The towpath: not for the Belgium Rollers

NAMUR, AWAITING 1 JULY It has been written and rewritten, said and repeated: every Tuesday evening in July and August, the Walloon capital will turn into a giant skating rink. Born in Brussels, the "Belgium rollers" concept arrives in Namur on the evening of Tuesday 1 July. The principle is simple: if you can skate, you are free to join a pleasant ride through the streets of Namur and its outskirts. Taking part is entirely free. The roller cops To provide this weekly summer event with every necessary safety measure, the Namur police trained 14 "roller cops". A few days ago these officers were due to test the planned route to check that it posed no danger. But the weather decided otherwise. When it rains, the rule is simple: no skating. That directive will apply throughout the summer in Namur, so a few grumpy Tuesdays may lie ahead. The police's full-scale test is therefore postponed. The next appointment is set for Monday at 7 pm. In the meantime, we have seen the draft route, which will start from place de la Station. It is due to pass through Salzinnes, La Plante, Wépion, Dave and Jambes before returning to the city centre. As Christian Battel, of the City sports department and coordinator of the event, confirmed to us, the route will not use the towpaths as planned in the first draft: "We wouldn't want to see people falling into the water during the ride!" That would indeed be unfortunate… SACHA PEIFFER NOTE: Belgium rollers, every Tuesday at 9 pm from 1 July, place de la Station. Info at www.belgiumrollers.com