Whether it was the music, the fashion or the TV, the mid-90s felt like a breath of fresh air.
The Spice Girls exploded onto the pop scene, Take That were still going strong, albeit not for much longer, and indie fans got to pick sides in the epic battle between Blur and Oasis.
Bucket hats were all the rage, along with retro football shirts and trainers, while platform shoes were once again, literally, the height of fashion.
We laughed along as Friends first hit TV screens in 1994, the same year The Vicar of Dibley, often voted as Britain’s best-ever comedy, made its debut.
It was a time when anything seemed possible, with the winds of change in the air, as Tony Blair’s New Labour built the momentum that would sweep them to a landslide victory in 1997, ending 18 years of Tory rule.
These are some of the best photos capturing the joy of life during the mid-90s around Sheffield.
The nostalgic images include Zodiac, one of the original Gladiators, in athletics action at the fondly remembered Don Valley Stadium, where Tina Turner is also seen performing an iconic gig.
Skiers are pictured on the slopes of Sheffield Ski Village, a young Gary Barlow is shown on stage at Sheffield Arena, and local legend Bobby Knutt is seen helping to switch on the city’s Christmas lights.
The lost landmarks featured in this retro gallery include the old Goodwin Fountain, at the top of Fargate, the much-derided ‘Egg Box’ town hall extension, and the hulking Kelvin flats, shortly before they were demolished.
The shops we loved back then included Our Price, House of Fraser, Sugg Sport, Dorothy Perkins and Woolworths.
Do these photos bring back any happy 90s memories for you? What were the best and worst things about life back then?
1. Take That
Gary Barlow on stage as Take That perform at Sheffield Arena in 1994 | Sheffield Newspapers
2. Joe Cocker
Sheffield singerJoe Cocker with a copy of The Star in September 1994 | Sheffield Newspapers
3. Fountain
Sheffield's Goodwin Fountain in its heyday back in 1994 | Yorkshire Post Photo: Chris Lawton
4. Kelvin flats
Aerial view of the Kelvin flats, Sheffield, on August 3, 1994. The flats were completed in the 1960s and demolished in 1995 | Sheffield Newspapers