Editorial: Bay fans get excited Justin case

Justin Bieber.

The young Facebookers were off their faces yesterday, by all accounts, as rumours and whispers began circulating throughout Hawke's Bay that a chap by the name of Justin Bieber had jetted into Napier for a quick stopover before a concert in Auckland.

Just how it sparked is anybody's guess and we can only assume that someone at Hawke's Bay Airport, where the twin-engined private jet was parked up, had spotted someone who resembled the young singing star. Although there was no mention of whether he had his pet monkey with him.

And then he started getting spotted.

Why he would have detoured into Hawke's Bay is also anyone's guess but maybe he heard it was a pretty good place to detour to.

Star-spotting is not new around these parts, of course. So it came as no surprise while I was talking to the chief executive of Sports and Entertainment, James Erskine, earlier this week that he mentioned how the concert of 2007 was not the first and last time guitar supremo Eric Clapton had set foot in the Bay.

"He's been through there a few times. He loves his trout fishing."

That was reinforced about five years ago when my brother, who has the odd Clapton album, called to say he had just seen him driving along Marine Parade. He had no doubts at all.

Nor did two work colleagues this week, who said they spotted ex-Midnight Oil singer and former Australian politician Peter Garrett at a Napier cafe.

Several years back, we were tipped off that a certain Mr Clint Eastwood was in the Bay for a few rounds of golf and some sightseeing.

But, as the leading and professional people in the hospitality industry are effectively sworn to do, all we got was "no comment" - which pretty well confirmed he was here anyway.

Some years ago, I was talking to a chap who worked at Hawke's Bay Airport and he held the same secret philosophy after telling me "you would be surprised who comes through these gates".

We probably shouldn't be, because New Zealand is a very attractive and agreeable destination.

George Harrison holidayed here at least once and, of course, the Hollywood set are often passing through.

They may even pass quietly, discreetly, through these parts.

Many Christmases ago, when he was still playing for Canberra, I came across the great Mal Meninga running along the Marine Parade foreshore and had a quick chat.

Aussie quick bowler Brett Lee called into a Napier music store a few years back and bought a guitar.

They're out there, so keep those camera-equipped mobile phones charged just in case ... or Justin Bieber.