Step back in time with a nostalgic look at everyday life, local industry and community spirit across Walsall and the surrounding area between 1960 and 1965.
From high streets and historic landmarks to factory floors, royal visits and familiar faces, these photographs capture a changing Black Country at the start of the 1960s.
Featuring scenes from Aldridge, Bloxwich, Darlaston and Brownhills to many other places across the area, the collection offers a fascinating glimpse of places and moments that have since disappeared or changed beyond recognition.
Take a trip down memory lane, see how many familiar faces and places you can spot, and share your memories in the comments.
- Travel back to Wolverhampton in 1969 with these 61 pictures, guaranteed to bring back memories. View them here.
- You can enjoy this and more with our weekly FREE Nostalgia Newsletter - with scores of archive pictures and exclusive features on the history of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and the Black Country - all sent to your inbox every week. Sign up here.
13. A stroll down West Bromwich Street
Pedestrians wrapped in macs walk past the long terrace of Victorian brick houses lining West Bromwich Street in Walsall during a damp day in August 1961. With tall chimney stacks bristling against the grey sky and a lonely saloon parked along the kerb, the scene offers a nostalgic window into daily life across the town's residential heartland. Many of these traditional working-class homes formed tight-knit communities before post-war redevelopment gradually transformed the surrounding streetscapes. Did you grow up in a classic terrace like this, or do you remember West Bromwich Street as it used to look? | Express & Star archive
14. Honouring Walsall’s own ‘Lady of the Lamp’
Hospital matron Miss A. M. Libbey leans over the surrounding railings to lay a floral wreath at the base of the Sister Dora statue on January 16, 1962. A quiet crowd of local onlookers bundled against the winter cold gathered at The Bridge in Walsall to mark the birthday anniversary of the town’s legendary 19th-century nurse. Dorothy Wyndlow Pattison, affectionately known as Sister Dora, earned the deep devotion of the Black Country for her tireless care of injured industrial workers and smallpox victims, a selfless legacy commemorated annually by the town. Do you remember seeing the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Sister Dora statue back in the 1960s? | Express & Star archive
15. Hats off, Ma'am! The Queen takes the ultimate park ride
Queen Elizabeth II stands in an open-top Land Rover as it moves slowly past cheering crowds at Walsall Arboretum on May 24, 1962. Around 5,000 members of local youth organisations, including Scouts, Guides, and youth groups lined up with banners to greet the Monarch during her royal visit to the Black Country. The joyous event brought thousands of families and young people together in the park, creating an unforgettable moment in Walsall's civic history. Were you among the 5,000 young people at the Arboretum or do you remember watching the Queen's visit to Walsall in 1962? | Express & Star archive
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16. Gifts fit for a Monarch (and the royal nursery!)
Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she inspects a collection of locally crafted presents during her royal visit to Walsall on May 24, 1962. The Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Mrs A. M. M. Taylor, presented the Monarch with fine leather goods and gifts chosen for both herself and the young royal children. Showcasing Walsall's famous international reputation for master leathercraft and trade craftsmanship, the civic presentation stood out as a proud highlight of the historic Black Country tour. Do you remember what gifts Walsall presented to the Queen or the buzz around town during her 1962 visit? | Express & Star archive