Get ready for a little nostalgia with a smile as we look back at life across the Black Country, Wolverhampton and Staffordshire.
From cheeky high-street pranks and summer jubilee parades to hen nights, garden windmills and some wonderfully unexpected moments, these archive pictures capture local life at its most uplifting.
Which ones make you chuckle or bring back a happy memory? Share your thoughts in the comments!
- Remember when Walsall drew the crowds? Step back into its bustling past here
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9. Crafting a mini landmark right in the back garden
Bringing a bit of whimsical engineering home! On May 14, 1965, Joseph Parkes puts the finishing touches on a detailed miniature ornamental windmill in his back garden at Penn. Handcrafted with painstaking care, the towering garden feature sat right alongside the washing line and greenhouse, proving that local backyards were full of wonderful passion projects and eccentric charm. | Express & Star archive
10. Double the cuddles for two new farmyard arrivals
An adorable handful of pure joy! Junior keeper Kay Putnam beams with happiness as she snuggles two newly born baby pygmy goats at Drayton Manor Zoo in March 1992. Born to parents Pandora and Wotan, the precious pair brought huge excitement to zoo staff, who launched a public search to help pick out the perfect names for their delightful new recruits. | Express & Star archive
11. Serving up smiles and sliced bread by the basketful
Bringing plenty of cheer to the mess hall! On May 22, 1940, three radiant Auxiliary Territorial Service orderlies share beaming grins as they haul a giant wicker basket overflowing with sliced bread. Clad in their working overalls, the cheerful trio prove that even routine wartime kitchen duties were delivered with wonderful spirits and absolute camaraderie. | Express & Star archive
12. Giving royal heritage an unexpected pint-sized makeover
Queen Victoria would definitely not have been amused! Cheeky late-night revellers gave the iconic statue of Prince Albert in Queen Square a hilarious makeover by balancing beer glasses atop the Prince's head, his horse's ear, and near his side in August 1976. It was the second time in recent months that the grand 110-year-old monument became an impromptu target for banter, following a previous prank where pranksters jammed a litter bin over the Prince's head. The cheeky stunt certainly gave shoppers across Wolverhampton a playful laugh as they passed through the square. | Express & Star archive