From factory floors and football matches to community celebrations and everyday moments, 1979 was a year of change, ambition and memories across Wolverhampton.
Our archive takes a look back at a town shaped by its proud industrial roots, with workers at firms including Guy Motors, Brockhouse Castings and Chubb keeping long-standing traditions alive, while new factories and developments pointed towards the future.
It was also a year when communities came together - from fundraising for new facilities and supporting local churches to campaigning for better spaces and celebrating milestones. There were weddings, Christmas parties, carnival processions and familiar faces from streets and workplaces across the city.
These photographs capture Wolverhampton at a crossroads: a place where old industries were changing, new ideas were taking shape, and everyday life continued to create lasting memories.
How many places, faces or moments from 1979 do you remember? Share your memories with us as you look through this nostalgic gallery.
Revisit Wolverhampton in 1983 here.
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13. Aiming high in the town centre
In August 1979, shoppers at Wolverhampton's Mander Centre were given the chance to see the latest equipment used by 210 Air Defence Battery TA, based at Fallings Park. Elizabeth Fisher tries out the Army's anti-low-flying aircraft missile system, watched by Lance Bombardiers Harry Butler and Tony Gregory, with Mothercare visible in the background. Do you remember military displays and exhibitions bringing a touch of the armed forces to the town centre? | Express & Star archive
14. Keeping engines running
Frank Glover Ltd., based in Mary Ann Street, Horseley Fields, Wolverhampton, was expanding its services in December 1979 with three new ventures aimed at motorists and the engineering trade. The engine manufacturer was opening a Unipart shop for spares and tools, a specialist section for parts for overseas vehicles, and a stock of reconditioned gearboxes ready to go. Do you remember this Wolverhampton firm, or visiting local shops for car parts and repairs before the days of online ordering? | Express & Star archive
15. A snowy day on the picket line
Refuse collectors from Wolverhampton Cleansing Department, based in Crown Street, found themselves at the centre of a dispute in January 1979 after walking out over claims that working conditions in the snow were unsafe. The workers said they would not return until they were compensated for lost hours, while the dispute left bins uncollected across the city. This photograph captures a moment from a cold winter of industrial action. Do you remember the heavy snow of 1979, or how the strikes affected daily life in Wolverhampton? | Express & Star archive
16. A neighbourhood facing change
Councillors visited a terrace of houses in Short Street, Bilston, in August 1979 after disagreements between residents and Wolverhampton Council officials over the condition of the properties and plans for demolition. Pictured in conversation are Mayor Councillor Ian Claymore, Councillor Alan Garner, Councillor Fred Ladsam, Norma Whatton, Madge Hurley, Violet Jones, Councillor Muriel Hodson and Councillor Jenny Hickman. As many older terraces disappeared during this period of redevelopment, what memories do you have of Bilston's streets before they changed? | Express & Star archive