From royal visits and Silver Jubilee celebrations to factory floors and everyday moments, these photographs offer a fascinating glimpse of life across the Black Country and Staffordshire in 1977.
It was a year of big occasions and ordinary routines, with plenty of characters and stories captured along the way. We’ve delved into the archives to bring you a collection of pictures that show how much has changed - and how much remains familiar.
Some scenes may bring back memories of places you knew, people you remember or jobs you once did, while others offer a glimpse into a world that has almost disappeared. Take a look through the gallery and see which pictures spark a memory.
Do you recognise anyone? Where were you in 1977? And what do you remember most about the year? Share your memories in the comments.
Take a look back at 1990 in our previous gallery here.
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17. When the road suddenly gave way
A busy road in Tividale was brought to a standstill in November 1977 when a huge 30ft-square hole appeared in the northbound section of the Birmingham New Road. Safety checks revealed that the road had opened over part of a disused mineshaft, plunging around 480ft below the surface. Police sealed off the road and diverted rush-hour traffic through Oldbury, while three other shafts were discovered nearby. The shafts had belonged to the Grace Mary Numbers One and Two Collieries and dated back to around 1850, although they had been filled in when the road was built in the 1920s. Can you imagine driving along and suddenly discovering a hole of this size beneath the road? Did you know how much of the Black Country’s mining history lies beneath its roads? | Express & Star archive
18. A glimpse inside the workplace
Workers at Tube Products Ltd in Oldbury are pictured at work in 1977, with foreman Sam Bates, inspector Terry Bartlett and machinist Frederick Gregory. Photographs like this offer a fascinating glimpse into the people behind the factories and engineering firms that played such an important part in the Black Country’s industrial heritage. How many of you remember working at Tube Products, or know someone who did? What was your first job in a local factory or workshop? | Express & Star archive
19. A lifeboat with a Wolverhampton name
There was a proud moment in June 1977 when Mayor Councillor Jessie Beddoes officially named a new lifeboat "The Wolverhampton", before it was sent to Abersoch in North Wales. She is pictured on the right surrounded by a large crowd who gathered at West Park for the ceremony. It is fascinating to see a town so far from the sea giving its name to a lifeboat bound for the Welsh coast. Do you remember seeing the boat or hearing about its launch? And what other local names do you remember finding in unexpected places? | Express & Star archive
20. Express & Star archive
In April 1977, readers in Dudley could browse for their next book without stepping inside a traditional library. This mobile library brought shelves of books directly into the community, offering a familiar service on wheels. For some, it may have been a regular part of the week — a chance to return a favourite book and discover something new. Do you remember the mobile library visiting your neighbourhood? What books do you remember borrowing? | A library on wheels in Dudley