Lights-trip widower marooned

A MAN who had been looking forward for weeks to seeing the Northern Lights was left disappointed after the ship he was booked on failed to show.

Paul White, an 88-year-old widower from Ilkley, knew the best chance of witnessing the natural phenomenon caused by electrically charged solar particles passing into the Earth’s atmosphere, was to be stationed in northern Norway.

So he booked a 12-day trip with Hurtigruten Cruises costing more than £1,600, but not long after flying out from Leeds Bradford Airport on Wednesday to start the voyage on the Trollfjord guests were told there were problems with the ship and they would have to be flown home.

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But ironically, as the Yorkshire Post reported on Tuesday, Mr White would have had a better sight of the Aurora Borealis for a fraction of the cost by travelling up to the Tan Hill pub in North Yorkshire where he would have been rewarded with a spectacular display of the natural phenomenon.

Mr White said: “Everyone took the news very well though obviously we were disappointed. Instead of seeing the Northern Lights all we got to see were rather a lot of traffic lights. We were told that unfortunately the ship could not be repaired in time. The company did their utmost to overcome the difficulties but it was not to be.”

A full refund has been offered. No-one from Hurtigruten was available for comment.