Their little faces were beamed across the world when it emerged their father was the oldest father of twins in Britain.

Now Ruby and Emily Roden are getting ready for their first Christmas Day with 71-year-old dad Richard. Since they hit the headlines in October the family are almost celebrities in Brownhills.

But Richard, married to the twins mother Lisa, 25, said they are preparing to settle down for a quiet family festive season out of the limelight. The proud parents have spent the last few weeks buying clothes and toys for the 10-month-old twins.

Richard said: “Everyone is great and I am over the moon with my life at the moment. I wouldn’t swap things for winning the lottery. We just want to stay out of the limelight and enjoy a nice Christmas.”

Lisa added: “We are really happy together all looking forward to it. This Christmas is going to be really special as we are complete as a family now.”

Ex-welder Richard married Lisa in Cannock in September – four years after their first meeting at a course at Brownhills Library. They have now set up home in Peake Crescent, Brownhills, with Lisa’s seven-year-old daughter Bethany.

Romance between the pair blossomed and after a holiday in Weston-super-Mare in 2006 the couple started trying for a baby at the beginning of 2007.

They suffered the heartbreak of two miscarriages but in May last year, Lisa discovered she was pregnant again. The twins were born in January at Walsall Manor Hospital, Emily weighing 5lb 5oz and Ruby 4lb 6oz. Richard and Lisa have not ruled out the possibility of having more children.