Step back into 1970s Wellington and see a familiar market town in the midst of dramatic change.
As the new town of Telford expanded around it, Wellington was reshaped during a decade of demolition, construction and redevelopment. Streets were altered, old buildings came down and new roads, pedestrian schemes and developments began to change the town’s appearance. Places such as Groom’s Alley and Tan Bank were transformed, creating a very different-looking Wellington from the one people knew before.
Yet among the building works and changing streetscapes, there are plenty of reminders of everyday life – familiar shops and businesses, busy roads, local landmarks and the people who lived and worked in the town.
Drawn from the Shropshire Star archive, these photographs capture Wellington as it looked during the 1970s – from demolition and construction to ordinary scenes of town life.
Take a stroll through the gallery and see how many streets, buildings, shops and familiar faces you can recognise. What do you remember about Wellington in the 1970s? Let us know in the comments.
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5. Standing firm against council plans to widen the road
A pedestrian pushing a pram is forced into the road as she navigates around a jutting garden boundary on Wrekin Road in Wellington on March 21, 1973. The unusual roadblock was the result of a 12-month standoff between local resident Pat Smith and Wellington Urban District Council. While 12 other householders agreed to surrender part of their frontages for a road-widening project, Pat and his wife Ina, of 85 Wrekin Road, steadfastly refused to part with their land, leaving their tidy garden protruding into the newly completed street layout. Do you remember the famous Wrekin Road garden dispute or walking past the jutting pavement back in the 1970s? | Shropshire Star archive
6. A royal welcome at the railway station
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, smiles and waves from the back of an official car shortly after stepping off the train at Wellington railway station on July 14, 1972. Arriving for a packed schedule of royal engagements across the area, His Royal Highness was greeted by local dignitaries and enthusiastic crowds. Among his key duties during the memorable visit was the official opening of the new Madeley Court Centre. Were you among the crowds at Wellington station or Madeley Court to see Prince Philip back in the summer of 1972? | Shropshire Star archive
7. A fleeting new vista framed by town redevelopment
A pile of rubble marks the site of the former O.D. Murphy 'pop' works on the A5 in Wellington on November 6, 1973, briefly opening up an unobstructed view of Christ Church. Clearance of the old soft drinks factory and surrounding houses offered local residents a rare perspective of the historic church tower. The temporary skyline quickly changed as plans moved forward to redevelop the cleared land for new private housing. Do you remember the O.D. Murphy pop works or seeing this short-lived view of Christ Church back in the 1970s? | Shropshire Star archive
8. An ice cool reception for local newlyweds
Bride Carolyn Harding of New Church Road and groom Tim Moruzzi of Leegomery Road, Wellington, enjoy a sweet toast following their wedding at Wellington Roman Catholic Church in February 1977. Tim, a director of a Telford ice cream firm, got the surprise of his life when an ice cream van replaced the traditional limousine to whisk the couple away from the service. Smiling from the serving window with lollies in hand, the pair made a delightfully unusual exit from their special day. Do you remember seeing Tim and Carolyn’s wedding ice cream van driving through Wellington in February 1977? | Shropshire Star archive