Tony Blair was Prime Minister, Liverpool reigned supreme as UEFA Cup champions, and an unknown child actor called Daniel Radcliffe was about to make his big movie debut when Nicol Arathoon paid a visit to her local garden centre and bought a goldfish in a plastic bag.
The beautician was just 16 when she purchased Sparky in 2001. Now a 38-year-old mum of two, Nicol remains the proud owner of what could be the oldest goldish in Merseyside, as Sparky is still swimming to this day, despite a recent health scare.
Nicol said: "He's part of the furniture. I'd be lost without him. I was not giving up on him. Everyone was saying flush him down the toilet, put him out of his misery, but I wasn't having it."
