For many people across the Black Country and Staffordshire, the 1980s meant factories, workshops and industrial estates were a familiar part of everyday life. The sound of machinery, the smell of oil and metal, workers arriving for shifts and lorries coming and going were all part of the local landscape.
These photographs take us back to a decade when traditional skills were being joined by new technology. Engineers, machinists, printers, foundry workers and factory teams were keeping production moving, while local firms invested in new machinery, developed new products and won orders from around the world.
From Wolverhampton and Willenhall to Walsall, Dudley, Stafford and beyond, these pictures capture the people, workplaces and businesses that helped shape the region.
Do you remember any of these factories or firms? Perhaps you worked in one of them, or had a family member who did? Take a look through and see how many bring back memories - the pictures are in no particular order - and share yours in the comments.
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37. When the vending machine came from Bilston
Sankey Vending in Bilston was celebrating an “instant” export success in April 1987 with its new SL50 tabletop vending machine. Compact enough to sit on a counter, it could dispense a range of drinks and had already attracted orders from Finland, Sweden and Germany. Denise King and Jane Hedge are pictured standing, with Debbie Davies and Norma Ratcliffe, alongside the new machine. Do you remember Sankey Vending or its Bilston factory? Where did you first encounter a vending machine like this? | Express & Star archive
38. 400 years of loyalty at a West Bromwich firm
Twenty-six workers at Walkersteel Strip Mill in West Bromwich were rewarded for a combined 400 years of loyal service in May 1989. Each had been with the company for between 10 and 25 years, with some based at the firm’s Sedgeley works. The special gifts were presented at a celebration arranged by the company, recognising the dedication of staff who had spent much of their working lives with the same employer. The workers are pictured with West Bromwich general manager Rod Willetts and director Ian Chadwick. Do you remember Walkersteel or its Roebuck Street works? Did you or someone in your family spend many years working for the same local firm? | Express & Star archive
39. Busy behind the scenes at Pensnett House
The secretarial team at Pensnett House, on the Pensnett Estate, are pictured at work for London and Cambridge Properties Ltd in October 1988. Hayley Simner is operating the fax while Nicola Pigott and Sharon Butcher take messages and type correspondence. The photograph captures a familiar office scene from the 1980s, when fax machines were still a relatively new part of everyday working life. Do you remember Pensnett House or working on the Pensnett Estate? When did you first use a fax machine at work? | Express & Star archive
40. Bilston sheet metal firm looks to the future
Bilston Sheet Metal Workers had survived one of the toughest periods for Black Country industry when this photograph was taken in April 1985. The craftsmen pictured were welding giant steel silos at the firm, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Many competitors had disappeared during the recession, but the company was beginning to expand again as orders picked up. Its workforce of 60 was expected to grow. Do you remember Bilston Sheet Metal Workers? Did you or someone in your family work in the local metalworking industry? | Express & Star archive