Born on 1 January 1997

Back in 1997, it felt like the sun never quite went down, didn't it? There was this giddy, electric buzz in the air, especially that May when the political tide finally turned and "Things Can Only Get Better" wasn't just a D:Ream tune, it was the national mood. I remember nursing a pint of Boddingtons while "Don’t Speak" by No Doubt blared from the jukebox, right before everyone rushed home to catch the latest *Men in Black* at the local Odeon or argue about what on earth was happening on *The Girlie Show*.

The kids were absolutely feral for Tamagotchis—I remember my niece nearly having a breakdown because she forgot to feed hers during a school assembly. It wasn't all sunshine, of course; we all remember exactly where we were that August morning when the news came through about Diana; the whole country just went silent and still. But mostly, I think of that scorching summer, the smell of cheap barbecue charcoal, and the sheer chaos of Teletubbies taking over the shops.

We were all obsessed with the Spice Girls, eating far too many Turkey Twizzlers, and honestly believing that the New Millennium was going to be something out of science fiction. Tight jeans, frosted tips, and a genuine sense that we were right at the centre of the world.