Here we feature photos from the Oxford Mail archive from the late 1970s.
It was a time of rising prices and protests among the workforce.
Faringdon residents celebrated getting a bypass, and former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan visited Summer Fields School.
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Ten thousand protesters joined a co-ordinated one-day strike in Oxfordshire on January 22, 1979.
The strikers joined simultaneous action led by 1.5m manual workers in the public services.
It was the UK government's pay policy which was the target of campaigners ire, and which led to school closures, hospital cancellations and many local services at a standstill.
School caretakers, nurses, and many low-paid manual labourers were all out demonstrating as part of the National Union of Public Employees-led action.
Streets were left un-cleaned and hospital patients - except for emergencies - were left un-transported.
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Numerous pickets lines were set up at various public institutions during the strike.
In June 1979 in Oxford midsummer madness hit Oxford city centre as hordes of shoppers set out to beat the Chancellor's big VAT increases.
Fears about petrol supplies persuaded people to leave their cars at home as they set off on the spending spree.
Traders reported a huge increase in business in the final day's grace before the budget changed.
The Winter of Discontent featured widespread strikes by private, and later public, sector trade unions demanding pay rises greater than the limits Prime Minister James Callaghan and his Labour government had been imposing.
At the end of 1978 a road hauliers' strike began.
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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
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