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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17. Coven War Memorial, 1961
Coven War Memorial, pictured in January 1961, amid proposals for its removal, standing as a poignant reminder of remembrance and local history during a time of change. | Picture: Express & Star
18. Open Market, Wolverhampton, 1961
A view from a potato stall at the Open Market, Brickkiln Croft/School Street, in January 1961, with weighing scales and weights in the foreground as shoppers in overcoats and hats circulate through the busy market, capturing the everyday rhythm of winter trading. | Picture: Express & Star
19. Berrill and Williamson Ltd, Rugeley, 1961
Leather being unloaded from a tanning drum by Brian Hash at Berrill and Williamson’s tannery on Forge Lane, Rugeley, in April 1961. | Picture: Express & Star
20. Penn Road, Wolverhampton, 1961
Penn Road, Wolverhampton, pictured in July 1961 after a new section of dual carriageway had opened. Wolverhampton Transport staff worked through the night moving overhead trolleybus wires so town-bound buses could use the route, while a Midland Counties milk float – once a familiar sight on streets across the region – passes through this snapshot of a changing city. | Picture: Express & Star