THE good folk of Ruislip would never guess the red-jacketed postie delivering their letters was actually a rock star in disguise.

But furloughed frontman Dan Richardson, 40, is another performer from the entertainment industry, who needed to seek alternative work during the pandemic.

He joined the Royal Mail for the Christmas rush, enjoyed his time there, and just stayed on. 

Dan and his band, Rockaoke, normally work with the great n the good of the show business world.

Lead guitarist Dan says: "When I’m on stage, folk expect me to deliver a top performance. It’s the same on the Royal Mail. My customers also want me to deliver a top service to them.

“It’s no good putting important letters through the wrong doors. Things have to be right."

One thing Dan really enjoys is the banter with other posties, which makes the shift fly by.

What he does’t miss are the long, tiring hours of a flight or travel by van to a venue and back again several hours later.

"I live quite near to the sorting office so I'm at work in 10 minutes," he said.

However, there is a conundrum to resolve around May 14, when he and his partner Danielle are expecting a second child.

They are not sure how to describe Dan's current occupation on the birth certificate. Is he a redundant rocker or a professional postie? Dan thinks the jury’s out on that.