The North East England Aberdeen-Angus Club was formed back in 1977 on the 27th April. The very first meeting was held at Askham Bryan Agricultural College with office holders Mr Winterburn acting as club chairman, Mrs Parnell as joint secretary and treasurer and committee members were D Brown, B Emsley, Frank Revely, Mrs Whitely, Mr Mitchell and R Ewing. Some of the early members are still in the club today including Stuart Addison, Juliet Swires’ family and Gordon Brooks. Membership was £3.00 with just a handful of members.

The Great Yorkshire Show BBQ started in the early 1980’s when Margaret McLaren (Willie McLaren senior’s daughter) became secretary. The club has grown from a handful of members and cattle exhibited at the show are a far cry from the half a shed full of Angus in the early 1990’s to the several sheds we see full of Angus cattle now. Breeders in the area owe the success of the club to those early members who not only decided to form a club but believed in the breed when others didn’t. The club membership today doesn’t reflect the amount of cattle bred in the surrounding region. The club is here to promote the breed and help breeders in the North East of England.