AN ANTIQUE silver dessert spoon from the personal collection of a well-known family of local jewellers is to be given to the first baby born in Wirral on Sunday, July 5.

As the lucky little boy or girl will come into the world on the same day that the NHS marks its own 50th birthday, Wirral Hospital thought it would be a fitting gesture to give him or her a special memento - one that can be treasured for a lifetime.

Pykes the Jewellers, of Grange Road, Birkenhead, will ensure that the new arrival is celebrated in style by presenting the beautiful spoon to the baby's mother for posterity.

Pyke's manager Alan Myerson said: "The silver spoon is a traditional present for newborn babies, signifying the prosperity which they will hopefully experience in later life."

This particular spoon - donated from the Pyke family's personal collection - will be 125 years old at the dawn of the new Millennium.

It carries an 1875 hallmark, part of which is a stamp of Queen Victoria's head. The sovereign's head is a 'Duty Mark', which only appears on silverware dating back to between 1784 and 1890 and is proof that the owners paid the tax due on it.

Cathy Thompson, Directorate Manager for Women's Services at Wirral Hospital Trust, said: "We are extremely grateful to Pykes for making such a generous contribution to the NHS 50th Anniversary.

"The child who is fortunate enough to receive this spoon will not only be given an excellent start in life in the Duchess of Westminster Wing, but will also have something to remind him or her how important their birth date was in years to come."

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