Slovak Ambassador awards Preston's Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines with medal for promoting UK-Slovak relations

Lady Milena, who lives in Preston having escaped soon-to-be-occupied Prague in 1939 as a child via the legendary Sir Nicholas Winton's kindertransport route, is good friends with Mr Rehák and his wife and described the news of the medal as 'a real surprise Christmas present.'

"The medal is what they call a diplomatic medal which is given by the Slovak Minister of Foreign affairs for people who have promoted good relationships between Britain and Slovakia," said Lady Milena, 91. "There are only three given to the Ambassador to choose the people he'd like to give them to and I was one of them.

"It was a total surprise to get one, that's all I can say," Lady Milena added. "The Ambassador has been here for five years and we're good friends and I didn't know anything like this existed, but it didn't previously as it's a completely new thing which they've decided to do, which is very nice. It's a lovely medal as well."

Mr Rehák and his wife are set to depart the UK for Moscow on December 18th where he will take up a new position for the next four years, and so made the trip from London to Preston personally to award Lady Milena with the medal and to say farewell.

"Because he is being posted to Moscow, he didn't just want to send it, he wanted to present it to me," explained Lady Milena. "That was lovely as were such good friends."