Discover the city on rollerblades tonight

HUY • Roller parade Discover the city on rollerblades tonight Everyone on your rollerblades. Tonight, Huy puts on its skates for a 20 km Roller parade through the city streets. To celebrate its inventor who was from Huy. ITS inventor was from Huy. A man with a boundless imagination who was the first to conceive the inline skate. Jean-Joseph Merlin, from Huy, invented the rollerblade. That was in the 18th century. A musician at heart, a quirky jack-of-all-trades who, though he ended his life in London, was born in Huy. Where he lived for some time. That was all it took for the people of Huy to celebrate the man. The brilliant inventor who, at a masked ball in London, ventured among the guests with a violin and wearing skates. No luck, however, he knew how to roll but not how to stop. And he crashed his nose into a mirror. History only remembers the price of the broken mirror from this anecdote. History will now remember the celebration for Jean-Joseph Merlin that the people of Huy intend to hold all summer. With this Roller parade already tonight, before those on August 7 and September 25. Rollerblading enthusiasts will be there from 7 p.m. on Huy's Grand'place. With the possibility of renting rollerblades and protective gear for those who don't have any. How many participants? The Tourist Office, the City of Huy, Huy police officers, as well as Belgium Roller, which organizes roller parades across the country, can only imagine. But they can already count on the students of the Athenée. Because their director, enthusiastic about the project, tried to rally them to the idea. And Annette Alloo believes in it: the young people will be there. From 7 p.m. then, make way for the rollerbladers who will leave the Grand'place an hour later for a circuit designed by Commissioner Christian Collinet on flat terrain, without cobblestones. The result? Twenty kilometers from Huy to Huy, passing through Ombret. The rollerbladers will thus leave the Grand'place for Avenue des Ardennes. They will take the Baudouin bridge, Rue Neuve, turn right onto Rue Saint-Pierre, pass along the Récollets park, emerge onto Quai de Compiègne as far as Amay. In Ombret, they will cross the bridge and rejoin the old Ombret road, Avenue de l'Industrie, Grand'route in Tihange, Rue de la Motte. And the small streets of Huy until the Grand'place where the return is scheduled around 10:30 p.m. There's no question of organizing a race, of going as fast as possible from one point to another. The Roller parade is a leisurely ride. With several refreshment stops to allow latecomers to catch up with the more athletic. And above all, the circuit is also open to cyclists. Parents can thus accompany their children without risking breaking a bone. Once back on the Grand'place, it's time to party. With an evening of music. Wild rock, with feet in rollerblades? Roller parade, Grand'place of Huy from 7 p.m., this Saturday. Departure 8 p.m., arrival 10:30 p.m. Jean-Joseph Merlin, brilliant inventor, was also a musician. While playing the violin, the man from Huy conceived rollerblades. Three police officers on mountain bikes Will they go unnoticed? It's not certain. Especially if they're in uniform. Tonight, some police officers will weave among the rollerblading fans, also with their feet strapped into skates. Just to ensure their safety. Two from the Namur police zone and one Huy police officer will put on rollerblades, while others will prefer mountain bikes. Three Huy police officers, on bikes, will intersperse among the rollerblading fans tonight. And among them, Commissioner Christian Collinet who, from his bike, will direct the operations. Managing this crowd of rollerbladers is no small task. Vehicles in front and behind, motorcyclists, secured intersections: there will be nine Huy police officers, two from Namur, and two from Amay. Police officers on mountain bikes, not common in Huy. « It's true, it will be an innovation. The mountain bike is interesting because it allows you to go everywhere, on cobblestones, in the mud. And then, there's this interesting proximity to the citizen. » For tonight, Commissioner Collinet didn't have to designate the mountain bikers among his men. They were volunteers. And if he had to set up such a team, the Huy commissioner would be spoiled for choice. So numerous are the candidates. Police officers on mountain bikes in the streets of Huy? Commissioner Collinet is thinking about it more and more. Especially since Mayor Anne-Marie Lizin has followed suit. « We could indeed move in that direction. Provided we plan a budget for next year. » These equipped bikes for the police, the Huy police station has them today for about fifteen days. And Inspector Pierre Wilmart will test them. He will test their usefulness in the streets of Huy before a decision is made.