Brought up in England, Martin Solly first became enamoured of Italy as a student, staying with his amici in a superb farmhouse complete with swimming pool. The red-earthed landscape of Tuscany, Renaissance culture, Chianti and mouthwatering tortellini and zucchini convinced him that the Italians enjoyed the ultimate in sybaritic living.

After working on farms, and in bars, restaurants, bookstores and schools, he settled in Piedmont with the intention of improving his knowledge of things Italian.

He little realised this would include a beautiful Piedmontese girl and, ignoring the old Italian saying Moglie e buoi dei paesi tuoi ('Choose your wife and your cattle from your own backyard'), he married her. They now live happily with their two Anglo-Italian daughters in Turin.

The author of a dozen books on English language and literature, Solly's first instinct when shopping is still to look around for the queue. He does, however, admit to only ever wearing Italian ties, and to driving an Alfa-Romeo.

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