'One day in the life of Corby' - Fascinating photographic archive shows town on the final day of the 1970s

On December 31, 1979, one young man, Julian Bowker decided to take a walk around Corby.

He was just 23, and wanted to capture the final day of the 1970s using black and white film on his 35mm Russian-made Zenith camera.

His collection, One day in the life of Corby, shown here publicly for the first time, offers a unique glimpse into every day life for those people who might have believed that their town could not survive the end of the steelworks.

Here, in his own words, Julian describes how he captured the essence of Corby on camera.

“It was one of those bright clear days, crisp underfoot and chilly.

“On the last day of the 1970s, 31st December 1979 at 23 years old, I walked around Corby and took photos of the steel works and town.

“In that limbo week between Christmas and New Year, the people of Corby faced the grim life-changing prospect of the planned redundancies of 6,000 steelworkers, announced by the government, in May 1979.

“I thought about the hopes and fears of Corby town’s young people. My mother taught at Lodge Park secondary school where they had the highest level of free school meals.

“Looking at the pictures now, I am reminded how the blast furnaces dominated every street and vantage point in the town. I also remember the many boarded up empty homes.

“Thousands were unemployed, and, in the 80s, Corby council launched a regeneration project. British Steel Corporation demolished the works, and using government and European grants, the council began reclaiming the land.

“Twenty years later, the demolition of the furnaces brought another tragedy, recently dramatised in the drama series, Toxic Town. Mismanagement of toxic waste removal had spread contaminated dust throughout the town and many children were born with defects in the 90s.

"The heavy metal cadmium was identified on the former steel site.

“By that time, our family had moved from Gainsborough, not far from Scunthorpe.

“Today, watching the news about the threat of the closure of Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces and seeing the families and workers march to the football club takes me back to that day in Corby: a sharp, cold blast from the past.”

Join the walk down Elizabeth Street, up Forest Gate Road, along Occupation Road and round Stephenson Way, through wasteland and viewing the works while still in operation, then back along Stevie Way and into town.

If you have photos you’d like to share, you can email us at [email protected]