Before the days of mass car ownership, bus travel was a vital means of transport in the South Wales valleys.  I have fond memories of travelling from Ebbw Vale to Newport to visit family, or Cardiff for Christmas shopping trips, during the 1950s and 1960s. There were different companies - Red & White and Western Welsh - both with red and white livery, and  Jones of Aberbeeg - with cream and blue livery.  The older double-decker buses had an open platform at the rear and upstairs an aisle ran down the side, with long bench seats.  This was where smoking was allowed - hardly believable in 2014!  Newer buses had a central aisle upstairs with a two-seat bench on each side, while downstairs the buses eventually changed to front or mid section folding doors, which helped to keep the passengers warm in winter.  Red & White were our favourite as my uncle drove for them, and when we moved to Newport in 1962 my mother Lilian Bayliss took a job there as a conductor. or "clippie".  I also had two cousins working as drivers so it was quite a family concern. My mother spent many happy years working "on the buses", hence the inclusion of a photograph of her conductor's badge  and safety diploma.  Long after the Red & White company had ceased to exist I was fortunate enough to use a 1949 Guy Arab double decker bus owned by two friends and work colleagues of my mother  - Ken and Shirley Morgan -  as a "wedding car" on my wedding day, taking us from Caerleon to Cardiff Bay and gaining many waves, smiles and admiring looks .  The bus with myself and my wife Amanda on board looking blissfully happy on our special day is shown in the final photo.  My proud mother was also there to witness it and meet up with her old friends to reminisce  about the old days. The bus was recently in the news as Ken and Shirley have decided to hang up their uniforms and hope that their bus can find a new home at  the bus depot, Broad Street Barry as part of the heritage bus collection.  The article can be found at:                 http://www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/news/11553830.Barry_is_just_the_t…;