The 90s and 00s have seen somewhat of a revival these past few years, with fashion and music trends from each decade being replicated. This is the first time many tweens and teens have seen the likes of chokers, platform shoes, non-skinny jeans and so on be a trend, while other generations have seen it all before.
Yet no matter what parts of the era come back, there are some things today’s youth will never bear witness to. For better or worse, they’ll never know a world without modern technology and the internet - while 90s and 00s kids watched phones go from wired landlines to touch-screen handhelds in the space of a decade.
If you grew up during the turn of the century, you’re part of a generation that has witnessed the best and worst of both worlds. Here are some of the things you might remember from growing up in millennium Northern Ireland.
Read more: Belfast Live readers share the mum threats they heard growing up
Alien babies and the rumours that surrounded them
It’s hard to explain to anyone who wasn’t a kid in the 2000s just how much of a hold these smelly, gooey aul things that came in an egg had on us. But the rumours about how they could get pregnant/give birth, eat their babies, open their eyes or even die had us all wanting one for ourselves to see what they could really do.
The concept of a ‘family computer’
Those who were lucky enough to have a computer at home were not lucky enough to have it all to themselves as it was always placed in a living space, accessible to all the family. Whenever you were allowed on it, time was of the essence - and there was always a chance your sibling would ruin whatever masterpiece you created on Microsoft Paint the next time they got their hands on the mouse.
Renting from Xtra-Vision
Long before the days of on-demand TV and streaming services, there was movie renting. Initially home to VHS tapes that may-or-may-not have needed to be rewound before you could watch the film and later offering the far more convenient DVDs, Xtra-Vision was the place to go to sort your weekend movie marathon.
Buying a lava lamp in Select
Few kids’ rooms were without a lava lamp in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s. Many kids who grew up in Northern Ireland got theirs from a dark wee shop called Select on Ann Street, Belfast.
Silicone wristbands
How this fad began, we’ll never know, but it became so widespread that there wasn’t a till to be seen without them. Even charities got in on the action.
Speed-weaving Scoubidous
Of all the fads to come and go throughout our childhood, “Scoubis” were possibly the most inescapable. These plastic strings came in all sorts of colours and glitters to be twisted into bracelets and keychains or other shapes.
Being gifted a Scoubi creation became the highest honour a primary school girl could receive from another. The elite weavers among us even took requests on occasion.
Visiting Dreamworld
This bad-boy off Boucher Road in Belfast was very well-named as it was a haven for kids in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s. Remember the swinging Fredo ship or the iconic PlayStation area?
Cereal box ‘the Simpsons’ fridge magnets
Never did a child beg their mum not to buy the supermarket’s own brand cereal as much as the time Kellogg’s boxes included a collectible ‘the Simpsons’ fridge magnet. In every box there’d be one magnet of one family member sat on their signature couch - the goal was to collect all five to complete the scene.
Beyblade battles
Fidget spinners had nothing on the world’s coolest spinning top toy, Beyblade. 2000s kids can still remember the zzzzzzt! noise they made when launched into battle.
The spinning clown at Barry’s
Barry’s Amusements in Portrush has been revamped with a new name and new ownership. Yet nothing will erase from memory the nightmare fuel that was this bloody clown looping around on his trapeze.
What other memories do you have of growing up in '90s/'00s Northern Ireland? Let us know in the comments below.
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