So it’s official.

The speculation is over. Oasis are reuniting 15 years after their acrimonious split…

Next year’s tour comes 30 years after the release of their best-selling album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? If there’s anything worth burying the hatchet for, then this milestone anniversary is clearly it.

Love them or hate them, there’s no disputing that Oasis are one of the best-selling bands in British history. Like so many people, their era-defining singles and albums dominated my youth.

And with the huge buzz surrounding the comeback, I’ve no doubt they’ll be hitting a few more milestones when tickets go on sale on Saturday 31st August.

Speaking of milestones, I thoroughly enjoyed Tim’s stroll down memory lane last week. Maybe news of the Brit-pop resurgence has me feeling nostalgic (or perhaps it’s just an age thing!), but I’ve also been reflecting on some of the milestones I’ve accomplished over the years.

As someone who has always been taught to value hard work, landing my first job was a definitely standout moment.

Back then, as soon as you received your national insurance number, you could start working. So, at 15yrs of age I wasted no time in getting myself a job manning the deli counter at the local Tesco. The less said about the unflattering netted hat, the better! Still, I didn’t mind. I was just happy to start earning…

I’d done a trial afternoon shift just before the end of the month, so my first pay cheque was for a modest sum of… drumroll… £15! Even so, it was a big moment. It’s funny how things work out. All these years later and Tesco are still an intrinsic part of my working life!

Like most people, moving out of home was another big milestone. Not that I really had much choice in the matter; my parents decided to up sticks and move to Spain when I was 17yrs! It was a crash course in independence that served me well.

After securing a last-minute place at Portsmouth University, I was suddenly faced with the intimidating prospect of finding my own student digs. I teamed up with four other clueless freshers, and together we raced around Portsmouth trying to snag a house before our fellow freshers beat us to it.

Today, that mad dash could easily be a reality TV show – think Race Against the World, but with less money and a much less exotic location! In the end, we secured a four- storey townhouse that was sadly more mould than mortar!

I’ll be honest, it was a pretty daunting experience. But it was nowhere near as scary as my first charity boxing match, which was both brilliant and terrifying in equal measure.

Of course, raising a significant sum for Cancer Research made every bruise worth it. And I even won a prize for raising the most money. In the end, I think my mates were fed up with me asking to put a wager on every pool game and round of golf we played in the run-up to that event!

Since joining All-Tag^® Europe five and a half years ago, the milestones have been coming thick and fast… Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or you’ve been sauntering around the Med all summer!) you’ll know we’ve sold a staggering 1.25 billion EAS labels this year. It’s a fantastic achievement and one that Tim and I are both incredibly proud of.

But that’s not all. We’ve now broken our sales record every year for five years running, employ more people than ever and, for the first time, we are the title sponsors of the Retail Risk Fraud Awards 2024.

I might be biased but I think they are achievements worth shouting about.

And as Nelson Mandela once said, “Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.”

And if it’s good enough for Oasis, then why not?