Merlin, the huy inventor of the roller

Sainte-Yvette neighborhood festival Saturday, July 3rd. Northern Neighborhood Initiative and Defense Committee. Paulette Mambou [coordinates removed] Cherry festival Funfair, flea market, aubades. Saturday, July 3rd and Sunday, July 4th. Tihange Free Republic of Tihange. Marcel Pleinevaux [coordinates removed] Boat cruise Breakfast, dinner, and snack. Thursday, July 22nd Tourist Office [coordinates removed]. Guided tours July - August Info: [coordinates removed]. Booksellers Gathering of booksellers. Sunday, August 1st, Quai de Batta. Le Pontuseau [coordinates removed]. Funfair From August 6th to 24th, av. Delchambre City of Huy (Fairs and Markets Department) [coordinates removed] Concert Emile et Images, The Booming People, Juliane Deville and Mélanie Martins. Saturday, August 7th - 8 PM City of Huy (Events Department) [coordinates removed] Site tour Sound and light show. Saturday, August 7th City of Huy (Events Department) [coordinates removed] August 15th festival Entertainment, brotherhoods, fireworks launched from the Fort at 10 PM. Sunday, August 15th, avenue Batta, from 11 AM. Tourist Office [coordinates removed]. Boat cruise Thursday, August 19th. Tourist Office [coordinates removed]. Creativity 31st gathering of artisans. Sunday, August 22nd, Place-Verte Tourist Office [coordinates removed] Jean-Joseph Merlin, the Huy inventor of the roller skate The summer season of 2004 will be marked by the tribute that the City of Huy will pay to one of its most illustrious figures: Jean-Joseph Merlin. Born in Huy in 1735, Jean-Joseph Merlin became famous in London as an inventor of musical instruments, ingenious mechanisms, prodigious automata, and various gadgets. He died in the British capital in 1803. The inhabitants of Huy knew nothing of their fellow citizen's prestigious career until 1987, when the French-speaking Belgian Skating Federation decided to organize a roller skating championship. The enthusiasts of this sport intended to pay tribute to the city where the inventor of their favorite device was born. And yes! The roller skate was designed in the 18th century by Jean-Joseph Merlin. The summer in Huy will therefore be dedicated to this brilliant inventor, virtually unknown to the public. Roller & cyclo parades In collaboration with Belgium Roller, which organizes roller parades throughout the country all summer long, Huy will host three roller parades: on June 19th, August 7th, and September 25th. A 20 km route will be offered starting from the Grand-Place, where the meeting is set for 7 PM. The procession will then head along Avenue des Ardennes, Baudouin Bridge, Rue Neuve, Rue St Pierre, Rue des Récollets, Quai de Compiègne to Amay, where the Ombret Bridge will be taken, returning via the old Ombret road, Avenue de l'Industrie, Grand-Route in Tihange, Rue de la Motte, Rue Rioul, Rue des Augustins, Rue Grégoire-Bodart, Avenue Delchambre, Avenue Joseph Lebeau, Quai d'Arona, Quai Dautrebande, Avenue des Ardennes, and Grand-Place where the return is scheduled for around 10:30 PM. Roller skates will be available for rent on site. The parade will also be accessible to cyclists, allowing parents to accompany their children. Supervision will be provided by the Police department, and breaks with refreshments will be planned along the route. Musical entertainment will welcome riders and cyclists upon their return. June 19th, August 7th, and September 25th, 2004, 8 PM. Assembly Grand-Place, 7 PM. Flat route, 20 km. Roller skate rental on site. Cancellation in case of rain. Exhibition & book Galerie Espace Place Verte will host, from July 14th to August 22nd, an exhibition tracing the journey of Jean-Joseph Merlin, from Huy to London, via Paris. This will be an opportunity to discover and appreciate the inventions of this jack-of-all-trades, sometimes a musician, sometimes a mechanic, sometimes a whimsical character when, wearing his invented skates and holding a violin, he launched himself during a London masked ball only to crash into a valuable mirror that shattered. One will discover where he lived in Huy and London. Original pieces from the Science Museum, the British Museum, and the Kenwood Museum, three famous London museums, will be on display, while the history of the roller skate will be evoked with numerous documents; the latter coming from the fabulous collection of Sam Nieswizski, who wrote, for the Découvertes Gallimard collection, a publication titled Rollermania. A book will complement this important cultural component. From July 14th to August 22nd, 2004, Galerie Espace Place Verte. Open from 2 PM to 6 PM. Entrance: €1. Children under 12: free. Dinner show “Merlin, l'En Roller” (and the Big Ben Ahin Circus) We take you to London, at the end of the 18th century, to the club frequented by Jean-Joseph Merlin, the Huy inventor of the “roller,” adopted by the “Gentry.” He will introduce you to all those who make the news of the greatest city in the world: John Watt and his inventions, Thomas Jefferson and his dream of democracy, Beaumarchais, on a mission for the King of France, Brillat-Savarin, advocating for gastronomy, but, beware, between the pear and the dessert, the "Big Ben Ahin Circus" might just make you drift towards something entirely different... Absurd, isn't it? July 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 30th, and 31st, Espace St-Mengold. €35, €33 in advance via account [coordinates removed]. A track for young people The practice of roller skating has become such a phenomenon that the highway code now reserves a dedicated place for it. In Huy, adherents of this mode of transportation are not yet numerous enough to venture onto roads frequented by cars and trucks, but in neighborhoods, young people have expressed the wish to have facilities adapted to their sport. To meet this demand, the Aldermen's College decided to install a roller park on Rue des Messes. Starting in June, this new recreational area will allow confirmed riders to practice their passion and others to learn safely. Information Huy Tourist Office [coordinates removed] Tel. [coordinates removed] Fax [coordinates removed] [coordinates removed]