Should’ve gone to Specsavers: Dee Harrison, of Ipswich, jetted out to Iceland to see Northern Lights after viral Bramford tomato factory mistake

A woman’s who virally mistook the illuminations of a tomato factory for the Northern Lights was jetted out to Iceland after Specsavers caught wind of her slip-up.

Dee Harrison, who has lived in Ipswich for more than 40 years, posted a picture of what she thought was the Aurora Borealis to the Stunning Suffolk Facebook group on October 23, only to find out the lights were from Suffolk Sweet Tomatoes, in Bramford.

Specsavers responded to her post, saying she ‘might need a trip to one of our stores, as well as a trip to Iceland’.

At first, Dee thought it was a joke, but the opticians encouraged her to get in touch, and before she knew it she was flying out from Stansted Airport to Reykjavik on Friday.

Of her mistake, Dee said: “There’s a river and a railway line and some trees behind it. I knew the factory was there but didn’t know it had lights on it.

“Specsavers commented and I thought it was joke, but they said to message me and it went from there.

“I’m so lucky they gave me that opportunity to do that for real, it was amazing to see them.”

Dee said the experience was made even more surreal as you are not always guaranteed to see the Lights on trips such as these, and she was originally slated to see them on Saturday.

However, with an early flight back Sunday, she asked if she could instead venture out on the Friday, where she was lucky enough to see them.#

She said she felt this was ‘meant to be’ as she later found out all the trips on the Saturday were cancelled.

There was also a very funny moment with the tour guide taking them to see the Northern Lights.

“When you go on the trip you have to drive for over an hour from town.

“There was this thing glowing to the left of us and the guide, who I found really informative, said ‘that’s a tomato factory’.

“I just looked at my husband and said ‘if only he knew’.”

Dee added she was incredibly grateful to Specsavers for giving her the opportunity to see the lights.

A spokesperson from Specsavers said: “We all know that our sight and hearing can play tricks on us from time to time and Specsavers has always celebrated those relatable moments that remind us that we’re all human.

“When we heard about Dee’s aurora mix-up, we couldn’t resist offering to turn her disappointment into an incredible experience.

“Even though the glow of a tomato factory made for a breathtaking photo, we were so glad that we could whisk her away to Iceland to experience the real Northern Lights. It’s a wonderful reminder that even a slight mishap can lead to unforgettable memories.”