DJ Craig Chisman remembers playing Yarm Tall Trees

DJ Craig Chisman, 51, originally from Darlington, cut his teeth in the clubs of the town, including Mardi Gras, Perry's, and many others in the late 1990s.

But it was one club in particular that he remembers above all, Yarm Tall Trees, which he puts in his top three clubs of all time that he's DJ'd in during his career. 

Yarm Tall Trees (Image: ARCHIVE) Despite playing a lot of clubs across County Durham and Darlington, the DJ credits Tall Trees as being the one that brought the atmosphere 'most nights of the week'.

"It had two huge rooms and three floors, and it was just so vast, just everyone together wanting the best night out," said Mr Chisman.

"It was massive for ten years and an unbelievable super club. 

Inside Yarm Tall Trees (Image: CRAIG CHISMAN) "Ask anyone in the North East of that era and they'll still speak about it. Every time an image is shared on social media of Tall Trees, there are always thousands of comments from people remembering their times there."

The place to be, The Tall Trees nightclub and hotel in Yarm, still holds a special place in the hearts of clubbers and DJ's across Teesside and the North East, including Craig.

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

Craig Chisman (Image: CRAIG CHISMAN) This included Pete Tong, Girls Aloud, Chesney Hawkes, and many more, and they all brought their fleet of supercars with them, which made Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Rolls-Royces a common sight.

Tall Trees was originally a country residence which was converted into a small hotel in the 1960s.

By the time it closed, it was a 120-bed hotel and a well-known wedding venue.

The nightclub closed in 2010 and was hit by a fire shortly after closing. 

Craig's upcoming event in Darlington (Image: CRAIG CHISMAN) This was the final straw for the club, which saw it demolished, with a housing estate called 'Tall Trees' now taking its place in Yarm.

And the venue plays an even bigger part in Craig's life, as this is the location where he met his wife.

"It will go down in history as a legendary place," added Mr Chisman.

"Maybe people took it for granted because maybe we didn't know what we had while it was around, but it's definitely missed."

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While Yarm Tall Trees has gone, Craig's passion for music hasn't, and he still DJs to this day.

After launching a club rewind evening in Darlington earlier this year that played a 'daytime disco' - he is now running an over-25s event at Darlington Dolphin Centre on June 1, 2pm until 7pm. 

He added: "After DJ'ing for 35 years, clubbing has shifted. People want the comfort of enjoying the music, but to be home by 9pm or 10pm. These events could potentially be the future."