Take a nostalgic journey through life in and around Cannock during the 1970s, a decade of change, community spirit and unforgettable moments.
From the coalfields and Cannock Chase to town centre scenes, royal visits and everyday life on local streets, these archive photographs, presented in no particular order, capture the people, places and stories that shaped the area.
Do you recognise familiar faces, old landmarks or places that have changed over the years? Share your memories of Cannock in the 1970s with us.
Relive memories of the Black Country and Staffordshire in 1984 in our archive gallery here.
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41. Trees felled for industry on Cannock Chase
Trees are cut down on Cannock Chase on June 24, 1970, with the timber destined for two very different uses — being turned into paper and used as props to support mineshafts. The photograph captures the close links between the Chase’s woodland and the industries that shaped life across Cannock for generations. Do you remember seeing forestry work taking place on Cannock Chase? Have you got memories of the woodlands before they changed? | Express & Star archive
42. Starting married life in a new Cannock home
Geoff and Gillian Wright moved straight into a newly furnished home in Clifton Avenue, Cannock, when they married in 1979, after saving carefully during their engagement. Their three-bedroom semi-detached house, which was 12 years old at the time, cost £12,000, with a £1,500 deposit and monthly repayments of £112. The photograph captures a time when buying a first home was a major milestone for many young couples. Do you remember buying your first home in Cannock during the 1970s? How much did houses cost when you first took that step onto the property ladder? | Express & Star archive
43. A final glimpse of steam on Cannock’s coalfield
Trevor Matthews is pictured in his pit gear beside Cannock Chase Coalfield’s last steam locomotive, No.7, at Littleton in 1974. The locomotive was part of the industrial landscape that helped move coal around the pits, capturing a time when steam power was still a familiar sight alongside generations of mining workers. Do you remember seeing the steam locomotives at Cannock’s collieries? Did you or your family have links to the coalfield? | Express & Star archive
44. A Cannock garden visit from a football legend
World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks is pictured with youngsters Adrian Camp, Jamie Rowley and Richard Pursehouse in the garden of Jamie’s father John Rowley’s home in Hollies Road, Cannock, in the summer of 1972. Banks was visiting as part of a promotional photoshoot for Gordon Banks Junior Goalposts, a business venture that brought one of England’s greatest goalkeepers to meet local children. Do you remember seeing Gordon Banks in Cannock? Did you ever own a set of goalposts like these or spend hours playing football in the garden? | Express & Star archive