A SINGER who recorded CDs of nursery rhymes for her niece while away on cruise ships has turned the results into a fledgling business.

Diana Chrisman made her first recordings so her young niece Millie wouldn’t forget her while she was sailing the world.

The CD went down so well that Bournemouth-based Diana decided to turn it into a business venture, using her family nickname, Auntie Goose.

Diana, 30, grew up in Canford Cliffs and went to Talbot Heath School and Parkstone Grammar before training at drama schools.

She now works on production shows on board Cunard’s liner Queen Elizabeth and has visited 35 countries.

Her first CD for Millie was recorded in the orchestra pit of the Celebrity Constellation, with help from the onboard pianist and sound engineer.

“I didn’t want Millie growing up without knowing her auntie.

“It started off with the pianist on board and the sound engineer recording nursery rhymes so she could know my voice,” said Diana. The disc went down so well that Diana decided to record some more in a studio, with arrangements by Tommy Bond and his business partner Graham Bennett.

She uses her free time on cruises to develop her artistic skills, designing the CD sleeves and setting up her own business website, blue-maverick.com, as well as auntie-goose.com

Sing-along Traditional Nursery Rhymes with Auntie Goose is available through Diana’s own website and via Amazon and Diana has also published a colouring book, Colour and Paint Traditional Nursery Rhyme Characters with Auntie Goose.

“So many nursery rhyme CDs on the market are annoying for parents to listen to in the car,” she said.

She said the arrangements on her CD featured a simple piano accompaniment and ‘no annoying bells and whistles’.

“My niece asks my sister to put it on every time she gets in the car now, and the thought of that fills me with pride,” she added.

“I’m really lucky because the job that I do allows me to perform while I travel the world, but it’s that connection with home that you miss while you’re travelling.

“That’s why it originated and it all stemmed from my niece.

“She’s just beautiful.”