What was it like growing up in London during the ‘90s and early 2000s?
You played with your action man. There were no devices so you used your imagination a lot more. We spent more time with our families which was nice. I remember there was one computer in the house. For the wifi, you had to use a special device called dial-up which made this funny sound. I used to play a game called Neo Pets you could say it was like a Pokemon game you could feed them fufu haha! It was a built-in gaming mechanic which was good for the time when I think about it. Another game I used to play was Habbo Hotel it was pretty cool too!
If you could bring back one thing from that era, what would it be and why?
Spending more time with the people you love. Nowadays I feel like it’s all superficial. Back then it was just “Yo let’s go there and do that”. Now people want entertainment all the time instead of just spending time with each other.
Is there a particular memory from your childhood that has stayed with you to this day?
I almost drowned in a canal in Manchester when I was younger. We used to visit my grandma often. That day we went to the canal with my siblings. I remember just jumping in.
I think that at the time I wasn’t a good swimmer. I started drowning my big brother saved me from that day. But that didn’t stop me from going to the canal and continuing to swim there. I went many times afterwards and then we stopped visiting as much when I turned 13 years old so I haven’t gone back in almost 10 years.
Which piece of technology had the biggest impact on you as a young boy when it was first introduced ?
Mobile phones! Blackberry Messenger were it back when they came out. Obviously, now they’re sh*t… But back then everyone would message everyone. There was a broadcast on there and nobody had wifi because it was really expensive. It was only £5 a week it was so cool.
If you could take one thing from 2025 back to your childhood, what would it be and how do you think it would have changed things?
Maybe…I’d take back 75 inch TV! The TVs back then were tiny, you couldn’t even experience cinematic moments. You had to go to the cinemas which is probably why they were super popular back then. Today you can have that experience at home so this is the reason why I would bring a TV back.
Is there an activity you used to enjoy back then that you still enjoy nowadays?
Bike riding I used to ride my bike a lot. Just on the estate with my friends, we used to make them louder by putting an empty plastic bottle at the back of it to make it sound louder like my car now haha! I know it’s a bit nerdy but…Good times.