The event, which was jointly organised by the Embassies of the Czech and Slovak Republics, the Second Generation Network, which brings together descendants of Kindertransport participants, and the Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Trust, consisted of two separate parts - an educational conference and a gala reception with a piano concert. The conference was opened by Ambassador of the Czech Republic Marie Chatardová and Ambassador of the Slovak Republic Róbert Ondrejcsák, together with Anita Grosz of the Second Generation Network, and Steve Watson and Laurence Winton of the Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Trust, husband and son of Barbara Winton, daughter of Sir Nicholas Winton.

The conference programme consisted of two expert panels and several individual presentations, with a total of 18 speakers. They presented various aspects of the Czechoslovak Kindertransport, from the stories of individual members of Nicholas Winton's team, the impact of the Kindertransports on the second and third generations of Winton's children, to the perception and interpretation of its significance in contemporary Czech and Slovak society.

The second part of the evening was a gala reception and concert for the living Winton‘s children and members of the second and third generations. Ambassadors Chatardová and Ondrejcsák welcomed and presented commemorative gifts to 7 of the original 669 children whom Sir Nicholas Winton and his helpers managed to transport to the UK from the then occupied Czechoslovakia. The seven ladies were Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines, Renate Collins, Ruth Barnett, Hana Kleiner, Lisa Midwinter, Bronia Snow and Alexandra Greensted. Another of Winton's children, Baron Alfred Dubs, was also due to attend the reception, but he had to cancel at the last minute for health reasons, so those present were at least able to hear his message, which was read by Lady Grenfell-Baines. She then introduced the musicians - Karin and Constanza Lechner and Natasha Binder, daughters and granddaughter of another of Winton's children, George Frank Lechner, who played piano pieces by Dvořák, Smetana, Fauré, Brahms and Rachmaninoff. The concert was dedicated to the parents who found the strength to send their children alone to a foreign country and thus saved their lives.

Over 100 people attended each part of the evening, and it was the first organised gathering of Winton's children at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in London since Sir Winton's death in 2015.

Photo courtesy by Erik Weisenspacher doubleyoubrothers.com