A much-maligned decade, the 1970s in the UK came off the back of the ‘50s, when things like television and household appliances such as washing machines became widespread, and the ‘60s, when the Mini and The Beatles took the country by storm.
Known as a time of Edward Heath, the Austin Allegro, and daft hairstyles, the ‘70s can often be lambasted as a poor relation when compared to previous decades, but many historians say that more leniency needs to be afforded those times in retrospect, pointing out that many developments and changes were seen.
It is, however, hard to ignore the fact that the decade did nevertheless feature some difficult times politically and economically for many across the UK, Preston included. The country went from basking in the warm glow of post-war change to suffering the Winter of Discontent.
Why not take a trip back in time to get a feel for what things looked like back in those heady days with our best archive pictures of Preston in the mid-1970s.
See if you recognise any familiar faces or scenes...
Still on the hunt for a bit more nostalgia? Check out these other recent retro pieces...
67 retro pics of 1990s Preston schools, from St Stephen's & St Andrew's to Ashton High & Newton Bluecoat
1. Irish eyes were smiling in Preston when a 20-strong party from Belfast enjoyed three days' respite from the bombings, shootings, army searches and fear of their homeland. "Operation Get-away-from-it-all" was organised by the minister of the Preston Central Methodist Church, Lune Street. Pictured are girls from the party of Belfast youngsters, from left to right: Iris Morrow, Ann Watters, Arlene Livingstone, Lena Rook and Eileen Moore
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2. The Ribbleton Hall Secondary school junior hockey team which won the junior Preston Schools Hockey Tournament competition, held at Penwortham Holme
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3. About 40 events made up Kirkham Grammar School sports day, with Preston house coming out top of the overall points total with 114, followed by Ashton house with 93 and Lytham house with 71. Pictured above are some of the competitors involved
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4. A week-long road safety exhibition had toured Preston primary schools to teach children the road code and sharpen their reactions. Graham Brown (10) tries the brake-reaction test when the exhibition visited Brookfield Primary School
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