Asten

Before Netflix, before Disney+, before “just stick it on YouTube,” there were DVDs. Stacks of them. Lining shelves, spilling out of cupboards, stacked precariously on the chunky TV unit. They weren’t just films — they were events. Friday night sleepover? Grab a DVD. Feeling sick off school? Grab a DVD. Bored out of my mind?… Read more

It was late 2008, and the cinema lobby was buzzing with two cultural juggernauts: Twilight and High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Posters of sparkly vampires loomed on one side, while Zac Efron’s side-swept fringe and red Wildcats jersey smiled from the other. I went with a group of school friends. We shuffled up to… Read more

For years, I cringed at myself for this one: I had a special interest in Basil Brush. Not just a passing like — a full-blown obsession. He wasn’t just a puppet fox on TV; to me, he was comfort, joy, and a safe focus when the real world felt too much. Back then, it tipped… Read more

Back in the 90s and 00s, the real battle wasn’t Coke vs Pepsi, Blur vs Oasis, or even N*Sync vs Backstreet Boys. No. The ultimate divide was after-school TV: CBBC or CITV? If you grew up in the UK, you know. The second that school bell rang, it wasn’t just “homework time” — it was… Read more

Sixteen years ago today, I was sat in a school hall with a brown envelope in my hands, absolutely convinced my entire life depended on what was inside. Spoiler: it didn’t. Back then, GCSE results day felt like the end of the world. Like one wrong grade would somehow mean no future, no hope, nothing.… Read more

For months I’ve been debating whether or not to see Basil Brush this year. On one hand, it felt like unfinished business — the idea of giving Past Me the ultimate nostalgia gift. On the other hand, it felt… unnecessary. See, Basil was more than a puppet fox to me. He was my special interest,… Read more

It’s wild to think that Seeing Double came out in 2003 — which is now twenty-two years ago. That’s the same gap between Grease (1978) and the year 2000. Basically, the early 2000s are officially “vintage.” Here’s a side-by-side reminder of just how far we’ve come: 🎶 Music 2003: 2025: 📺 TV & Movies 2003:… Read more

Back in 2003, S Club 7 gave us Seeing Double — a movie where a mad scientist cloned the band, imprisoned the real members, and tried to take over the world via pop music. Iconic? Yes. Believable? Only in a world without smartphones. Because in 2025? That plot wouldn’t even last until lunch. Here’s why.… Read more

If you want to understand me, you need to understand three things: Spice Girls, S Club, and JLS. They are my Holy Trinity of Pop Childhood and Beyond. 🍼 Chapter 1: Spice Girl Starter Pack (Age 5) Like every 90s kid, I didn’t just listen to the Spice Girls — I lived the Spice Girls.… Read more

File this under: core memories, party rings, and pop hazards. Picture it: roughly the turn of the millennium — my 9th or 10th birthday. The living room had been transformed into the ultimate party venue: balloons (aka pop hazards), paper plates stacked with party rings, and a hired karaoke machine that I thought would be… Read more