A BIRTH is always joyous event but for one Thornbury family, who welcomed baby George to the fold this summer, it sparked fivefold the usual dose of excitement and delight.

The arrival of the infant on July 26 and just four days after his royal namesake, has made the Stephens, Masons and Dowlers, one of a handful of families to span five generations in the town.

Although born to a 'regal' family of a king, being descended from grandfather Philip and dad William, know as Bill, little George's connection to the Windsors is only incidental.

His parent Bill Stephens, 21, and his partner Kay, 20, who met while studying at Castle School, insist they had his name picked out months before the birth.

"The day I went into labour they announced they were going to call him George," said Kay. "Now everybody says 'You named him after the royal baby'.

"But we had picked the name two or three months before he was born."

The jewel of the family will, however, be dotted on like the little prince himself.

Tina Stephens, 49, the owner of the Wool Stop on the High Street, plans to keep her grandchild cosy and warm during his first winter and has already began knitting him a few jumpers.

And as big baby George, now seven weeks, did not fit in his newborn wardrobe and in fact currently wears three to six months old clothes, this is just as well.

"People are quite surprised when we tell them we have five generations," said Tina. "It's quite a nice story. As the only baby in the family, he is very special. He is going to be our model. We are going to knit a lot of thing for him."

His proud great-grandmother Pat Mason, 70, told the Gazette: "He is the little prince of the family. His great-gran and his great great-gran are going to spoil him."

Dorothy Dowler, who already is at the helm of army of 12 great-grandchildren and six grandchildren, said she never imagined she would live to meet her first great great-grandchild.

"I didn't expect it at all," she said. " It's very special for me."