In the early ’90s, Dudley was a Black Country town in transition, as traditional manufacturing declined and closures brought job losses and uncertainty. Yet pride in the town remained strong, with voices raised through industrial action, campaigning and community spirit - a place where passion for the Black Country ran deep.
Take a look back at some of those moments captured here from the Express & Star archives, and don’t forget to share your memories in the comments.
Missed our gallery of Wolverhampton from 1960–63? Take a look here.
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13. Precision Chains, Clee Road, Dudley, 1991
Factory workers from Precision Chains on Clee Road, Dudley, gather at the Labour Club in Waterloo Street in May 1991 to lobby local MP John Gilbert (pictured centre) over fears for their jobs, after the company was threatened with closure. | Picture: Express & Star
14. West Midlands Ambulance Service Headquarters, Falcon House, Dudley, 1991
The Duke of Kent chats with Denise Bernard during a visit to West Midlands Ambulance Service's Dudley headquarters, where he officially opened a new hi-tech control system in a milestone moment for the region's emergency services. | Picture: Express & Star
15. Black Country Anti-Poll Tax Federation, Dudley Town Hall, 1991
As candidates arrived for election night counting in May 1991, around 40 members of the Black Country Anti-Poll Tax Federation staged a noisy protest, chanting slogans in a vivid reminder of the public anger surrounding the controversial tax. | Picture: Express & Star
16. British Federal Ltd, Dudley, 1991
British Federal Ltd, the Dudley-based resistance welding equipment manufacturer, is pictured in May 1991 after relocating its electronics division into a refurbished building, where modern Linvar modular workstations reflect a new era of workplace design and industrial change. | Picture: Express & Star