Father and son turn the same age

Lift engineer Stewart Reid will celebrate his 12th birthday today, while son Callum will turn 12 in August

Dundee lift engineer Stewart Reid and his son Callum share a birthday in common this year – they’ll both be turning 12.

Stewart, 12, was born on February 29 1968, while Callum, 11, will turn 12 on August 14.

Of course, in reality Stewart actually turns 48 this morning, but because he was born on February 29 he has only been able to celebrate his birthday on the actual date he was born 12 times.

He said: “Normally, I celebrate my birthday on the 28th because that is the last day of the month.

“But when I was a bit younger I celebrated it on whatever day fell on the Saturday.”

Stewart, who was born in Essex but moved to Dundee at an early age, said his unusual birthday is still a talking point.

“Friends say I’m underage and not old enough to drink in the pub,” he said.

“We were out for a family meal and one of my cousins said he was the youngest, but I had to correct him.,

“Everybody likes to say they are young at heart, but when I say I am actually young because I’ve only had 12 birthdays it gets a wee giggle.”

Stewart, who went to Menzieshill High School, has worked as a lift engineer for 25 years so can say he has been working longer than he has had birthdays.

To celebrate his birthday this year, Stewart’s wife Pauline is taking him on a speedboat ride later in the year, while he and Callum spent Saturday watching Dundee play Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Dens Park.

The family will also share a birthday meal tonight.

They also visited family in Liverpool earlier in the year.

However, Stewart said Callum does not appreciate just how odd it is for a father and son to be turning 12 in the same year.

He said: “Callum was just diagnosed with autism so his understanding is a bit limited even though I’ve tried to explain it to him”.

People born on February 29 are often called leaplings or leap-year babies.

On non-leap years they can choose to celebrate their birthdays on either February 28 or March 1.

We were out for a family meal and one of my cousins said he was the youngest, but I had to correct him. STEWART REID

Picture: Kim Cessford. Callum and Stewart Reid both turn 12 this year.