It's almost hard to believe that 1997 is now 25 years ago but time catches up with us all.
It was the year the Labour party won a landslide general election victory as Tony Blair became Prime Minister, the tragic death of Diana, Princess Of Wales, Katrina and the Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest - the UK's first win since 1981 - and films such as The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Men In Black, and The Full Monty were released.
Here we go through some things that will take you back to a year that saw us say goodbye to the National Stadium of Wales - Cardiff Arms Park and so much more.
Read More: 15 things you could do in 1980s Cardiff that you can't do now
1. Oakwood
Oakwood Theme park was the place to go for school trips and some of the best summer fun was had at the park. By 1997, the park opened the Vertigo ride to complement Megaphobia, which opened a year earlier. They're still as exhilarating 25 years on. In fact, as we've got older they seem more scary now than they used to be - but maybe that's only because some of us are more aware of our mortality.
2. Hooch, Two Dogs and alcopops
The boozy boys of Britpop like Liam Gallagher may have all be shouting "lager, lager, lager", but the boisson du jour of 1997 was easily the alcopop. Launched in blaze of controversy, Hooch, Two Dogs et al, were not only every parents' worst nightmare - but also every dentists too given how sugary they were.
3. Matching tracksuit
Did you even grow up in the '90s if you didn't have a pair of these? Brightly coloured trackie tops and bottoms by the likes of Adidas and Kappa were everywhere - and adorned by those who wanted to look "well 'ard" or those who just wanted to look like Sporty Spice. Either way, the tracksuit of 1997 was decidedly less garish than the shell-suits of the early 1990s yet way more lively and interesting than the boring black hoodie style of late.
4. The Big Noise concert - Cardiff Bay
What a line-up this concert had - Paul Weller Catatonia, 60Ft Dolls (whose blinding set you should check out on YouTube ) as well as Space and DubWar - who later morphed into Skindred. Oh, and there was some new up and coming band called Stereophonics - wonder what happened to them?
5. Cardiff Arms Park was demolished
The old Arms Park was home to some famous Welsh sporting matches - from the Rocky Balboa-esque 1993 10-9 rugby win over England to the national football team's 2-0 win over Belgium (which saw a teenage Ryan Giggs score his first ever Wales goal). It had also hosted some cracking concerts thanks to the likes of Michael Jackson, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones. But all good things must come to and end - with the Arms Park making way for the Millennium Stadium. But before the stadium was razed to the ground (and then turned 90 degrees in the process), it was given a good send off with its last live gig - Tina Turner wowing fans on her Wildest Dreams tour.
6. The Big Weekend
Cardiff's The Big Weekend was a great event that brought you all of the best in pop and some great up and coming bands. In 1997, the festival grew and saw Stereophonics headline the Friday. There were also performances from tabloid baiting gender-fluid glam rockers Rachel Stamp, banging beats from the every energetic Afro Celt Sound System and the soul-stylings of Omar.
7. Wales says Yes in the referendum
In September 1997, Wales said "yes" to the creation of a Welsh Assembly - but only narrowly by 6,721 votes. This in turn led to the introduction of the Government of Wales Act 1998 followed by the formation of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999.
8. Satellite City was in its prime
Before Gavin & Stacey, the series that put Wales on the sitcom map was Satellite City. The show, set in a fictional Valleys town, was based around a Welsh family who had an American lodger/tenant. Satellite City featured Welsh telly faves Boyd Clack and the late great Islwyn Morris - who played the hapless yet loveable Idris. As well as picking up plenty of viewers, it also bagged a Bafta Cymru too.
9. Watching Pobol Y Cwm's Sunday omnibus for the subtitles
Sunday tea-time was made brilliant back in the late '90s thanks to the subtitles of Pobol Y Cwm's omnibus edition. All the week's drama from Cwmderi in one long sitting. The omnibus edition was binge-watching before binge-watching became a thing. And also with it being on a Sunday, you could sit down with your roast dinner while you turned in. Bliss.
10. Pam Fi Duw? debuts on S4C
Pam Fi Duw? was loved by those who managed to catch it when it was on TV between 1997 and 2002. Following the ups and downs of teenage life, Pam Fi Duw? - translates as "Why Me God" - starred the (also) late, great Brian Hibbard as Deryck, father to the main character Rhys Davies and was filmed mostly around the Rhondda Valley and at Ysgol Gyfun Cymer near Porth.
11. Meeting your idols at Virgin Megastore in Cardiff
Kids of the 21st Century - in the days before Spotify and Netflix, people used to do this mad thing and actually physically go to a shop to get their favourite music and films (I know, mad right?) And back in the '90s, Virgin Megastore was the place to go. Two floors of CDs would invariably result in pocket-money or student loans taking an absolute hammering. And there was also the legendary in store signings where you could meet pop and rock legend like Manic Street Preachers (pictured).
12. Taking your life into your own hands on the infamous Roath Park slide
The Roath Park Slide was the ultimate summer test for kids for two reasons. If it was a hot day then the slide itself would be so hot to touch that sliding down it in shorts would no doubt be a painful experience. Secondly - those bumps were not for the faint-hearted. These were the glorious days before the words "health and safety" and "personal injury lawyers" entered the collective consciousness.
13. Partying the night away at Brannigans
Cardiff's Brannigans was party central back in the '90s. Despite a devastating fire, it reopened back in 1996 and it was like it never closed. There was something for everyone's music taste, although it did mainly play the chart music of the day. I remember asking the DJ to play some rock and proceeded to spin some Dead Or Alive for me - somewhat ironically no doubt.
14. Kickers
This stylish school shoe was the footwear of choice for the '90s generation. We're not entirely sure why these became a thing. But there was a time in 1997 when all the (allegedly) cool kids would be wearing these to school.
15. Steps
Having released their first single 5, 6, 7, 8 in 1997, the two-fifths Welsh pop sensation Steps began their bid for pop music domination. At the time, sniggering naysayers thought they were just a twee novelty group destined for the bargain bin in Woolworths. But 14 top 10 hit singles and two number one albums later, who's laughing now? (Apart from Belle and Sebastien - music geek Ed)
16. Laser Quest
Laser Quest was the number one birthday party choice for teenagers up and down the country. Paintball without the paint (or the pain). A place where you could pretend you were in the film Starship Troopers or Men In Black - provided that both films had been set in an dimly building in south Wales that had access to dry ice.
17. Mega Bowl
Bowling isn't solely a 1997 thing per se, but the days of the bowling alley being the place to hang out or, bizarrely, go on a first date are long gone. And 25 years ago, you'd hear the clunk of bowling bowls being thrown down the lane to the soundtrack of Encore Une Fois as kids pumped their parents' hard-earned money into Time Crisis II.
18. Red Dragon Centre opens
Back in 1997 the Red Dragon Centre opened, then called Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village, with the cinema chain UCI originally there before it was bought out by Odeon and is now also home to Hollywood Bowl as well as Capital FM & Heart FM.
19. Queens West Shopping Centre
The Queens West Shopping Arcade was home to the likes of Athena, Livewire and the Food Theatre. Although these pictures were taken in 1996 most of the centre was empty by 1997 but, still, the memories remain of riding the glass lift for hours and grabbing a bite to eat from the Food Theatre on the top floor.
20. Clubbing at Zeus
Zeus was the poptastic club that most of us boogied on down at over the years. From foam parties to banging cheesy pop music, it had it all.
21. Hippo Club
The dance club mecca that was known as The Hippo Club, also home to Bogiez Rock Club, was a magnet for alternative and dance music clubbers from all over south Wales. From rocking riffs downstairs in Bogiez to pulsating dance beats upstairs, it all came together to make music heaven.
22. Harry Ramsdens
Harry Ramsdens down the Bay was a special treat back in the '90s. Did you try the Ramsdens challenge and if so, do you still have your prize?
23. Techniquest
Techniquest was the school trip that was educational and fun at the same time. I remember visiting back in the late '80s when it was opposite the Castle - but that's just me showing my age. Most will know it from its current location down the Bay - which still has some of the original exhibits there - like the giant piano and the lightbox that photographs your shadows.
24. Dan yr Ogof
Another school trip staple was Dan Yr Ogof caves, which is homed at the National Showcaves Centre for Wales. You knew going here meant going underground and so much fun was to be had. Plus the dinosaurs, despite being made of carbon fibre, were impressively large and intimating.
25. Penscynor Wildlife Park
Opening in 1971, this wildlife park situated near Neath in South Wales was not just a great place to visit and get up close with the animals but a fantastic family day out. Unfortunately, the park closed in 1998 but its legacy lives on in those who went there and bought window stickers - and recently on a t-shirt by Ramones-tastic Welsh punk legend Helen Love Ah, those were the days.
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