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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13. Arab-type buses, Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, 1961
New Arab-type buses by Guy Motors of Park Lane, Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, pictured in September 1961, shortly after entering service. Passengers later complained that within a few months the vehicles had begun to smell like fish vans. | Picture: Express & Star
14. West Bromwich Street, Walsall, 1961
A row of old terraced houses, pictured in August 1961, offering a glimpse of everyday urban life in a bygone era. | Picture: Express & Star
15. White Ladies Farm, Codsall Wood, 1961
A farmer makes the most of the sunshine to gather in his crop on a combine harvester at White Ladies Farm in Codsall Wood in 1961, with the ruins of Whiteladies Priory standing in the background, linking working farmland with centuries of history. | Picture: Express & Star
16. The Rock, Tettenhall, 1961
Tettenhall, July 1961, capturing a moment of change as older houses stand in the process of demolition, with the Rock Hotel visible in the distance, offering a glimpse of a village landscape quietly being reshaped. | Picture: Express & Star