History

The band was formed in 1982. Ron and Fiona met at the Sidmouth International Folk Festival in 1981. Fiona was playing melodeon for a Morris Dance side, Ron was playing bass with Oxfordshire based Woodpecker Band. Finding a mutual keen interest in playing in a band that did more than just sit around in street clothes and play for their own amusement, they joined forces in Staffordshire and Herbal Remedy was born. Our first gig was in autumn 1982. The less said about it the better. Herbal Remedy played the Staffordshire and Shropshire circuit for four years, building a firm reputation as a melodeon-based 'umpitty' band in the barn-dance tradition. Notable was their attention to good quality PA equipment (Bose 802s etc), their own lights and proper stage wear - all three of which were unheard-of in folk dance music at the time, and even now something of a rarity. We had a drummer at that time called Peter Blakeman.

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In 1985 Ron and Fiona 'emigrated' to Holland. The band languished around for a few years while babies were born and so on, although we did a few gigs  here and there, with callers such as Wim Lammers and Anthony Heywood. Occasionally Debbie Pearson played fiddle, and Eli Defriend played guitar.

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