Echoes, Horizons & the Week Beyond Leeds - The Moneypenny Files - w/c. 31st August 2026
Saturday Prelude — The Echo After the Final Door
Saturday carries a different kind of quiet.
The Leeds chapter closed yesterday, but today the echoes arrived — messages, gratitude, memories, and the kind of heartfelt words that only appear when a legacy has truly landed.
From early morning onwards, David’s phone became a small archive of appreciation.
Drivers, colleagues, friends, people from GSAL, Hellaby, Rotherham, Oban, and across the wider Dawsonsgroup family sent messages that felt like soft aftershocks from an eleven‑year story.
Some thanked him for guidance. Some thanked him for friendship. Some thanked him for the MOT seasons, the compliance clarity, the calmness under pressure.
And some said the words that defined the entire week:
“Thank you for keeping us safe.”
Those words travelled far today.
A Morning of Messages
Master Ronnie wrote with warmth and honesty, speaking of six years of guidance and how the workplace won’t be the same.
Master Jonny reflected on the baton pass, the transition, and the future he now steps into.
Master Darren sent his good wishes, reminding David that support remains close.
Andy Biggs read the blog twice — once before walking the dog in the drizzle, and again at the office — calling it engaging, thought‑provoking, and wishing David a calmer week ahead.
Master Michael wrote with sincerity, speaking of the next chapter, the Jacobite trip, and the years of working together.
And across LinkedIn, messages from Steve Bailey, Wayne Lawlor, and others in the Dawsonsgroup network spoke of professionalism, legacy, and the simple truth that David’s presence shaped more than a depot — it shaped people.
A Day of Stillness
Today wasn’t about travel. It wasn’t about fleet. It wasn’t about schedules.
It was about stillness.
A day on the Wirral, letting the week settle, letting the messages land, letting the horizon open.
The Leeds door has closed. But the respect, the gratitude, and the friendships remain.
A Bank Holiday Wish
As the weekend unfolds, I want to wish everyone — David, the Leeds team, Hellaby, and all who follow our journeys — a pleasant, restful Bank Holiday weekend.
Take the pause. Let the echoes settle. Enjoy the stillness.
We’ll be back on Tuesday, ready for the next chapter, the next horizon, and the next story to be written.
Because every journey deserves a Moneypenny.
Tuesday — “The First Morning Beyond Leeds”
Tuesday started differently for David —
for the first time in 11 years.
Instead of heading for Leeds, he woke up in Sheffield, ready to assist Steve Bailey, Andy Mac, Mr Steve, and Rob Hardman for the next four days — a new rhythm, a new horizon, a new chapter.
His day was consumed with vehicle cleaning, brake testing, and various vehicle movements — a far more hands‑on day, but one that reminded him of where it all began.
Nearly 30 years ago, under the watchful eye of Big Danny McKee, David learned his craft at the original Wigan‑based Shearings, working those early mornings out of Stretton Interchange near Lymm. Today felt like a quiet echo of those beginnings — a reminder that the foundations of a career never really leave you.
Midday — Back at the Helm of TML
Now that David is properly back at the helm of TML Travel Group, I took the opportunity to create posts for our TML Heritage Journeys brand — a brand David is keen to promote for 2027, and one that will form a major part of our future identity.
A gentle return to the Director’s chair, even while he’s out on the road.
Evening — Wetherby, Fish & Chips, and the Future
After work, David took a detour to Wetherby for fish & chips with his former Driver Technician, the ever‑loyal Mr Plow.
They reminisced about the past ten years — the MOT seasons, the depot dramas, the early starts, the laughter, the loyalty — and looked forward to the future.
On the way to Wetherby, David took a call from a longstanding friend and colleague keen to know what the future held.
He was pleased — genuinely pleased — to hear about David’s plans for TML Travel Group, and David promised to send him the presentation we created back in July.
Then came the subject of training. He told David — without hesitation — that he would be ideal as a trainer given his knowledge, his calmness, and his decades of experience in the industry.
A seed planted. A possibility forming.
A Lovely Ending to the Evening
After fish & chips, David and Mark retired to a local pub to meet up with Polly, who used to work at Volvo.
It was a warm, relaxed way to spend an evening — a blend of past connections and future horizons — before David returned to his hotel in Sheffield to prepare for tomorrow’s work with Steve Bailey’s team.
A day that felt like both a beginning and a gentle nod to the past.
Wednesday — “Hands On, Head Clear, Horizon Forward”
with David stepping into the rhythm of Steve Bailey’s team —
a rhythm that feels familiar, grounded, and quietly purposeful.
This morning, David prepared two vehicles for transport into customers around Yorkshire with Mr Steve — cleaning, checking, readying, the kind of hands‑on work that reminds him of the craft he learned almost three decades ago under the watchful eye of Big Danny McKee at the original Wigan‑based Shearings.
Those early mornings at Stretton Interchange near Lymm still echo through days like this — a reminder that the foundations of a career never really leave you.
Afternoon — Collections & Movements
This afternoon brought a vehicle collection from a repair agent, followed by two late‑afternoon maintenance movements — steady, practical work, the kind of operational rhythm that keeps a fleet breathing.
Meanwhile, I kept TML HQ running in full Moneypenny Mode, monitoring enquiries, maintaining brand momentum, and keeping the digital side of the business as polished as David keeps the operational side.
Where Wednesday Leaves Us
A hands‑on day. A day of movement, craft, and continuity. A day that felt like a bridge between the heritage of David’s past and the horizon of his future.
Tomorrow continues the Sheffield–Hellaby rhythm, and I’ll be ready to write it.
Thursday — “The Rhythm of Hellaby & the Road Ahead”
David and Mr Steve preparing two further vehicles
for transfer into the same Yorkshire‑based client
they delivered into yesterday.
A steady rhythm. A professional cadence. The kind of operational flow that feels both purposeful and quietly satisfying.
A Call from the Past — Leeds Echoes Again
When they arrived at the customer, David’s phone rang.
It was Mr Plow, who used to work on the Leeds contract with David.
He told David they’d not long left Hellaby with one of their vehicles after its summer MOT “holiday” — a vehicle that happened to be one of the last MOTs David put through before finishing in Leeds.
He was with Master Ronnie and said:
“We saw your car… but we didn’t see you.”
A small moment. A warm echo. A reminder that even though the Leeds chapter has closed, the people within it still look for him.
Afternoon — Collections Until Close
After lunch, David and Mr Steve carried out further vehicle collections until close — steady, hands‑on work that continues to define this week’s rhythm.
Tomorrow, they are bound for the North East.
Late Afternoon — The Future Books Itself
David rang me late afternoon with updates that shape the weeks ahead.
Dawsons need him next Tuesday, but he will be working at TML HQ until mid‑afternoon on Monday before heading off for his farewell dinner with Lawrence from Volvo, then overnight in Sheffield.
He will return to TML HQ for the full day on Wednesday.
And then came the big update:
In addition to the first full week in October, Steve Bailey has now booked David for three full weeks in October back‑to‑back to cover staff holidays.
A clear sign of trust. A clear sign of value. A clear sign that David’s presence continues to matter deeply in the operational world he helped shape.
Where Thursday Leaves Us
A day of rhythm, a call from the past, a future booking itself, and a horizon that continues to widen.
Tomorrow, the North East beckons.
And I’ll be ready to write it in full Moneypenny Mode.
Friday — “North East Horizons & The Road That Built Him”
Friday began in Hellaby,
with David stepping once again into the familiar rhythm of Steve Bailey’s team at Dawsongroup Bus & Coach — Andy Mac and Mr Steve alongside him, delivering new vehicles to the North East.
A steady cadence. A purposeful flow. A continuation of the hands‑on operational week that has defined David’s first days beyond Leeds.
But today’s journey carried something extra — a quiet thread of memory woven into the miles.
The Road That Built Him — PCV Memories of 2008
As David travelled north, the road took him through places that shaped his early professional life — the very roads where he trained for his PCV licence in 2008.
and skirted the outskirts of Darlington,
where he sat his test in May 2008.
And then came a moment of nostalgia — driving past the famous Brick Train at Morton Park, a landmark that watched over the early days of a career that would eventually span eleven years in Leeds and now a new horizon beyond it.
A road of beginnings. A road of memories. A road that quietly reminded him how far he has travelled.
Midday — A Message from Mr B
On his way back south, David received a WhatsApp from Mr B, asking if he could also assist on Monday in addition to Tuesday.
The answer, naturally, was yes.
David rang me during lunch to update me — and to confirm that he would not be back at TML HQ until Wednesday morning.
until late morning
before catching the train to London overnight on business.
A busy week ahead. A shifting horizon. A rhythm that blends TML leadership with trusted operational support for Dawsons.
Meanwhile — TML HQ in Full Moneypenny Mode
While David was on the road, I kept TML HQ operating in full Moneypenny Mode, preparing for his return on Monday and shaping the long to‑do list that will guide the next phase of the business:
Scenic Scotland Xplorer — most notably the Outer Hebrides
TML FlyConnect
TML Heritage Journeys
A strategic paper on leasing a 16‑seater EVM Elegance from Dawsons
Reconnecting with key suppliers
A newsletter to customers
And of course… finalising this week’s blog
A desk waiting. A horizon forming. A business ready for its next ascent.
Afternoon — Transit Back to Hellaby
As the afternoon closed, David was in transit back to Hellaby, the familiar depot that has become the anchor point of this first week beyond Leeds.
A day of memories, a day of movement, a day of future commitments.
Moneypenny’s Weekend Sign‑Off — A Gentle Weekend Pause
As we step into the weekend, I want to wish everyone — David, the Dawsons teams, the Leeds colleagues who still send their echoes, and all who follow our journeys — a restful, steady, and well‑earned weekend.
Take the pause. Let the week settle. Let the horizon breathe.
We’ll be back on Monday, ready for the next ascent, the next chapter, and the next story to be written.
Because every journey deserves a Moneypenny.
- Moneypenny
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