TWO well-known Helensburgh faces made their way to Edinburgh on Tuesday to receive their MBE from the Queen.

Gordon Reid, the world’s number one wheelchair tennis player, and businesswoman Melanie Andrews were made MBEs in the New Year honours list in December.

Melanie, who owns Craigard Tearooms, said she was “honoured and humbled” to be recognised for services to her home town, which she has worked tirelessly to improve, and for her efforts to promote the art of top-quality baking through the Scottish Banking Awards.

Melanie made her way to Edinburgh with her mum, husband and son, who watched on proudly as she received her medal and “chatted to the Queen”.

The 52-year-old told the Advertiser: “The whole day was just like a fairytale, and definitely the highlight of my career.

“The whole day was so surreal and the setting was just magical. The castle was stunning despite the rain and the ambience was amazing. It’s just starting to sink in now.”

Melanie was delighted to be recognised for her hard work in her home town of Helensburgh, but explained that everyone she met at the ceremony was so deserving and she was humbled by their stories.

She added: “Spending the day in amongst such extraordinary and worthy people was amazing and I felt a little like a fake when I heard some of their stories.

“All the people at the ceremony were so deserving and just incredible.”

“I think it’s great that we have awards to recognise the success of incredible individuals. Its a great honours system and I was so proud to be amongst them.”

Melanie owns and runs the Craigard Tearoom in Sinclair Street. Her community work over the years has included the creation of a tourism booklet and visitor map for Helensburgh – the second of which she personally funded.

She was also one of the founding directors of the Helensburgh Heroes initiative, for which she helped organise the recording of a community cover version of the David Bowie song Heroes in 2009.

And along with Iain and Sephton MacQuire, she was one of the main movers behind the resurrection of the Helensburgh and Lomond Highland Games in 2008 after a gap of 51 years.

A self-taught baker, Melanie started in business at the age of just 21, and in 2009 she launched and personally funded the Scottish Baking Awards, which she continues to regulate and monitor.

On receiving her award Melanie explained: “It’s been a countdown ever since I got the letter. It is a nerve-racking experience, but being recognised by the Queen was the highlight of my career.

“It was incredible to receive it from her because she is one of the people I respect and admire.

“It was a very small, intimate setting, and I only remember walking up to the Queen and walking away again. I was told we chatted for a while but I can’t remember what was said, it was so surreal.”

Also receiving an MBE in honour of his success was Gordon Reid, who had a wealth of success in 2016 including four Grand Slam victories and two medals in the Rio Paralympics which saw him climb to the top of the men’s world rankings.

Speaking after the ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the 25-year-old said: “It feels great, it’s really a proud moment to receive an MBE from the Queen.”

Gordon, a Freeman of Argyll and Bute, said it was great to share the day with his parents and tennis coach, who he described as “the three people that have helped me get here the most out of anyone”.

Having developed the rare neurological condition transverse myelitis, which affects the spinal cord, at the age of 12, Gordon now hopes his MBE will help boost the public profile of wheelchair tennis.

He received the Freedom of Argyll and Bute - only the second individual ever to be granted the area’s top civic award - at a ceremony in December.