Resulting from a major ESRC funded project as part of their programme of research on population and household change Family and Community Life of Older People reflects the interest in how older people are affected by social change which is currently a key theme in social science. It focuses on three areas: Bethnal Green in London; Wolverhampton in the Midlands; and Woodford in Essex. These areas were the subject of studies in the late 1940s and 1950s. Using these examples, it explores changes to the family and community lives of older people. It should prove of interest to students in social policy, urban sociology, gerontology, social work and community studies and will also be relevant to policy makers.