1979 was an unforgettable year for Shrewsbury, with Shrewsbury Town FC enjoying a remarkable FA Cup run before making history by winning the Third Division title. The team captured the imagination of supporters with their famous 2-0 victory over Manchester City, followed by a thrilling run to the quarter-finals, before securing promotion in front of a huge crowd at Gay Meadow.
But there was much more happening around the town beyond the footballing triumphs. From a bitter winter freeze that brought snow and brought communities together, to the opening of the Frankwell footbridge, these archive pictures capture a year of change, celebration and everyday life.
There are also glimpses of local people at work and play, from students learning new skills to police officers out on their beat, alongside the community's efforts to support a major cancer appeal.
Take a trip back to 1979 and see what life in Shrewsbury looked like nearly 50 years ago, and share your memories in the comments.
- See 27 archive pictures of Shropshire in 1985 and revisit a year gone by
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21. Time to stop for the keeper of the station clock
Retiring British Rail veteran Bert Roberts gestures towards the Shrewsbury Station clock tower on July 7, 1979, closing a remarkable 43-year railway career that included two decades spent climbing the tower to wind the historic Victorian mechanism by hand. Did you know Bert Roberts or remember seeing him on duty during his decades at Shrewsbury Station? Have you ever looked up at the station clock tower on Castle Foregate to check the time before catching a train? | Shropshire Star archive
22. Shrewsbury’s giant thermometer marks a fundraising mission
Mayor Councillor Bernard Lingen hoists the rope on a towering 13 foot fundraising thermometer in The Square on August 6, 1979, officially launching an ambitious community push to raise £1.25 million for a brand new cobalt cancer treatment unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Did you pop loose change into the collection tins or hold a fundraising event for the mayor's cancer appeal that year? Do you remember seeing the huge thermometer standing outside the shops in The Square tracking the town's generosity? | Shropshire Star archive
23. Victorian railway legend captivates young onlookers at Shrewsbury station
A line of young train spotters kneel along the platform edge on August 16, 1979, marvelling at the historic former London and North Western Railway locomotive Cornwall as the Victorian single-driver engine pauses in Shrewsbury while en route to Bridgnorth workshops for an overhaul. Were you among the young rail enthusiasts watching the historic engine steam through Shrewsbury that summer? What are your favourite memories of train spotting beneath the station canopy during the 1970s? | Picture courtesy of Russell Mulford
24. A bird's-eye view of bustling trade inside the Market Hall
Shoppers thread between fruit and vegetable stalls stacked with wooden produce crates on November 13, 1979, captured in a snapshot by Walter Winder of the Exchange pub and later preserved by resident caretaker Cyril Hughes, who lived high atop the market building. Which market stalls do you remember visiting every week to buy your fresh groceries and treats? Did you know market caretaker Cyril Hughes or ever catch a glimpse of the unique home built right on the roof? | Picture courtesy of Brian Hughes