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

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

It was a year of departures and new beginnings for a city in transition.

Sheaf Market and the infamous ‘Egg Box’ town hall addition were demolished, while the much-loved Winter Garden was inaugurated with a torchlit parade.

But something even more momentous was taking place on High Green, something that would propel Sheffield into the global spotlight.

Four adolescents formed a band that would shake up the rock world, rewriting the rules and shattering records along the way.

 

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

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

This retro photo gallery depicts Sheffield in 2002, with scenes from throughout the city in the year Alex Turner and co. began their extraordinary rise to the pinnacle of rock.

The nostalgic images depict lost pubs and restaurants, including two Sheffield institutions; one side of one of the most generous Lottery winners in history sharing their wealth; and neighbours getting together to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

Those were the days when internet cafes still existed, Debenhams was a high-street staple, and England’s World Cup dreams rested on David Beckham’s shoulders (and broken metatarsal).

Do these photographs bring back any nice memories from your early noughties life? And were you one of the lucky ones who saw the Arctic Monkeys before they became famous?The notorious 'Egg Box' Sheffield Town Hall extension being demolished in January 2002

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