I'm fortunate enough to live on HOP itself and had the pleasure of meeting the proprietor of the planned new Turkish restaurant over the weekend. I was making enquiries about jobs on offer for a friend's student daughter who is looking for part-time work and was invited in for a chat.

Sezar and his wife are planning to be open in 5-6 weeks time. The former Stone Bar has been completely gutted inside but I saw many of the beautiful items and décor that they have planned for the new restaurant. I understand it will serve a Turkish/Mediterranean menu.

I believe Sezar is a well-known Turkish pop star with many albums under his belt and he plans to have a small stage area for live music - not just for himself to perform but others. I had to confess I had not heard of him but I did look him up on You Tube!

Personally, I love Turkish cuisine and I am certain this will be another fantastic addition to HOP Parade. I assured him the community will support him in the same way as they have welcomed all the new enterprises on the Parade. He and his wife are very familiar with HOP as they have other business interests in the area and live locally.

I have lived here for 17 years and can hardly believe how much the area has changed, and in particular the HOP Parade which was pretty run-down and dismal when I first moved here. I feel extremely fortunate to live in HOP/SE23 these days. A true gem in South East London.