The service had its first ever female ambulance driver, Sheila Hawkins, who had previously worked as a nursing assistant at St. Margaret’s Hospital, Great Barr. Fallowfield Road, Orchard Hills, Walsall is mentioned.

A new motorway patrol ambulance, similar to a type used in America, had been designed by Parkinson Radio Telecommunications Limited of Lancashire, in association with Lewis Ambulance of Liverpool. The photograph shows Jim Addison inspecting the ambulance,

The service raised money to buy an opnoea bed for young children, which was presented to Alderman Mrs Ruth Ilsley. The photograph shows (from left) Mr D. Rickhuss, Superintendant R. J. Bagnall, Dr A. K. Woodward, Mr C. T. Harrison and Mr G. Molineaux.

Paramedics Geoff Preston (of Blakenall Lane) and Geoff Mills (of Florence Street, Walsall) delivered Tarsem Kaur’s baby in an ambulance on the way to the Hospital in the early hours of Christmas Day. Cambridge Street, Walsall is mentioned.

The photograph shows ambulance driver, Mike Cox, with a new premature baby unit and pain-killing gas set.

Ambulances on Sutherland Place were struggling to gain quick access to the Hospital due to parked cars. Union representative Alan Sanders and Councillor Jim Humphries are mentioned in the article.

The service rescued sewer pipe workman Tom Duffy from a 16ft trench on Jones Lane, Slitting Mill in Rugeley, Cannock, which was on the verge of collapse. The photograph shows Colin Sutton standing in front of an ambulance and holding the rope used to resc

Fred Smith of Buckley Road in Penn, Geoff Rhodes and A. Saunders, from Wolverhampton, won a driving event competition and went on to represent the Midlands in a national competition in Harrogate.

The emergency services continued to operate during the Christmas holiday. The photograph shows driver Nigel Sharman from Gnosall at the wheel of an ambulance, and Police Constable Bob Smallman from Cannock and Fireman Michael Battersby are mentioned.

Driver Gordon Alcott of Broomhill, Deputy Station Officer Brian Dudley of Hednesford and Leading Ambulanceman Brian Wadsworth of Rawnsley received road safety awards from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.Albert Bailey is mentioned.