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Old versus New: Bdaily visits the Northern Counties Club

As the only private members club in Newcastle, the Northern Counties evokes images of stuffy businessmen drinking vintage port in a highly exclusive and secret venue. After my visit, I realise I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Throughout my visit, I was made to feel incredibly welcome by every member I met, for whom inculsivity is the main ethos of the Club.

“For us, its about getting the message out to people that the Club is inclusive rather than exclusive,” one said. “If people want to come and see what the clubs all about, we’re more than happy to meet with them and show them around.”

Nonetheless, the members do recognise that the grandeur of the Club can be intimidating.

“I had to walk round the block three times before I dared to go in on my own,” another recounts. “When I did manage to summon up the courage, I was immediately approached by another member who asked if I was new and invited me to join him for lunch, and I ended up having a fantastic time.”

The club table in the middle of the dining room provides members with the opportunity to sit with other diners from the club. While it is quiet on the day I visit, the members ensure me that on a normal day you are likely to find individuals aged from 18 to 80 engaged in conversation round the table.

Private members clubs are traditionally male dominated environments, but the Northern Counties Club is determined to reject this image. Women were only permitted to join in 1998, and for many it remains an alien concept.

“When I was dating my now wife, she was very dubious about the Club, and had already made up her mind about what it would be like,” a member recounts. “However, when she did eventually come with me, she realized it wasn’t at all how she imagined, and it was something I really value, and get a lot out of.”

Female membership has doubled in the past four years, and members are keen to encourage more to join – “There are increasing numbers of women in business, so they should become involved!”

After lunch, general manager David Devennie gave me a tour of the club. David, alongside assistant manager Malcolm Maghie are clearly the driving force behind the Northern Counties, and are undoubtedly held in high regard by its members. “Malcolm knows the name of every single person who comes here, “ one exclaims with pride.

David in turn is clearly passionate about the club, and his four years as manager has worked tirelessly to challenge the preconceptions many have of the club.

“We’ve tried really hard to create a more inviting image to the club, and I think we have succeeded in creating a young and vibrant membership base,” he said. “Since I arrived, tripled the number of young members. We just want to create the feeling of home from home for the members.”

However, there is still much work to be done to keep the Club fresh and exciting

“The club is an institution in Newcastle, there’s so much history embedded into the place. So many deals have been brokered here, and I’m proud to be part of that.”

While the club might not be for everyone, the members clearly value it as a place to relax and retreat from the world of business, and as a long established institution in Newcastle, I say long may it continue.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .