on the way.

One of the sisters on the delivery suite, Jules Ross said: "We have had an extremely busy Christmas and New Year. Between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day we delivered 38 babies, with 16 of those on Christmas Day. Today we have delivered five already, and there are at least four more that will definitely arrive today. It's been really nice, we have had a lovely festive season here."

Last night a spokeswoman for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn said some babies had been born in the early hours of New Year's Day but said she could not comment further.