Le Plessis-Robinson

Woking and the town of Le Plessis-Robinson became twin towns in 1993 when they signed a Charter of Friendship.   Le Plessis-Robinson is only 6 km to the south of Paris, and is easily accessible by rail and motorway.  Orly airport is just 15 minutes away, and Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris is less than an hour away by train.  This is the link to the town's website http://www.plessis-robinson.com/ 

History

Despite its proximity to the capital city, Le Plessis-Robinson retains its identity and still has the charm of a village.  Its history is a colourful one: it had its first mention in the record books as early as the ninth century as Plessiacus, and by the seventeenth century it was much favoured by the French aristocracy, being the home of such well known figures as Colbert and Pierre de Montesquiou d'Artagnan (cousin of Dumas' famous hero of the Three Musketeers).  D'Artagnan built the town's Chateau, the graceful building that now houses the Town Hall.  Other famous residents were the writers Chateaubriand and Voltaire.

What's in a name?

Why does the town have its very English sounding suffix?  The story goes back to 1848.  At that time the gentle hills and leafy countryside around Le Plessis were extremely popular as a weekend resort for the people of Paris, keen to escape the dust and heat of the city.  The visitors liked to dress in their best and spend their Sundays promenading in the countryside and enjoying themselves at restaurants in the village.  Naturally, dancing and music were also on the menu, and it also helped that the wine taxes were lower out of town! 

An enterprising restauranteur, M Joseph Gueusquin, decided to give his establishment an edge by building a dining platform in the branches of a chestnut tree - in imitation, he thought, of Defoe's hero Robinson Crusoe.  The fact that he had confused his literary references, and the tree house actually features in The Swiss Family Robinson, made no difference to the popularity of the idea, and tree restaurants rapidly became the vogue.  The fame of Le Plessis' leafy restaurants spread and the town became the fashionable place for poets, writers and songwriters and of course, the general public.  So proud was its reputation that 'Robinson' was added to the town title. 

Every June a special festival, the Fête des Guinguettes, is held to celebrate this, and the whole town turns out dressed in the most elegant 'Belle Epoch' costumes - a uniquely French experience!

Le Plessis-Robinson today

Following a period of rapid expansion at the start of the 20th century the town has continued to grow, and its excellent transport links have encouraged commercial and industrial development.  Renault has its headquarters there, and over 240 major companies (including IT giant Hewlett Packard and major pharmaceutical manufacturers and agribusinesses) are also based in the town.  The centre still retains its charm, and development there has been sympathetic.  Parks and gardens abound, and the town is surrounded by 50 hectares of forest and parkland.