Step back in time to 1970 with a fascinating collection of photographs capturing life across Wolverhampton, the Black Country and Staffordshire.
From industrial workplaces and civic occasions to everyday street scenes and suburban life, these pictures offer a glimpse of the people, places and traditions that shaped the region at the start of a new decade.
Do you remember any of these places or scenes from 1970? Share your memories in the comments - we’d love to hear your stories.
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29. Preserving the rich heritage of Black Country craftsmanship
Visitors inspect hand-crafted saddles, ornate bridles, and traditional saddlery tools on display at the Leather Museum exhibition inside Walsall Library on January 15, 1970. Surrounded by exposed brick walls bearing the painted motto "Man goeth forth to his labour", the evocative workshop display celebrated Walsall’s historic reputation as the world-renowned heart of the leather and saddlery trade. The exhibition provided local residents with a fascinating glimpse into the intricate skills and bench work that defined the town’s industrial identity for generations. Do you remember visiting the leather displays or local historical exhibitions at Walsall Library around 1970? Did anyone in your family work in the famous Walsall leather, saddlery, or lorinery trades? | Express & Star archive
30. Celebrating the grand return of heritage steam to local rails
A majestic steam locomotive billows thick plumes of smoke as crowds of enthusiastic onlookers gather along the tracks to capture the historic moment on May 23, 1970. Reported by the Wolverhampton Chronicle on June 3, 1970, the celebratory event marked the official reopening of the Severn Valley Railway, which initially operated services running between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade. Excited steam enthusiasts and local families thronged every available vantage point along the scenic line to welcome the triumphant return of classic rail travel. Do you remember attending the grand reopening of the Severn Valley Railway back in May 1970? Did you or your family take a ride on one of those early steam trips between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade? | Express & Star archive
31. Calling for late night quiet near a busy factory
Large extractor units and tall chimneys rise above the factory complex of Harris and Sheldon (Display) Ltd on August 11, 1970. Frustrated residents living in nearby Rose Hill called for official noise checks to be made at night, complaining that the constant whine from a large extractor unit was keeping them awake. Neighbouring families asked Councillor E J Clarke to take up their grievances with the Walsall Corporation public health department, capturing a classic clash between industrial operations and surrounding residential streets. Do you remember the Harris and Sheldon factory in Willenhall or the hum of local industrial plants across neighbourhood streets? Did you ever live close to a factory unit that ran late into the night back in the 1970s? | Express & Star archive
32. Saying goodbye to a historic landmark of community care
Demolition work begins on the 130-year-old former St George's school building in St George's Parade, Wolverhampton, on April 17, 1970. Known as The Fold, the historic site served many purposes after closing as a school around 1940, including housing Polish refugees, running a nightclub a decade prior, and functioning as both a youth club and a shelter for homeless men. Declared unsafe a year before workmen began tearing down the roof, the building held fond memories for locals. Do you remember attending youth activities or passing by The Fold in St George's Parade before its demolition in 1970? What are your memories of St George's Social Centre and coffee bar back then? | Express & Star archive