Whilst I was worried about performing at Franklin’s Gardens for the Saints, the rest of the world were worried about the Y2K bug, which experts thought could result in a world wide computer meltdown in the lead up to the millennium. The millennium bug was a failure for most computers to be able to recognise the last two digits of the year. IT companies around the world spent billions of pounds looking for the Y2K bug and working out how to fix it. Almost everybody raced around to make themselves Y2K-compliant before the fast- approaching deadline. Finally, when the big day came, many utilities and other companies switched off their main computers and put the backup computers to work. When the clock ticked 1st January 2000, no major problems were reported. Every bank worked, no major power outages were reported, airplanes still flew and the whole world went on with its normal life.
I was oblivious to all of this and celebrated the millennium at a superb party hosted by the Barwell family at their family home Bradden House. No expense was spared at this party, which was held in a huge marquee in their garden. The marquee was themed like the inside of a Bedouin tent, which for a little hamlet in the middle of Northamptonshire was quite exotic.
