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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29. A school visit from a very familiar face
Before he became famous as Darth Vader, Dave Prowse was helping children learn about road safety as the Green Cross Code Man. In 1977, he visited Sunshine Infants and Nursery School in Walsall as part of a road safety campaign, where he met pupils including six-year-old Tim Thursfield, who would later become the Express & Star’s chief photographer. The two are pictured together during the visit. Who remembers the Green Cross Code Man? And can you still remember the road safety message he taught a generation of children? | Express & Star archive
30. Curtain up for Dudley performers
This cast from Dudley Citizens' Theatre is pictured during a production in September 1977, with the names carefully recorded on the back of the photograph. From top are Bob Beattie and Barbara Youngs; Sue Wooldridge, Tom Johnson and Jenny Littlewood; John Johnson, Louise Henwood and Bob Pardoe; Mary Beattie and Keith Braithwaite; and Stevie Johnson lying down. The handwritten names are a lovely reminder of how important it is to record who is who in an old photograph. Do any of these names bring back memories? Did you ever perform with Dudley Citizens' Theatre or watch one of its productions? | Express & Star archive
31. A school ready for a new term
Parkfield School in Wolverhampton is pictured in September 1977, with its neatly cut grass and tidy grounds looking immaculate at the start of the new school year. There is something wonderfully familiar about the appearance of a school just as pupils are returning after the summer holidays. Can you remember what your own school looked like in the 1970s? Was the grass always kept this neat, or did it quickly become a playground again? | Express & Star archive
32. The onion that tipped the scales
There was some serious competition at the Bromford Lane allotment holders’ leek and onion show in September 1977. West Bromwich gardener Mr Arthur Beauchamp took the top prize for his collection of four carefully trimmed onions, winning the J B and S Lees challenge trophy, the J Williams Cup and the blue ribbon for best exhibit. But when it came to size, Mr J Sharratt had the edge - his prize onion weighed an impressive 3lb 8oz. He is pictured centre as judges Mr Harold Crouch and Mr Jack Gibbs check the weight, alongside show secretary Mr Norman Hamilton and Sandwell allotment committee chairman Mr Owen Pinfold. Have you ever grown a prize-winning vegetable? And what was the biggest onion, leek or potato you ever managed to produce? | Express & Star archive