UK postman dons Bok kit for fans on his rounds

From Little Bo Peep to Pocahontas and now a Springbok rugby player, postman Jon Matson from the UK has been taking the internet by storm as he delivers his mail in outrageous outfits.

The postman from Bolden in the north of England has — aside from his latest foray into the world of rugby — dressed as Rapunzel, Cleopatra, Where’s Wally and a cheerleader, all in the name of cheering up those in lockdown.

So when Bay resident Cathy Golding asked him to dress up as a member of the winning Rugby World Cup 2019 team, he tracked down the requisite outfit and did just that.

Fittingly his South African outfit was donned on Monday — Freedom Day in SA.

Lovemore Park resident Golding, originally from Bolden, said Matson, 39, who has the Facebook page Postman Jon, was a true inspiration who she had “invited to the pub for a pint” the next time she visited family in Bolden.

Matson said: “I’ve been a postman with Royal Mail for just over four years and for the last two of those I’ve been on the same round and have got to know most of my customers very well. So when the lockdown was announced I noticed the mood change dramatically with my customers, so I felt like I needed to do something to cheer them up.

“I’ve dressed as Father Christmas in previous jobs over the Christmas period and knew how much that cheered people up so I decided that’s what I would do here.”

Matson said his SA fans responded phenomenally.

“One lady messaged to say she kept looking at the photos and swelling up with pride. Cath (Golding) told me she smiled all day.

“I also met a few South Africans living on my round too who couldn’t believe I’d worn their strip.

“A lady even came looking for me to take a photo to show her family back in Johannesburg,” he added.

Golding said she was delighted with the look but had had to push Matson to get it right.

“At first he said he only had black shorts but I said that wouldn’t do — far too All Black for us,” she laughed.

Matson, however, did not know that his antics would earn him fans across the globe, with a number of South Africans delighted by his attire on Monday.

Matson, who takes part in a charity Boxing Day dip every year — which sees participants run into the icy North Sea in aid of charity — said he had a few outfits from those events.

“The local newspapers picked up on my story and it quickly spread around the world and with that I gained a large South African following and it was requested that I dress as a Springbok player.

“It took a while to source the kit though, but I was introduced to a rugby player in my home town and his club, South Shields rugby club, actually had a South African player.

“With their help, I was given a Springbok jersey and a scrum cap to add to the look.

“I bought the socks as they were the only thing nobody had handy, and the shorts were just plain white but it helped to complete the strip,” he said.