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Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
Letouquet1.JPG
Le Touquet celebration
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region  Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
Administration
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Department	Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement	Montreuil
Canton	Montreuil
Intercommunality	Mer et Terres d'Opale
Mayor	Daniel Fasquelle (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	0–42 m (0–138 ft) (avg. 5 m or 16 ft)
Land area1	15.31 km2 (5.91 sq mi)
Population2	5,355  (2007)
- Density	350 /km2 (910 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	62826/ 62520
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 50°31′07″N 1°35′42″E / 50.5186°N 1.595000°E / 50.5186; 1.595000

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, commonly referred to as Le Touquet, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It has a population of 5,355.^[1]

Le Touquet has a reputation as the most elegant holiday resort of northern France, the playground of rich Parisians, with many luxury hotels.

Since the mid-1990s, Le Touquet’s villas have become extremely fashionable amongst architecture lovers throughout Europe, rediscovering the “folie” of seaside architecture of both the Roaring Twenties and the Thirties. The most famous local architect is Louis Quetelart, whose style was named after him: Louis Quetelart Style.

History[link]

The resort was created in 1876 by Hippolyte de Villemessant (1812–1879), founder and owner of the Paris newspaper, Le Figaro. Then this was an area of wild sand dunes and forest - part of a hunting estate. Its name came from a Picard word meaning ‘corner’, and was originally applied to the area of coast nearby. It became known as “Paris by the sea”, and strict building regulations encouraged the most talented architects to create imaginative and innovative developments.

Le Touquet and the wealthy British[link]

In 1903, an Englishman bought the land, and set out to sell properties to the rich from across the English Channel. In 1909, H. G. Wells and Amber Reeves fled to Le Touquet in an abortive elopement. The two returned to Britain after a number of weeks, though Amber later gave birth to Wells's daughter, Anna-Jane Blanco White, after the relationship ended. In the 1920s, Noël Coward and the “smart set” from England spent weekends here, and commissioned more outstanding villa designs echoing traditional and ultra-modern domestic styles. Today the town tourist office offers organised trails to see outstanding examples of 19th and 20th century domestic architecture, which are now preserved and protected. Sayaji Rao III Gaekwar of Baroda also owned a house here.

Miscellaneous[link]

Inland from the beach, hotels, a casino and a horse racing course, a wide range of sports, particularly golf are offered. The casino provided the inspiration of the casino of Royale-les-Eaux in Casino Royale.

Every year in February, a motorbike and quad race called 'Enduro' is held where bikes race along the beach and through the dunes.

Notable people[link]

Le Touquet was the birthplace of Christian Ferras, violinist.^[2]

Twin towns[link]

Le Touquet participates in international town twinning; its current partners are:

• Winterberg, Germany (since September 1966), winter sports town
• Rixensart, Belgium, south of Brussels
• Witney, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
• Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, upscale seaside town in the suburbs of Tunis
• Cary, North Carolina, United States
• Eckbolsheim, France, 5 km (3.1 mi) from Strasbourg

Transportation[link]

Le Touquet is served by Le Touquet - Côte d'Opale Airport.

See also[link]

• Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

References[link]

• INSEE commune file

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage

• Le Touquet town council website
• Le Touquet Swimming Pool 'Aqualud'
• Expert view of Le Touquet hotels and attractions
• Photos of the market

• Letouquet2.JPG

  Le Touquet Aqualud

• Letouqet3.JPG

  Christmas band outside one of the Le Touquet's casino

• Letouqet4.JPG

  Le Touquet sports centre

• Letouquet5.JPG

  Christmas carol service in Le Touquet

Franck Ribéry

Personal information
Full name	Franck Ribéry
Date of birth	(1983-04-07) 7 April 1983 (age 29)
Place of birth	Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Bayern Munich
Number	7
Youth career
1989–1996	Conti Boulogne
1996–1999	Lille
1999–2000	Boulogne
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2002	Boulogne	28	(6)
2002–2003	Alès	19	(1)
2003–2004	Stade Brestois	35	(3)
2004–2005	Metz	20	(1)
2005	Galatasaray	14	(0)
2005–2007	Marseille	60	(11)
2007–	Bayern Munich	129	(43)
National team‡
2004–2006	France U21	13	(2)
2006–	France	59	(9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:13, 5 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 02:45, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Franck Ribéry (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃k ʁibeʁi]; born 7 April 1983) is a French international footballer who plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and for the France national team. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing."^[1] Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler" who "has great control with the ball at his feet".^[2] Since joining Bayern, he has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of French national team, Zinedine Zidane, has called Ribéry the "jewel of French football".^[3]

Ribéry's career began in 1989 as a youth player for local hometown club Conti Boulogne. He left the club after seven years to join professional outfit Lille, but departed the club after three years after having difficulties adjusting. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne, where he played for two years. After spending two more years in the amateur divisions with two different clubs (Alès and Brest), in 2004, Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1 club FC Metz. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey in January 2005 joining Galatasaray where he won the Turkish Cup. After six months at Galatasaray, he departed the club in controversial fashion in order to return to France to join Marseille. Ribéry spent two seasons at the club helping the Marseillais reach the final of the Coupe de France in back-to-back seasons. In 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he has won the double on two occasions; in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons. In 2010, Ribéry contributed to the team that reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, but was unable to participate in the match due to suspension.

Ribéry is a French international. Prior to representing the senior team, he played at under-21 level. At senior level, Ribéry has represented his nation two FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 2008. He made his international debut in May 2006 against Mexico. At the 2006 World Cup, Ribéry scored his first international goal against Spain and played in the final match against Italy. Individually, Ribéry is a two-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and has also won the German Footballer of the Year becoming the first player to hold both honours. He has also been named to the UEFA Team of the Year and declared the Young Player of the Year in France.

Personal life[link]

Ribéry was born on 7 April 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer and raised in a low-income neighbourhood on the fringes of the city.^[4] When he was two years old, he and his family were involved in a car accident in his hometown, colliding with a truck.^[5] Ribéry suffered serious facial injuries that resulted in over one hundred stitches and left two long scars down the right side of his face.^[5] Prior to joining Stade Brestois in 2003, he worked as a construction worker with his father, which Ribéry referred to as a "learning experience".^[6] Ribéry's younger brother François is also a football player, and has played for numerous amateur clubs in France. François plays for Bayonne in the Championnat National.^[7] Ribéry's wife, Wahiba, is a French national of Algerian descent and the couple have two daughters and a son.^[1][8][9] Ribéry is a convert to Islam and, following his conversion, adopted the name Bilal Yusuf Mohammed.^[10][11][12]

Ribéry in December 2007 wearing a pair of red MVIII's.

Since establishing himself as an international, Ribéry has been involved in numerous promotional campaigns. For the 2008–09 season, he appeared, alongside international teammate Karim Benzema, on the French cover of video game FIFA 09.^[13] Ribéry is sponsored by American sportswear company Nike and regularly wears Nike Mercurial Vapors. He has appeared in several television advertisements for the brand and, during the 2007–08 Bundesliga season, starred in a one-time television show called "The Franck Ribéry Show", which aired on Direct 8 in France.^[14][15] The show, sponsored by Nike, acted as a variety show with Ribéry appearing in several sketches.^[16] On 25 May 2010, a 27 by 30 metres (89 × 98 ft) billboard of Ribéry was officially unveiled in his home city of Boulogne-sur-Mer ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The billboard paid tribute to a similar billboard that was erected for Zinedine Zidane in his home city of Marseille during his career.^[17] The construction of the billboard was initially suspended due to possible image ramifications associated with Ribéry's alleged relationship with an underage prostitute.^[18] However, the Regional Council of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, which initially opposed the billboard, agreed to allow construction of the billboard. The billboard was a project of Ribéry's sponsor Nike and was on display for the duration of the FIFA World Cup.^[19]

On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients of a prostitution ring that was being operated inside of a Paris nightclub with some of the women possibly being underage. The report also stated that two of the players were already questioned as witnesses by judge André Dando and a group of magistrates. The report described the two players as being one who “is a major player in a big foreign club” and that the other “plays in the championship of France Ligue 1".^[20] Later that day, the players were discovered to be Ribéry and Sidney Govou.^[21] During his interview with Dando, Ribéry reportedly admitted to having a relationship with a prostitute, but did not know that she was a minor at the time the relationship began.^[22][23] On 29 April, the country's Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade, after refusing to publicly comment on the case in its infancy, declared that any player placed under investigation should not represent the France national team.^[24] The following day, a judicial source confirmed that Ribéry would not be placed under official investigation, if at all, before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[25] On 20 July, Ribéry was questioned by Paris police and, following questioning, was indicted by judge Dando on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute".^[26][27][28] In November 2011 prosecutors asked for the cases against Ribéry and Benzema to be dropped, saying that the players were not aware that the escort was 16 years old when they had paid sex with her.^[29]

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Ribéry began his football career at age six playing in the youth section of amateur club FC Conti de Boulogne-sur-Mer.^[30][31] After a seven-year stay, in 1996, he joined professional outfit Lille, who were playing in the second division. While at Lille, Ribéry excelled athletically, but developed academic and behavioral problems, which led to Lille releasing him.^[30][32] After leaving Lille, Ribéry returned to his hometown joining the biggest club in the city, US Boulogne. After spending a year in the reserves, he was promoted to the senior team. Ribéry only made four appearances in his debut season as Boulogne, who were playing in the CFA, the fourth division of French football, earned promotion to third-tier Championnat National.^[33] In his second season with the club, Ribéry appeared in 25 league matches converting five goals. Though Boulogne finished 17th, which meant a return to the fourth division, Ribéry's solid performances earned him a move to fellow National club Olympique Alès.^[34] In his only season at the club, Ribéry made 18 appearances scoring only one goal.^[35] Following the season, despite finishing safe, Alès were relegated to the Division d'Honneur, the sixth division of French football, by the DNCG after the club declared bankruptcy.^[36] The resulting news led to Ribéry signing with Stade Brest, another Championnat National club. At Brest, Ribéry established himself as a premier player in the league appearing in 35 league matches scoring three goals.^[37] Ribéry's performance and the team as a whole led to the club finishing second in the league, thus earning promotion to Ligue 2.^[31]

Despite the success with Brest, Ribéry sought to play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. His dream came to fruition when FC Metz's manager Jean Fernandez took a liking to him and recruited him on a free transfer.^[31] Ribéry only spent half a season at Metz, but impressed earning the UNFP Player of the Month in August 2004. He scored his only league goal for Metz on 6 November in the team's 1–1 draw with Toulouse.^[38] His stellar play on the right side of midfield led to Metz supporters comparing him to Robert Pirès, a former Metz legend.^[32] After negotiations on an extension ended in a stalemate, in January 2005, Ribéry relocated to Turkey. There he joined Galatasaray on an initial loan deal; the Istanbul-based outfit had the right to pay Metz €2 million to make the move permanent.