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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33. On the picket line
Workers at Triplex Foundries in Tipton went on strike in 1977 in a dispute over equal pay. Les Langford is pictured among the pickets outside the factory gates, capturing a moment of industrial action and solidarity during a period when strikes were a familiar part of working life. Do you remember strikes at factories or workplaces in your area? Did anyone in your family ever spend time on a picket line? | Express & Star archive
34. 35 years of nursing celebrated
Audrey Jones was given a special reason to celebrate in June 1977 after being awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in recognition of 35 years of nursing. Her colleagues at Guest Hospital, Dudley, marked the achievement by throwing a party in her honour. It is a wonderful reminder of the dedication of nurses who spent decades caring for their local communities. Do you remember Audrey, or anyone else who devoted their working life to nursing? How many years did people in your family spend in the same profession? | Express & Star archive
35. A celebration before the final service
This photograph captures Bentley Methodist Church during its 25th anniversary celebrations in 1977. More than four decades later, in December 2019, the church was preparing to hold its final service after the decision had been taken to close a year earlier. There is something poignant about seeing a church at the heart of a community in its celebrating days, knowing what eventually lay ahead. Did you or your family have connections with Bentley Methodist Church? What memories do you have of the people and events that brought the congregation together? | Express & Star archive
36. A retirement gift to remember
Wilf Mather, of Whitgreave Lane, Great Bridgeford, was presented with an electric drill by Air Vice-Marshal Jimmy Gill to mark his retirement from RAF Stafford in August 1977. The gift from Wilf’s colleagues was a practical one for a new chapter after his years of service. Do you remember the gifts people received when they retired? Was there a particular present from colleagues that you still treasure? | Express & Star archive