MEMORIES is digging deep into Barnsley's transport history in the belief that we have a photograph of one of the first buses to run in the town.

Graham Polding, who lives in Coventry, has sent to us a photograph of a bus (number plate W523) which is being driven by his grandfather, Arthur Polding.

It's believed the vehicle was a 1906 Austin which had been fitted with a special wagonette body. The photograph was taken in 1907 or thereabouts. Seated in the back is a smartly dressed passenger and a co-driver sits alongside Mr Polding.

On the side of the vehicle is attached a notice which says 'Geo Booker Limited, Barnsley'.

The bus is parked outside the former Millstone Inn which many years ago was situated on the left-hand side of Peel Street going towards Townend.

The Millstone Inn was later demolished and new premises erected on the site were occupied by Yorkshire Mutual Trading Company and then by Tom Horsfield's, the florists.

The adjoining site was in later years used by Eyre Bros who sold Austin cars. Further along Peel Street was the splendid Ritz Cinema which was built in 1937 and demolished in 1974. It was replaced by the former Leo's and then the Pioneer supermarkets.

There is also another photograph of Mr Polding standing outside a tyre shop he ran in Shambles Street. In 1914 he married Blanche Pycock before he saw service in World War One with the Royal Engineers.

Mr Polding was also 'mine host' at a pub in Barnsley where Mr Graham Polding's father Jack was born in 1922.

After leaving Barnsley, he ran a garage and bed and breakfast at Stoney Haggs, Musham Bank. Then he went on to own a chip shop in Victoria Street, Scarborough.

In 1939 he moved again, ending up in Coventry where he started a car delivery service.