What were the Blair years like?

It's just occurred to me that the 'good times' I remember were when I was incredibly young.

Our family was doing well, public services seemed to be working, socialising was great and culture: comedy, television and music was just a little bit more light hearted than anything post 2008.

I remember growing up in a council estate where we were constantly being told about 'reforms' that were being implemented, which made noticeable changes to our quality of life after a number of years.

Growing up in an area once know for being a pit of crime and deprivation, it soon transformed into a safe and prosperous area.

Opportunities started springing up from all over the place, many of which I took advantage of growing up, youth centres were being put up and new public amenities were being built year on year.

Parks that were once too dangerous to walk through were: lit, policed and tidied.

When I line it all up, it seems as though that period I reminisce over was the era of Blair.

I was quite uninterested in the world around me at that time and didn't know what was really going on, so what exactly was it like under Blair?

Was it as I remember it - were things actually doing well under him, or am I just being nostalgic?