AFH celebrated a landmark achievement when the business’s Call Centre Manager, Sue Hateley, celebrated 30 years at the firm. When she joined the business in June 1996, it had less than 10 members of staff, which included founder and current CEO, Alan Hudson.
Today the business is one of the UK’s largest independent financial advice companies with £11 billion of client assets, 200 Independent Financial Advisers and 500 employees. As Sue explained, during her career at AFH she has held “just about every role within the company, except Independent Financial Adviser”.
One of the most impressive things about the business’s growth, Sue went on to explain, has been its continued commitment to putting clients first.
“This has been particularly impressive” she said.
“It’s why I have remained at AFH for so long and remains at the heart of everything we do, something that’s so often reflected in the people I work with. Everyone within the business feels valued and respected, which creates a genuinely supportive environment.”
To mark Sue’s 30 years, we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and look at what life looked like in England in 1996. So, join us as we revisit Britain three decades ago through 10 facts you may have forgotten.
John Major was still Prime Minister
Today, Prime Ministers seem to come and go from Downing Street with surprising regularity. According to the Guardian in May, the UK has seen seven occupants of ‘Number 10’ since 2016, suggesting the Government’s top job has become something of a revolving door.
It wasn’t always like that though, as in 1996 the then Prime Minister, John Major, had been running the country for six years. He took over from Margaret Thatcher in 1990, after she had run Blighty for 11 years.
The Conservative’s 18 years in office came to an end in 1997 when Tony Blair won a landslide victory for Labour. Gordon Brown then took over from him in 2007, before losing the 2010 general election to David Cameron who formed a coalition agreement with the Lib Dems.
Since the coalition, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have had the keys to number 10, as well as current Labour Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer.
The Spice Girls released Wannabe
In mid-1996, The Spice Girls’ debut single ‘Wannabe’ was released and became an instant hit. The song, about the value of female friendship over romantic relationships, reached number one of the UK Singles Chart.
The girls went on to have two more hits in 1996, which were ‘Say You’ll Be There’ and ‘2 becomes 1’. In the same year their first album, Spice, was released, which sold more than 23 million copies.
As the Spice Girls’ career started, sadly, another bastion of pop music had seen their career end. In February, Take That announced they were going their separate ways. Other artists that enjoyed success in 1996 included George Michael, The Prodigy and Oasis.
Alan Shearer was the world’s most expensive footballer
In 1996, Alan Shearer became the most expensive footballer in the world when he transferred from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United F.C. for £15 million. This is the equivalent of £30.6 million in March 2026, according to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator.
While this would still be an impressive sum, it’s significantly below what the world’s top football players are earning in 2026. According to media reports, Cristiano Ronaldo’s annual salary is an eye-watering £178.8 million a year, with Lionel Messi earning a whopping £130 million a year.
Football (nearly) came home at Euro 96
Staying with the beautiful game, for many footie fans it looked as though football was finally ‘coming home’ in 1996. Thanks to Paul Gascoigne’s goal against Scotland and a 4-1 victory against the Netherlands, England’s hopes of winning the European Championships looked good.
However, the nation’s hopes were dashed in the semi-finals by an agonising penalty shootout defeat against Germany.
Damon Hill was crowned Formula One World Champion
Another sporting achievement for 1996 was Damon Hill being crowned Formula One’s World Champion. During the season, Damon had eight wins and 10 podium finishes in his Williams, as well as several pole positions and fastest lap times.
He clinched the championship at Suzuka, Japan, in October, after finishing second behind Jacques Villeneuve. As the son of former Formula One World Champion Graham Hill, Damon’s win continued the family’s legacy in motor sport.
Dolly the sheep was born
Dolly the sheep, who was the first cloned mammal ever to be created from an adult cell, was born on 5 July 1996. Named after country singer, songwriter and actress, Dolly Parton, the sheep was controversial as scientists and the public debated the ethics of cloning.
While opinions may have differed, Dolly changed what scientists thought was possible and created new possibilities in medicine and biology. Dolly has been on display at the National Museum of Scotland since 2003.
The average house price in England was £53,331
Government statistics released in April 2026 revealed that the average house price in England was £290,000 in February 2026. According to data from the Land Registry, the average house price in England in June 1996 was £53,331, meaning the average house price in England has increased more than fivefold in 30 years.
One reason prices in England were so affordable back in 1996, was the property price slump of the early 1990s, according to This is Money. The downturn was created by the economic impact of high interest rates and artificially inflated prices created by the property boom in the late 1980s.
We rented videos for ‘movie nights’
The most popular films in 1996 included Independence Day with Will Smith, Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, and Leaving Las Vegas with Nicolas Cage. As streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ hadn’t been launched, watching a movie at home meant popping into a video rental store to collect your film of choice.
In 1996, Blockbuster was a common sight in high streets across the UK, with millions of Britons scouring the shelves looking for that night’s movie. Yet in 2010 the video rental chain filed for bankruptcy after it failed to switch to online streaming, something customers increasingly were moving over to because of convenience.
The Simpson’s became regulars on British television
While the Simpson’s had appeared occasionally on British television through Sky or music videos, it did not have a regular slot on terrestrial TV. This changed in November 1996 when Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie made their television debut when BBC One aired ‘There’s No Disgrace Like Home’.
It was aired regularly on BBC One during its teatime slot until March 1997, when it moved to BBC Two. It remained there until May 2004 before moving to Channel 4 after the Beeb lost the rights to the show.
The summer Olympics were held in Atlanta
Between July 19 to August 4, the Centennial Olympic Games took place in Atlanta, America. The landmark sporting event marked the 100-year anniversary of the modern Olympic Games after they were launched in Athens in 1896.
During the games, America’s Michael Johnson became the first man in Olympic history to win both the 200m and 400m races. Furthermore, he set a world record of 19.32 seconds in the 200m.
The summer games haven’t been held in North America since, however the US will host them again in 2028 when the games will be held at Los Angeles.
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16 June 2026