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.
17. Deep dive at the Arboretum
Frogmen from the Walsall Police underwater exploration section wade into the chilly waters of the Arboretum lake during a public demonstration on May 24, 1961. Clad in heavy rubber suits, full-face masks, and tethered by safety lifelines, the specialised team pulled a bag from the lake bed to showcase their search-and-recovery techniques for the annual force inspection. Watched closely by a crowd of onlookers gathered along the stone bank, the event offered local residents an exciting look at the early days of police diving in the Black Country. Do you remember watching the police diving demonstrations or attending the annual inspections at Walsall Arboretum? | Express & Star archive
18. Raising a pint to old comradeship
Three Great War veterans share a pint of ale and a laugh at the annual reunion of the 5th and 7th Battalions of the South Staffordshire Regiment, held at the Drill Hall in Walsall in May 1965. Pictured from left to right are Bert Sanders, who joined the 5th Battalion in 1910, John Woodcock, who enlisted in 1914, and Frank Barker, who signed up in 1913. Wearing their service badges and campaign medals with pride, the old comrades toast lifelong friendships forged in service to their country. Do you have any family members who served with the South Staffordshire Regiment or attended reunions at the Drill Hall? | Express & Star archive
19. A pint and a trolleybus at Catherine's Cross
The Staffordshire Knot public house stands prominently on the corner of Wolverhampton Street and Pinfold Street at Catherine's Cross, Darlaston, in November 1963. A double-decker trolleybus navigates the junction beneath the web of overhead power cables, framed by classic 1960s saloons and a delivery van. Serving Atkinsons ales to local foundry workers and residents, the pub was a familiar Black Country landmark in an era when electric transport still dominated the streetscape. Do you remember popping into the Staffordshire Knot for a tipple or passing through Catherine's Cross back in the sixties? | Picture: Daniel Graves Photography
20. Modern machinery on the shop floor at Lindop's
A team of inspectors and management figures look on as an operator demonstrates the newly installed Acme Conveyors mechanised moulding line at H. Lindop’s foundry in Walsall in September 1965. The impressive state-of-the-art plant was capable of producing heavy iron castings weighing up to 200 lb, marking a major step forward in efficiency for the local metalworks. As one of the borough’s key engineering firms, Lindop's invested heavily in modernising its facilities to keep up with the booming industrial demand of the mid 1960s. Did you or a relative ever work on the factory floor at Lindop's foundry? | Express & Star archive