壮大な景色を望む静かな40エーカーの敷地内にある贅沢なファミリーファームハウス。

Since leaving University I have been a businessman by day and a rock/jazz musician by night. I worked for the computer giant IBM for over 30 years in a variety of senior positions, while simultaneously running my own band The Dark Blues, often playing over 100 gigs a year. I was Chairman of NYJO (the National Youth Jazz Orchestra) for 14 years until 2023 - unpaid but very rewarding in other ways - and still play a few gigs with The Dark Blues every year.

I'm lucky to be married to Professor Deborah Cunningham, a consultant radiologist who runs an important London cancer service. She and I met in 1998, since when she has learned to speak fluent Italian and to love Ripertoli as much as I do. We spend around 8 weeks a year there, always including a week in November when we pick the olives from our 600 trees & make our own extra virgin olive oil. Our 5 joint children love Ripertoli too, and give us valuable feedback on what makes it attractive to younger generations.

In England we live on our family farm in Hertfordshire, from which Deborah does the daily commute to St Mary's or the Charing Cross Hospitals. I manage Ripertoli very hands-on, usually by email to our excellent team of local support staff, although Marisa herself relies on her trusty mobile and occasional emails via her grand-daughter Licia, who fortunately is a brilliant WhatsApp user.

I started a love-affair with Italy in my 20's and visited almost all of it over a variety of holidays. I ended up homing in on Tuscany as the part that I loved best; some combination of the beauty of the countryside, the artistic and cultural heritage, and the character of the people made me prefer Tuscany. From the mid-70's onward I rented a variety of Tuscan holiday homes with my young family, & in 1987 we made the momentous decision to put down some roots there. Fortunately I had made several local friends through playing my guitar & singing in local restaurants and at parties, so there was no shortage of good advice. We knew where we wanted to buy to within a few miles; in spring 1988 we inspected over 20 properties, and when we saw Ripertoli we knew that it was the one.

It was for sale including a vineyard, but we didn't want that extra responsibility so we managed to persuade the owners to sell us the house, olive groves and woods without the vineyard, thereby gaining the seclusion and privacy we wanted but not the workload of looking after vines. When we bought there were 3 functioning bedrooms and one bathroom; now there are 8 of each, with all the bathrooms ensuite, without us needing any additional buildings (although we did have to rebuild two entire roofs).

It was a great purchase, & I have never regretted it.

There are three things that our clients regularly tell us make Ripertoli really special.

Firstly, the secluded locality and the view, particularly from the terrace at the back of the house. It's how it would have looked a thousand years ago - try comparing it with 'Good Government in the Countryside' in the famous fresco in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena ! No electric pylons (we got rid of them 15 years ago), no telegraph poles, no construction except a few houses in the distance made of natural local materials, and a beautiful panorama of the Tuscan countryside. Ripertoli is justly famous among the locals as having one of the best views in this region of great views.

Secondly, it really is a family home which we have furnished with everything that we want to make our lives comfortable, or even luxurious. We spend over 8 weeks a year there, with our children, our friends, or just the two of us. We like everything to be just so, and we trust our clients to enjoy and respect our property.

Finally, our housekeeper Marisa. She truly is a treasure ! Almost every one mentions Marisa, her cooking, her warm welcome, and her constant care for the welfare of our guests.