Take a trip back to Wolverhampton in 1969 with this collection of archive photographs capturing a town changing before people’s eyes.
It was a time when the expanding ring road and major redevelopment transformed the landscape, while familiar streets, traditional shops and long-established industries continued to define everyday life.
From busy factories and engineering works to community events, royal visits, churches, markets and neighbourhoods including Heath Town, Penn, Bradley and Tettenhall, these pictures offer a snapshot of Wolverhampton at the close of a remarkable decade.
Do you remember any of these places, people or events? Browse the gallery and let us know which photographs bring back the strongest memories by sharing your stories in the comments.
- Take a look back at Staffordshire and the Black Country in 1962 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.

61. Hot pressing heavy steel at John Thompson
Ironworkers guide a large steel dome as a massive industrial press forms a smooth hemisphere at the Wolverhampton works of the Thompson Horseley Division, part of the John Thompson Group, in May 1969. These heavy steel pressings formed the essential structural components for liquid carbon dioxide storage spheres manufactured by the company. Showcasing the region's advanced engineering prowess, an identical hemisphere was selected for display at the International Chemical and Petroleum Exhibition, highlighting Wolverhampton's reputation as a leader in heavy industrial manufacturing. Do you remember working at the Thompson Horseley works or witnessing the heavy industrial manufacturing across Wolverhampton in the 1960s? | Express & Star archive

