Step back to 1961 with this fascinating journey across the Black Country and Staffordshire.
From rows of terraced houses and changing town centres to what is believed to have been Staffordshire's first betting shop, these photographs capture the sights, people and industries that shaped everyday life 65 years ago. Among them are evocative scenes from the region's proud manufacturing heritage, including a chainmaker who recalled becoming accustomed to the sparks flying from her work.
Drawn from the Express & Star archives, this gallery offers a glimpse of a world that will be familiar to many and fascinating to those discovering it for the first time.
What do you remember from the era? Share your memories and favourite photographs in the comments, and enjoy the trip down memory lane.
Did you see our gallery of Wolverhampton in the early 1990s? Take a look here.
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9. Ashmore, Wednesfield, 1961
‘A sign of the times’ - a betting shop next to the Ashmore Inn in Wednesfield, pictured in November 1961, believed to be the first betting shop in Staffordshire, marking the arrival of a new era on the high street. | Picture: Express & Star
10. Brownhills flats, 1961
Brownhills Urban District Council’s first multi-storey block of flats, pictured in December 1961 ahead of its official opening, with a young mother pushing a pram in the foreground, capturing a moment of everyday life against a new era of modern housing. | Picture: Express & Star
11. Stafford Road, Dunstall, Wolverhampton, 1961
Workmen building a footbridge over Stafford Road at Dunstall, pictured on a gloomy November day in 1961, linking Stafford Road Works on one side to the locomotive shed opposite, capturing a moment of industry in motion under overcast skies. | Picture: Express & Star
12. Lamb, Hingley and Co, Lye, 1961
Jim Jones at work welding the spout of a watering can at Lamb, Hingley & Co Ltd in Lye in March 1961, a snapshot of the skilled craftsmanship and industrious spirit that helped power the Black Country's manufacturing heritage. | Picture: Express & Star