Step back in time and discover some wonderful memories from Wolverhampton and the Black Country.
From local pubs and workplaces to schools, celebrations and everyday life, this gallery brings together snapshots from the 1940s through to the turn of the millennium. The pictures are in no particular order, so settle in and enjoy the journey through the decades.
There are plenty of faces, memorable moments and fascinating glimpses of how the region looked and lived over the years - from school days and busy factories to jubilee parades and much-loved local pubs.
Do you recognise anyone or remember any of these places? Take a look through the pictures and share your memories with us.
- Remember these? 47 brilliant pictures of school days across Staffordshire and the Black Country in the 1980s.
- 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.
9. Serving up smiles and pint-sized perfection as new landlady takes the reins
Taking a proud stance behind the counter with hand firmly on the beer pump, Daisy Hendricks is ready to welcome her very first customers in December 1964. After becoming the landlady of the popular off-licence on Portland Road in Walsall, Daisy stepped straight into local history, serving up draught beer, spirits, and friendly neighbourhood chat. Backed by shelves lined with vintage bottles and traditional handwritten price lists, this wonderful portrait captures the spirit of community, enterprise, and welcoming hospitality in the 1960s. Do you remember popping down to your local corner off-licence on Portland Road or buying draught beer straight from the counter back in the sixties? | ©PA
10. Darts in gas masks as Penn pub shows wartime community spirit
Lining up in full military-issue gas masks, local players take aim at the dartboard during a surreal wartime charity match in April 1942. Held at the Spring Hill Inn in Penn, the competition pitted pub regulars against members of the local Air Raid Precautions (ARP) post to raise money for the Express & Star Comforts Fund. The extraordinary scene demonstrated how Black Country folk maintained their humour, camaraderie, and pub traditions even during the darkest days of the Second World War. Does your family have any wartime stories or photographs of local pubs keeping spirits high during the Blitz? | Express & Star archive
11. Boys' Brigade band brings precision and pride to milestone celebration
Dressed in smart uniform and standing in crisp formation, members of the Darkhouse Baptist Church Boys' Brigade Band perform during a special celebration in October 1976. The band played to open an exhibition marking the 20th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, held at Wordsley Community Centre in Stourbridge. Raising their flutes and holding their drums ready, the talented young musicians captured the dedication, discipline, and proud youth traditions of the Black Country during the 1970s. Were you ever a member of the Boys' Brigade or did you take part in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme in your youth? | Express & Star archive
12. Pins, precision, and passion as adult needlework class stitches community ties
Beaming warm, welcoming energy for the camera, Ann Taylor carefully tacks a dress together in January 1985. She was taking part in an adult needlework class hosted at Forest Community School on Hawbush Road in Leamore, Bloxwich. Surrounded by spools of thread and measuring tapes, her joyful concentration highlights the lifelong learning, creative passions, and supportive community spirit that flourished within local evening classes across the region. Did you or anyone in your family ever take up dressmaking, crafts, or evening classes at a local community school? | Express & Star archive