A tiny gold locket lost in Barnsley town centre 30 years ago has found its way back to the family who owned it, thanks to an appeal in the Chronicle's Memories column.

The locket, which is over100 years old, was much loved by its owner Sarah White. When she died in 1949, the locket passed down to her family.

Mary Hurd was shopping in New Street in the 1970s when she stepped on something which she thought was a bottle top. But she saw it was a tiny locket with photographs inside.

She tried to track down the owner, but without success, and then forgot all about it until recently when she came across it again while looking through her personal possessions.

Now in her 80s, Mary told her brother Eric Broadhead the story of how she found the locket all those years ago and that she would dearly love to find its owner. He brought it into the Chronicle offices with a view to making an appeal to readers to see if anyone recognised the people whose photographs were in the locket. They were of a pretty young woman, an older man with a moustache and a young man in naval uniform.

The photographs were seen by Brenda Singleton who immediately recognised the trio as being her aunt May Bailey, May's husband, Dennis Bailey and her grandfather, Frederick White. Frederick died in 1934. Brenda said that after their marriage, May and Dennis lived with May's mother Sarah White (Brenda's grandmother) in Station Road, Dodworth. Dennis served in the Royal Navy during the war as a submarine engineer.

The couple later ran a fish and chip shop in Dodworth and May was also a brilliant seamstress and made numerous wedding and bridesmaid dresses. May was the sister of Brenda's mother, Elsie. Brenda has loaned to us a photograph of her aunt May's wedding to Dennis which took place at Dodworth Church in 1944. Her grandmother Sarah White is on the right of the photograph and Brenda is the tiny bridesmaid at the front.

She has also loaned another photograph of the couple when Dennis is wearing his naval uniform. "I am absolutely delighted that the locket has turned up after all these years," said Brenda. "It means so much to me because it belonged to my grandmother. I cannot thank the Chronicle and Mrs Hurd enough."

Mary Hurd told Memories: "I could hardly believe it when I heard that someone had come forward after recognising the people on the photographs.

"I am very pleased that the locket has now gone back to the family who owned it. It is truly amazing after all these years."