Sheffield retro: 29 of the best photos taking you back to 2002, the year Arctic Monkeys formed

Sheaf Market was being torn down, as was the notorious ‘Egg Box’ town hall extension, while a torchlit procession marked the opening of the much-loved Winter Garden.

But up in High Green, something even more significant was happening, something that would thrust Sheffield into the global spotlight.

Four teenagers had formed a band that would shake up the world of rock, changing the rules and breaking records in the process.

They were, of course, the Arctic Monkeys, who would storm into the public consciousness three years later, in 2005, when their debut single soared to number one.

Just a few months on, in January 2006, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, became the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history.

This retro photo gallery captures the Sheffield of 2002, featuring scenes around the city in the year Alex Turner and co began their remarkable ascent to the pinnacle of rock.

The nostalgic pictures show lost pubs and restaurants, with two Sheffield institutions among them; they show one half of one of the most generous ever Lottery-winning couples sharing their wealth; and they show neighbours coming together to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

Those were the days when internet cafes were still a thing, Debenhams was a high street linchpin, and England’s World Cup hopes rested on the shoulders - and broken metatarsal - of David Beckham.

Do these photos bring back any happy memories of early noughties life for you? And were you among the lucky ones who got to see the Arctic Monkeys before they were famous?