AFTER 35 years of holidaying on the ocean waves, Radcliffe's John Heaton is sharing his cruising experiences.

The former headteacher has been on no less than 27 cruises, stopping off to see the sights of many beautiful places, including Barbados, Mexico and the Far East.

Not only has Mr Heaton (61) enjoyed these holidays with his wife, Eileen, and son, Philip, but now his four year grand-daughter, Sophie, and grandson, Thomas (2), have also enjoyed holidays at sea.

With so many years of experience, Mr Heaton, of Turks Road, decided to put it all in print and produce a guide, after friends and family continually asked him about his trips.

He said: "There's nothing nicer than sitting on a deck and watching the world go by. And as I had been asked so many times about it, I thought it would be a good idea to put something together to tell people about what it is like, and just how lovely it is.

"I have been working on it for two years now, and when I retired, writing it stopped me from going crackers. The book is the gathering of 35 years of cruising to inform newcomers and offer support to more experienced cruisers in looking for alternatives."

The first ever cruise the couple took was to the Mediterranean where the ports of call included Venice and Beirut. And as the former headteacher of Tottington High School, Bury, and Hayward School, Bolton, Mr Heaton even introduced more than 240 pupils and fellow teachers to cruising.

So far the electronic book is on CD and Mr Heaton, a former first team player for Radcliffe Cricket Club, is hoping that eventually it will be used by travel agents as a "how to" guide for potential cruisers. He is pictured with the CD and thick folder guide.

Anyone wanting more information about The Heaton Guide to Cruising can contact him at heatonj@ukonline.co.uk