Each year at the ɬ Group, we celebrate those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication and contribution to the business.
The Beyond Awards recognises those who have been a part of the group for 25, 35, 40 and 45 years, alongside the achievements of our apprentices.
To mark the occasion, take a look back at what happened in 1999 when our employees celebrating 25 were starting their careers at the ɬ Group…
January 1999: The European Union introduced the Euro as the European single currency.
January 1999: The first BlackBerry device, the BlackBerry 850 was launched, a two-way pager with email capabilities.
February 1999: Gordon Ramsey appears on TV for the first time in the documentary “Boiling Point” detailing the opening of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
March 1999: Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones set off and became the first explorers to circumnavigate the Earth inside of a hot air balloon.
April 1999: A minimum wage is introduced throughout the UK, set at £3.60 per hour for workers over 21 and £3 for workers under 21.
May 1999: Manchester United won the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich. The victory cemented a treble-winning season for Manchester United, having won the Premier League and FA Cup titles in the previous 10 days.
June 1999: ‘The Mummy’ premieres.
July 1999: Who can forget the ‘Posh Wedding’ of David Beckham and Victoria Adams with their thrones.
July 1999: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace premieres in cinemas.
August 1999: The Petronas Towers open in Kuala Lumpur holding the record for tallest skyscraper until 2004.
September 1999: Serena Williams wins her first Grand Slam title at the US open.
October 1999: Cher releases the single “Believe” becoming the Billboard Song of the Year.
November 1999: British Aerospace and Marconi Electric Systems merge to form BAE Systems.
December 1999: Millennium celebrations are held across the country including the unveiling of the London Eye in London.
Congratulations to everybody who received an award!