Postman Gary Symonds knows a thing or two about delivering the mail in style ... his own particular style of fashion. For 48-year-old Gary insists on carrying out his postal duties wearing shorts, whatever the weather.
Come rain, shine, snow or ice, Gary completes his 11-mile daily round in Haywards Heath in his breeches.
And the hardy postie has no intentions of staging a cover-up any time soon - he’s won the stamp of approval after wearing shorts while delivering the mail for most of his 20-year career with Royal Mail.
“I’m one of the silly ones,” says Gary, “but I just find it easier to move around, especially going up and down steps, while I’m wearing shorts.”
And, as well as appearing immune to the weather, Gary is also resistant to remarks from his customers about his attire. “I get comments every day. Customers always say ‘I can’t believe you are still in shorts.’ But I’m used to it and my legs don’t get cold, it’s more my hands and feet that feel it.”
And it’s his hands rather than his legs which sometimes face the brunt of every postman’s mail round - the pet dog on guard at the letterbox. “If there is a dog I’m very cautious,” says Gary.
“One or two have nibbled at my fingernails but none has ever got my knees.” And after exposing his legs to the elements all year, Gary confessed that this week he finally covered up his limbs with some long trousers.
But it wasn’t for work - he was off on holiday to New York and temperatures there have plummeted recently to as low as -20C. But, Gary, who lives in Burgess Hill, said: “I took a pair of shorts with me just in case it warmed up.”