To ask for your memories of the nineties?

[moutonfou]

I was a kid in the nineties and I remember it as a really nice decade, exiting stuff happening culturally, general national optimism, a certain innocence which seems to have been shattered after September 11th (although the IRA was obviously still active in the 90s and there were atrocities in Yugoslavia etc).

My question is, do I just remember it as a nice time because I was a kid, or was there actually a tangible difference in national mood?

I think the whole BritPop movement and New Labour government gave it an air of optimism certainly and it was when credit expanded rapidly and people really started to spend a lot too. There were jobs and the rave scene and grunge were huge so yes, imo it was a good time. I was in my 20s and partying hard, going to lots of events, good job down south, rich boyfriend, great friends, so this could have coloured my view somewhat.

Funnily enough I was thinking about this earlier! I watched an old episode of friends and it bought back memories of a much nicer time, I was a teenager in the 90s and I don't just think I'm looking back through rose coloured glasses, the world really was a different place.

I was teens/early 20s in the nineties so was an era of change and growing up (allegedly) for me leaving school, going to university then moving to London.
Agree it was an optimistic time, it seemed like there was so much opportunity and positivity. Certainly doesn't feel like that now!

Best time ever! No internet, crazy fashion, great music, had a really great vibe. I wish wish wish I could go back in time to the 90s!

I think the early 90s were a bit grim to be honest, OP. Pretty bad recession, very very bad time to be a single mother parent. On the "plus" side, you could pretty much claim benefits for forever and never be questioned but they were very stingy by today's standards (before anyone flames me, they were!)

BritPop as someone has said in the mid 90s gave things a "lift" and then New Labour promised a big change and things certainly started changing. At first it seemed great: benefits were socially acceptable for the first time in forever, university places for all, it was just starting to edge towards it being acceptable to be gay, the Internet was starting to change things in ways we couldn't have anticipated.

But there was a dark side to it. I suppose there is to all decades. I can't put it into words. Drugs, possibly? I'm not sure.

There was a very influential book written re "the end of history" basically arguing that all the big stuff was out of the way now and a general sense that the world was going to slowly nimble along in happy general peaceful capitalist prosperity as more and more countries embraced capitalism and democracy. The Cold War had ended, for a U.K. Perspective the Good Friday agreement was signed. And then September 11 happened and it turned out history hadn't ended after all. :( although I think this was always a rather westerncentric viewpoint since as you say there were atrocities going on in other parts of the world and rumblings of dissatisfaction/trouble but no-one really paid them enough heed...

The 90s to me is Smash Hits, crop tops, girl bands, indie and Britpop. I was a teenager absolutely lapping up all the celeb gossip (via the pages of Elle and the showbiz columns in my mum's newspapers)...there seemed to be such a glamorous social scene happening in London and it all looked so exciting.
Now, if you were to Google pictures of Meg Mathews et al they all look faintly ridiculous not to mention pretty off their faces..

And pastel ballon - I agree about the dark side. I suspect that partly was because there was a load of stuff going on elsewhere/underneath the surface that blew up in everyone's face in the 2000s. Even small things like improvements to the NHS being funded in a large part by PFI, effectively storing up problems for the future.

It was a great time...really pivotal I think. So much more choice and freedom and money than in the 80s. Pre-lads mags one of them (FHM?) was launched for "new men" with advice on housework and childcare and the like (did not last) everyone got giddy on ikea furniture and painted their walls yellow with blue paintwork and pictures of sunflowers, we all went a bit new age and when Labour won the election I swear it smelled like candy floss.

Flop, yes, I think that's exactly what it is.

A little like when Christmas is over and the January bills hit.

what I remember the most is jumping up and down on a freinds bed to "common people" and that song with a saxophone in it which said "hey, I've seen you around, will you go to bed with me" which I thought was hilarious for some reason...

Pastelballoon - bit like the 1920s in some ways...

I wonder this a lot. Love love love the 90's, but wonder if it's just because it was "my decade" and everyone thinks the same based on when they were teens/twenties.
I started secondary school in 1990 and ended the decade having the time of my life as an intern in Southern Germany travelling around Southern Europe at weekends and partying all week.
I think Britpop, Euro 96, change of government had the whole country buzzing - I agree 9/11 and then financial crisis seemed to dampen things Down.
hoped we were getting 90's spirit back with the Olympics in 2012 but it was v short lived.

Getting engaged
Graduating
Getting married
Buying first flat
Having first baby

I guess I grew up in the Nineties!

Well I remember Iranu and Ivavu and George Dors, what are the scores .

Grunge -yuk, I was too old. Spice Girls, again too old.

Eastern Europe opening up again.

15% mortgage rates. No tax credits.

The decade I got married and had babies. Was fantastic until 1997.

9/11 was 2001.

I remember there was a bad recession in the 90s due to John Majors "black Monday"? A lot of home owners were suffering from negative equity for a few years and it was probably the first decade people realised a job wasn't for life anymore .Its crazy now to even think that you would have the same job all your life now. It seemed that employers started contracting work out and the big organisations took less responsibility for offering secure jobs and wages . Tony Blair was voted in because people needed change and he did realise a lot of people were living in poverty .

I remember a lot of people being pretty badly hit by that recession. It seemed it had the most impact on small businesses. I remember reading a magazine article about a family living in bed and breakfast accommodation after losing their business in the early 90s recession.

Tribe perfume and funhouse

Yes, I loved the 90s. I was a raver and have so many happy memories of these times. New Labour brought a real hope to the country and Cool Britannia and all that. Lots of female groups too breaking into the mainstream.

It's interesting how music maketh the decade for many.

I was a newish mum in the nineties and remember that there were no breakfast or after school clubs which made working or uni very difficult. Music was heaps better than in the eighties. No internet which we didn't miss as never had it but being a lone parent really was lonely. Still such a lot of of sexist shit in the workplace then too. The BSE scare which made my my mum stop buying beefy stuff for twenty years. Probably was a happier less stressed time than now but the seventies were better time to be a kid.

I grew up in the 90s. I remember a lot of Body glitter, inflatable backpacks for school, the spice girls, tamagotchi toys. Pogs! Prizes in cereal boxes. Why can't they bring that back?! My husband is 5 years older than me and remembers the 90s for the dance music as he was working in clubs and pubs when that really took off. My 90s music tastes differ very much as I was still at school then. It is my favourite decade. But I'm not loving the 90s fashion comeback. Makes me feel way too old.

Nip,, I know it was 2001. What I meant to say (badly) was the second half of the nineties was all happy optimism then right at the start of the next century it all started to go to shit. And 9/11 colours the way I see the nineties because it stood in contrast to them, not because it happened during them.

On a more flippant note: gel pens!!!