1979 News is a Stourbridge snapshot

While the style of the paper, which back then also covered Halesowen, may have changed the mix of news and features from the area remains the heart of the newspaper’s content.

The first edition of the News, published on October 11, leads with the tragic story of a schoolgirl killed by a collapsing wall in Halesowen and an interview with a Brierley Hill widow attacked by a dog.

Page three reveals an ironic coincidence with modern times, the lead article is about a council consultation with school headteachers on education cuts, a familiar theme in 2009 as politicians plan a public spending squeeze.

Another story which may sound familiar as the boffins of 2009 search for alternative energy sources features on page nine.

An article highlights Halesowen as a possible area where technology could be used to provide power for homes from cow manure.

Property advertising has always been a key feature in the Stourbridge News for house hunters and a glance through the 1979 property guide shows how values have increased.

In the 1979 edition a three-bedroom semi-detached home in Marston Close, Norton, was advertised for £19,100 while a similar home in the same street was on the market in 2008 for £189,950, a whopping ten-fold increase.

Other items have however not changed quite so much, in 1979 a top of the range Phillips 26-inch colour TV set with remote control was advertised for £449.95.

Today's high-tech LCD sets have become cheaper in real terms, a 32-inch Sony set can be bought from high street shops in the area today for around £530.

Technology has made a huge difference to the newspaper business and in the 21st century the internet is providing extra ways to stay in touch with Stourbridge which people in 1979 could not have imagined.

Readers from around the globe are getting their Stourbridge News online and our website provides the perfect platform to view the first edition of the paper in full.