King Charles wanted to meet somebody from Stroma

About this recording

John Manson was a member of the last family to leave Stroma in 1962.

In this recording, he talks about being invited to the Castle of Mey to tell King Charles about Stroma. John was struck by how down-to-earth His Majesty was.

The King is a talented watercolour artist and has painted many Stroma scenes. “He goes over in the summer,” John explains. “It’s a day out for him to walk the island.”

John also mentions his two encounters with the late Queen Mother, first when she went for a picnic on Stroma and then many years later when a Thurso lifeboat was named in her honour. John spent 24 years as a member of the Thurso lifeboat crew and was Second Coxswain.

He also shares some of his other memories of life on Stroma and reflects on the great seamanship of the islanders.

This interview was recorded at John’s home in Scrabster, which is called “Stroma” and contains many reminders of the island. He has spent most of his life as a fisherman and his connection with the sea continues as he still works part-time at Scrabster harbour.

This is the third interview John has done for Wick Voices. The others can be found simply by keying in his name in the search box in the Recordings section.