Birthday fit for a queen for Tain-based former headteacher (100) as centenary celebrated in style at Innis Mhor
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SHARING a birthday with a queen, it was only fitting that an Easter Ross woman should be treated like royalty on her 100th birthday this week.
Isma Munro celebrated her centenary with a birthday card from the reigning monarch.
But it is with the late Queen Victoria that the Innis Mhor care home resident shares her May 24 birthday.
And from her youngest years, she remembers enjoying a half day holiday from school to coincide with what became known as Empire Day.
When Tain-based Isma celebrated her 21st birthday, she was a student at Aberdeen University, WW2 was raging and due to rationing there were no ingredients for a birthday cake. Thanks to her mother’s hens, she celebrated with her favourite roast chicken for dinner.
Isma retired in 1980 and moved to the Highlands with her husband Joe. She was fully engaged in community life, volunteering in organisational roles for both Clan Mackenzie and Clan Munro, and was a stalwart of the SWRI. She was an enthusiastic amateur historian and archaeologist and volunteered for many years at both Castle Foulis and Tain Museum.
The former Dumfries-shire headteacher was called by many of her past pupils this week, some now grandparents themselves.
Isma enjoys Innis Mhor’s joint activities with Craighill Primary School and one of the highlights of her birthday was a visit from pupils to present her with a canvas of flowers to mark her birthday.
After being presented with a birthday cake courtesy of Harry Gow, and a card from Her Majesty The Queen, Isma enjoyed a birthday lunch with her niece Margaret before being whisked off for champagne tea in a Jaguar.
Innis Mhor manager Jackie Macrae said: “Isma is such a wonderful and much loved member of the Innis Mhor family and, given that she shares her birthday with Queen Victoria, it was only fitting that we treat her like a Queen for the day! It was a very special day and we were delighted that her niece Margaret was able to share it with us.”
Isma and Joe had one daughter Deirdre who was tragically killed in a road accident at the age of 21. In her memory, Isma established an annual award for leadership at Ae School, which continues to be presented each year.
