CHM Montalivet

[1] The centre is 175 hectares (430 acres) of land adjoining the beach to the south of Montalivet-les-Bains, in the commune of Vendays-Montalivet, in the Medoc, part of Aquitaine north of Bordeaux in France.

Christiane and Albert Lecocq, from Arras who had been instrumental in setting up a region framework for urban naturist clubs, conceived the idea of combining naturism and travel made possible by paid annual leave, introduced in 1936 in France.

It was to be a 'Centre de Vacances' and thus a separate legal entity that could make a profit and a commercial company SOCNAT was formed in 1954.

[1] The International Naturist Federation was conceived in London at the Festival of Britain but it was at the first congress, held at Montalivet in 1953, that the formal documents were signed.

Naturism could only be practised within the 50 hectares (120 acres) site and on the beach which was 600 metres (2,000 ft) away through a textilist zone on a boardwalk.

[1] In 1966 came the opening of the first official naturist beach in mainland France which by 1968 had emergency helicopter landing pads.

[1] The 1970s saw more foreign visitors: 37% Dutch, 24% Belgian and 21% German, the rest being from other countries including Australia, New Zealand, Quebec, and America North and South.

In 1982 in high season, there was a tornado that killed one visitor, exploded caravans and uprooted a 50 metres (160 ft) swathe of trees.

[1] In 1990, forty years after the founding of CHM, a road was named in Montalivet-les-Bains after Albert Lecocq.

[1] The American photographer, Jock Sturges, used Montalivet as setting for some of his published works such as The Last Day of Summer.