| Here are the biggest news, sport and | | | | advertising money. Formula One racing looked like |
| entertainment stories of 1997... | | | | being the biggest casualty but, a week after |
| Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in | | | | implementing the ban, Tony Blair specifically |
| Paris having apparently being pursued at high | | | | exempted that one sport from the new law |
| speed by photographers on motorbikes. It was | | | | (Anything to do with the £1 million Formula |
| thought that the driver of her car was drunk at | | | | One boss Bernie Ecclestone had donated to the |
| the time but that was disputed by many; some | | | | Labour Party before the general election?). |
| believing that the whole event was a conspiracy | | | | Elsewhere in sport, a lone yachtsman, Tony |
| plot involving MI5 and the Royal Family. Whatever | | | | Bullimore, miraculously survived for five days at |
| the true cause of her death; the UK united in | | | | sea after his boat capsized in the Southern Ocean. |
| paying tribute to her and, after an unprecedented | | | | He sheltered in the upturned hull of his yacht and |
| week of mourning, millions watched her funeral on | | | | survived on chocolate and water until he was |
| TV. | | | | randomly spotted by a passing Australian navy |
| Also causing much debate was the announcement | | | | ship. |
| of the birth of the world's first successfully cloned | | | | Entertainment wise, 1997 belonged to the |
| mammal. Scientists in Scotland were responsible | | | | Teletubbies; Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po |
| for the birth of Dolly the sheep and media around | | | | saying "eh-oh" to the nation for the first time. |
| the world heralded it as one the most significant | | | | Made for toddlers, the show soon became cult |
| scientific breakthroughs of the decade. For some | | | | viewing for children, students and adults alike; |
| though, it raised moral dilemmas amid fears that | | | | people finding much amusement in multi-coloured |
| the technique could be used to clone humans; | | | | aliens running around in a dome. Such was its |
| church and animal rights groups stirring up most | | | | success that is also produced a chart topping |
| of the ethical controversy. | | | | single! |
| Politically, the Conservative Party finally fell after | | | | The cinemas saw another homegrown film take |
| 18 years in power following a landslide general | | | | centre stage; low budget 'The Full Monty' being |
| election victory by the Labour Party; Tony Blair | | | | the big box office hit. The story told of a group |
| becoming the youngest British prime minister of | | | | of ex-steelworkers from Sheffield who |
| the century at 43. | | | | transformed themselves into strippers in order to |
| One of the first changes the new government | | | | make money during hard times. It was equally |
| made was to 'stub' out tobacco sponsorship in the | | | | popular on both sides of the Atlantic and was |
| sports world; resulting in snooker, darts and | | | | nominated for four Oscars. |
| cricket losing out on substantial amounts of | | | | |