A FOREST woman is sharing some of the most “eye-opening” stories from her glamorous career at sea with the release of her first ever book.

Linda Woodward, who lives in Newnham and runs The Lydney Foot Care Clinic, was born in the Forest but left as a young woman to live in Canada, the birthplace of her mother, and to forge a career in show business.

Her journey took her to Miami, working behind TV cameras and on stage as a presenter and host for cruise ship entertainment, which led to her spending a lot of time “rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous”.

Having returned to the UK ten years ago, she retrained for a completely different profession as a foot health practitioner.

These days she is affectionately known by regular patients at her practice as ‘the foot lady’.

Now, Linda is giving people an insight into her diverse past life with the release of her debut book, ‘A Peep Through the Porthole’.

The book is filled with “fun and eye-opening” tales from her time working on no fewer than 43 ships over 15 years, from dining at the Captain’s table to attending VIP parties and observing and enjoying different cultures and lifestyles from around the world.

Her “glamorous” role on the ships led to her meeting stars like tennis player Martina Navratilova, actor Sean Connery and Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson.

Linda said: “Each ship, was a melting pot of nationalities with extrovert personalities, different religions, and varied social skills.”

She describes the book as a journey into a world onboard that is unseen by the “ever curious guests”, told in “raw honesty, cheeky humour and fondness” for her co workers.

Now, Linda shares her home in the Forest happily with the love of her life - her “much pampered” Persian cat, Betty.

‘A Peep Through the Porthole’ is available now on Amazon in both paperback and for Kindle, and Linda plans to hold book reading events locally in the near future.