Meet the 21-year-old born in 1932!

A grandfather-of-four has just celebrated his 21st birthday '“ despite being born 84 years ago.
Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays. He is pictured with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays. He is pictured with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.
Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays. He is pictured with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.

Peter Davis, of Crouchfield, Boxmoor, entered the world on February 29, 1932 at West Herts Hospital – now Hemel Hempstead Urgent Care Centre on Hillfield Road.

And since then there have been only 21 leap years – meaning the father-of-three has to celebrate his birthday on February 28, which he says has never been an issue.

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Mr Davis, who lives with wife Eve, 83, said: “I’ve had no problems at all – I’ve just always been the odd one out.

Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays.
Photographed with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays.
Photographed with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.
Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays. Photographed with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.

“But there’s not many people who can celebrate their 21st birthday with their 58-year-old daughter!”

Over the years, the family have had fun with Mr Davis’ elusive birthday – giving him L plates on his 17th, which was actually his 68th, and telling him he was old enough to drink on his 18th, which was his 72nd.

As a youngster, Mr Davis lived with parents Eric and Alice and brother Colin in Puller Road, Boxmoor.

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He attended St John’s Primary School and Crabtree Lane Secondary Modern before leaving at the age of 14 for a job as an apprentice engineer at John Dickinson’s stationers in Apsley.

Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays.
Photographed with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays.
Photographed with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.
Peter Davis, of Boxmoor, has had 21 leap year birthdays. Photographed with his wife Eve and his baritone horn.

It was there he met Eve, who worked in the studio, and they married at St John’s Church, Boxmoor in 1956.

The couple set up home in Cowper Road and went on to have three children; Geoffrey, Jenny and Stephen.

Sadly, Geoffrey died in a motorbike accident in December 1979 – just weeks before his 18th birthday.

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Jenny now lives with her husband in Essex, and has one son, Ben, who is 21 and studying medical science at Canterbury University.

Stephen – who lives in Los Angeles with wife Alyssa – is dad to Amelia, five, Henry, three, and 18-month-old Jack.

After doing national service with the RAF, Mr Davis enjoyed a fruitful career in engineering, working at Hemel firm Alford & Alder before setting up his own company with six colleagues, building cars for the disabled.

The firm, Steering Developments, is still going today. Mr Davis, now retired, said: “We had 400 years of experience between us and we didn’t want that to go to waste.”

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After his retirement, Mr Davis concentrated on his love of brass instruments and is now the longest-serving member of the Hemel Hempstead Band, as he began playing at the age of 14.

He is now president and plays the baritone horn. He said: “I’ll keep playing for as long as I am able to.”

2016 is a milestone year for the Davis’, who will celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary (60 years) on September 29.