Britain’s coal miners were on strike, plans for the M54 sparked protests, and communities across Shropshire were adapting to a changing world in 1972.
In this collection of archive pictures, we look back at a year of big events and everyday moments - from pupils rolling up their sleeves to clean their school swimming pool in Dawley, to the opening of new homes, a new police station and the first steps towards Telford’s developing town centre.
There were also plenty of reminders of daily life in the county, including a ‘paraffin perm’ in Kinnerley during a power cut, miners returning to work at Granville Colliery, and youngsters enjoying unusual opportunities at school and in their communities.
These photographs from the Shropshire Star archive capture the people, places and stories that shaped Shropshire in 1972. Do you remember any of these scenes, or can you spot someone you know? Tell us in the comments.
Did you see our gallery looking back at the 1990s? Take a look here.
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37. Condover Industrial Estate, 1972
A former wartime airfield found a new purpose as Condover Industrial Estate in 1972, with businesses moving into the old buildings and helping the site develop. This photograph shows one of the premises, including a used car sales business operating from building number 95. Do you remember the industrial estate in its early days, or any of the businesses that started out there? | Shropshire Star archive
38. Eardington station, 1972
A new chapter was beginning at Eardington station in June 1972, as an excavator cleared the ground for a new platform. The work was part of the early development of what would become the Severn Valley Railway. Do you remember visiting Eardington station, or watching the railway restoration take shape? | Shropshire Star archive
39. Alveley, 1972
A local dispute over a much-loved walking route in Alveley made the news in April 1972, as residents claimed an old footpath had disappeared beneath the gardens of new homes. Pictured walking along the route are Mr Eric Rowley, Mr R Richardson and Mrs Doreen Drapier. Do you remember this footpath, or the changes that took place around Peacock Hill? | Shropshire Star archive