Life's dramas are reflected by Express & Star

Whether marking an anniversary or mourning the death of a loved one, you can guarantee we will be on hand to help in some way.

Our births, marriages and deaths sections features hundreds of listings each week.

And we publish stories about couples from across the region celebrating landmark anniversaries, be it golden, diamond or even platinum for 70 years.

Teenagers donning their glamorous prom dresses or smart suits can submit their photos to galleries on our websites, while we also carry spreads of readers' pictures in the papers.

And we never miss the annual graduation ceremony at Wolverhampton University as students take their first steps into the world of work.

Marie Hogg the Incoming manager responsible for birth, marriage and death announcements, said: "The family announcements page is the heart of the newspaper.

"It gives the customer a way of celebrating, remembering and offering condolences at the most difficult of times.

"We are here for your past, present and future. It keeps families in touch that may not live close and keeps friends informed of changes to their friends lives.

"It has always been a very important part of the newspaper and is a strong tradition in the West Midlands that is passed down the generations."

Life can also be full of drama with events unfolding that shock the community. But whatever happens the Star will have reporters on the scene to provide all of the detail.

In our role as part of the fabric of life in the region, the Express & Star provided unrivalled coverage of the devastating fire that ripped through Wilkinson Primary School, in Bilston near Wolverhampton.

The Express & Star was at the forefront of coverage of the blaze, publishing police appeals for information and documenting the school's attempts to rebuild.

A new £8.2 million high-tech building is now rising from the ashes and is expected to be completed by the end of November. All of the equipment and furniture has been donated by residents and local businesses.

And more than £20,000 has been raised in donations and events including a table top sale.

Head Tina Gibbon said she was grateful to the Express & Star for its detailed coverage. She said: "I think it's really important that we have a local paper that will report on incidents like this and get behind schools and community groups.

"The fact it is local almost means you have some ownership over it.

"If a national paper was reporting on what happened to us it would probably be completely different but as the Express & Star is part of the community you can trust it."

Every day in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire is different.And no matter what is happening, you can trust us to be part of your life.