Who was the owner of the Tall Trees Yarm nightclub?

However, it wasn’t just the acts that were impressive, it was the cars parked in the car park too, with Lamborghinis and Ferraris not out of place in the club’s heyday. 

Originally built as a country residence, Tall Trees began life far from the world of dancefloors and DJ decks.

By the 1960s, it had evolved into a small hotel, and over the decades that followed, its ambition and size grew dramatically.

Yarm Tall Trees (Image: ARCHIVE)

By the late 1980s and into the 1990s, under the ownership of businessman Javed Majid, Tall Trees had been transformed into one of the largest and most iconic entertainment complexes in the North East.

What started as a local hotel became a 120-bed leisure hub, complete with bars, lounges, event rooms, and, most famously, Club Macmillans, affectionately known as Club M.

At its peak, Club M was a 7,000-capacity dance mecca, the stuff of legend among clubbers.

It hosted the biggest DJs and events of the era, from Pete Tong and Paul Van Dyk to Eddie Halliwell, with nights curated by brands like Retro, Gatecrasher, and Goodgreef.

Home to Club Macmillans, also known affectionately as Club M, the venue attracted many big names throughout the noughties. 

This included Pete Tong, Girls Aloud, Chesney Hawkes, and many more along the way. 

Who was the owner of Yarm Tall Trees?

Javed Majid owned Tall Trees in Yarm – seeing it transform from a venue to a big hotel and nightclub, where people enjoyed a great night. 

Mr Majid was also behind another project on the Tall Trees site in 2013, when he sought planning permission to build a luxury living complex on the site, including a five-star hotel, apartments, houses, aparthotels, a restaurant, and a swimming pool. 

He later gained permission for 330 homes on the site.

What happened to Yarm Tall Trees? 

After becoming a popular place during the 90s and early 00s – in 2010, indications of the venue struggling started to come out, and it eventually closed, leading to a loss of 50 staff.

The venue was then derelict and was hit by a fire. 

Girls Aloud at Tall Trees (Image: ARCHIVE/NORTHERN ECHO)

After it was levelled to the ground, several proposals were explored for the former club site, but it was decided to use the land for houses.

The patch of land then gained planning permission for 330 homes, where Avant, Bede Homes, and Mulberry Homes are currently building. 

The former Tall Trees site is now a building development.

Retro Nights, helmed by DJ Paul Taylor, became particularly iconic.

They drew crowds not just from across Teesside but from Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and even Scotland, a journey for house music lovers who wanted to be part of something bigger than a local night out.

Hotel and nightclub Tall Trees partly demolished (Image: ARCHIVE/NORTHERN ECHO)

Outside, the car park gleamed with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Rolls-Royces, while inside, the atmosphere was pure energy, strobes slicing through haze, bass reverberating through walls, and a sea of hands raised in rhythm, according to those who remember it, according to those who attended the events there.

Girls Aloud performed there during their TFM Sweet Night event, Chesney Hawkes made regular appearances, and even former Prime Minister John Major was once spotted under its lights.

By the late 2000s, the UK’s clubbing landscape was shifting.

City-centre venues in Newcastle, Manchester, and Leeds began drawing crowds away.

Housebuilding on the former Tall Trees site (Image: ARCHIVE/NORTHERN ECHO)

The golden age of superclubs faded, replaced by smaller, boutique venues or festival culture.

In 2010, after decades as the jewel of Teesside nightlife, Tall Trees closed its doors.

Fifty jobs were lost, and an entire generation mourned the end of an era.

Soon after, tragedy struck.

The empty building suffered a devastating fire, leaving it derelict.

A second fire in 2017 sealed its fate, and the once top nightclub was finally demolished.

Tall Trees in Yarm (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Javed Majid wasn’t content to let the site fade quietly.

In 2013, he proposed an ambitious redevelopment, a five-star hotel, apartments, restaurants, and a swimming pool, but plans evolved, and ultimately, permission was granted for a 330-home housing estate.

Today, the site is home to developments by Avant Homes, Mulberry Homes, and Bede Homes.

The crowds in Tall Trees in Yarm (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Though Tall Trees no longer stands, its legend continues to thrive online.

Social media pages like Knights of the Turntable are filled with grainy videos, flyers, and stories of unforgettable nights.

A resurfaced MTV Dance video from 1998, featuring June Sarpong alongside DJs Kenny Carpenter and Angel Moraes, recently reignited those memories, with comments pouring in from former clubbers recalling the coaches lined up in the car park and the electric buzz of anticipation before the doors opened.

As one fan put it: “It wasn’t just a club, it was an institution. The best in the country at the time.”