Annette and

The Matchbox Band

Barn dance caller and band

The tunes are snatches of Shandon Bells and the Muffin Man. They were recorded at a live performance in 1981.

A bit of Band history

Annette and the Matchbox Band was formed in the Autumn of 1975 to do a barn dance in the local Methodist Hall in Epsom. With Annette (Hobley) as caller the initial band consisted of Keith Gamble on Accordion and Ron Nunn on Concertina. For the next gig, the band was supplemented by Bob Hobley on Whistle. All three musicians were (and still are) musicians with the East Surrey Morris Men. 

This core of four continued for a number of dances with the occasional guest musicians and other temporary members which included Sarah Butler and Ian Brock both playing fiddle. In 1978 Robin Black joined as the permanent fifth member of the band playing his "distinctive" drums. These latter three were not associated with East Surrey Morris Men, but Dick Larque, who joined the band with his fiddle in the early 1980's was!

Ron and Robin left the band in the late 1980's and, in their place came Gordon Watson, a classically trained Scottish fiddler who gave a new dimension to the music. Gordon stayed with the band for three years, and when he left, the band was back to three (Keith, Dick and Bob) plus, of course, our ever-present M.C. (Annette)!

Current Line Up

The band was augmented to four again in the 1992 when Dave Stewart, the East Surrey MM melodeon player, joined and brought not only his melodeon skills but also his not inconsiderable ability on recorders and bodhran. When Keith decided to take a break in 1994 - after some 20 years continuous service - Ron Nunn agreed to a temporary return. In 1997, Keith returned so the current line up is:

Annette Hobley	Caller (and tambourine)
Keith Gamble	Accordion
Dave Stewart	Melodeon, Recorders, Bodhran
Bob Hobley	Whistles (mouth organ and triangle)
Dick Larque	Fiddle

Link to East Surrey Morris Men Homepage