Here we look back at photos from the Oxford Mail archive of the early 2000s.

It was the decade when Bill Clinton visited the Randolph Hotel, shoppers queued outside Next in Cornmarket, and a manager at Hayman’s caught a very big fish in the Faroe Islands.

In 2002, shoppers queued down Cornmarket, desperately hoping to grab as much as possible, and eyeing each other suspiciously.

READ MORE: Future of 'eyesore' hotel is still in limbo 

This was the scene outside Next on Saturday, December 28, 2002, as bargain hunters lined up down the street for the post-Christmas sales.

If the customers' fashion choices didn't give away the year, you could tell how old this photo is not only by the Next in Cornmarket - now in the Westgate Centre, but by Virgin Megastore next door, which has closed.

In those dying days of high street music shops, both Virgin and HMV directly opposite had two-storey stores which were always full on weekends.

After a period of absence, HMV has now returned.

Top of the pops that week in the UK chart were a new pop group, Girls Aloud, with their single Sound of the Underground.

READ MORE: Cases from Oxford Magistrates' Court 

The Cheeky Girls' infamous single Cheeky was down to number three, with Eminem's Lose Yourself at number 5.

The shot was taken by the Oxford Mail's award-winning and veteran photographer George Reszeter, who sadly passed away in 2018.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.