Merlin the Inventor to enchant Huy's summer

Huy | A summer season dedicated to roller skating Merlin the Inventor will enchant Huy's summer ■ Huy's tourist season placed under the sign of a little-known native of Huy. ■ Before leaving for London, the inventor of the "in-line roller skate" was a son of the Meuse... FRÉDÉRIQUE SICCARD This Merlin has nothing to do with the Round Table. Born Jean-Joseph, in Huy, in 1735, rechristened John-Joseph by the English, he died in London in 1803, not without having made a mark on his contemporaries... and on generations to come: a brilliant inventor of musical instruments, ingenious mechanisms, prodigious automatons and numerous gadgets, he also designed, for the first time... the in-line roller skate. Throughout the summer, the city where he was born will pay tribute to him through a rich program of events. Roller parades. Three stages of the Belgium Rollers will take place in Huy ("Le Soir" yesterday): on June 19th, August 7th (8 p.m.) and September 25th (3 p.m.). Like all others, they will be canceled in case of rain. Info: [contact details removed] or www.belgiumrollers.com Exhibition. The Galerie Espace, Place Verte, will host, from July 14th to August 22nd, an exhibition tracing the journey of the local boy, from Huy to London via Paris. It will notably feature some of his inventions, from the Science Museum, the British Museum, and the Kenwood Museum in London, and will evoke the evolution of the skate through original pieces and documents (daily, except Mondays, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: 1 euro, free for children under 12). Publication. The fabulous story of Jean-Joseph Merlin by Pierre Bauwens, regional historian; Rollermania explained by Sam Nieswizski for the "Découvertes Gallimard" collection, and the story of the passion of young Huy enthusiasts, will be gathered in a single publication, starting July 14th. The book will be on sale at the town hall and at the exhibition for 10 euros. Dinner-show. The ASBL Epofor offers to take the public on a journey to late 18th-century London and meet those who made news at the time: James Watt, Thomas Jefferson, Beaumarchais, Brillat-Savarin... and Jean-Joseph Merlin, in its Merlin l'Enroller et le Big Ben (Ahin) Circus (see also opposite). To be enjoyed on July 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 30 and 31. Admission: 35 euros (33 euros in presale). Info and reservations: [contact details removed]. Brilliant inventor of instruments, mechanisms, automatons... Merlin Circuit. From one bank to the other, a guided walk in Merlin's footsteps, on September 19th at 2 p.m.... Other events will be added to this program: a market on July 21st, Ça Jazz à Huy (July 28, 30 and 31 and August 1), the Booksellers on the banks of the Meuse (August 1), the funfair (August 6 to 22) and the August 15th events, Creativity (August 22), the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Huy (September 6), Heritage Days (September 11 and 12) and the Wallonia Festivals (September 25)... ● The Jean-Joseph from Huy became John-Joseph once in London and, notably, when he was immortalized by the painter Gainsborough. Reproduction D.R. Merlin and Big Ben (Ahin) Listing the antics of Pierre Dechesne and the ASBL Epofor is a challenge. Guessing what he is preparing for this summer's dinner-shows is a mystery... Last year, we placed Napoleon in an asylum. This year, we return to historical reenactment by placing a lightly costumed audience in Lady Sandwich's salon, an authentic character whose husband was fond of the snacks that bear his name today. But we reserve the right to delve into British nonsense, he smiles. For if the era when Jean-Joseph Merlin arrived in London in the baggage of a Spanish nobleman is a rich source easily exploitable by a screenwriter, the character himself proves to be colorful: Merlin belonged to a family of Huy blacksmiths, his father-in-law forged the structure of the Bassinia. In London, however, this skilled mechanic and renowned musical instrument maker quickly detached himself from his patrons and opened a museum for his inventions. For he also invented a chair for gout sufferers operated by a crank or a carriage without a coachman that could be driven from the inside and must have caused a sensation on the London boulevards. As for roller skates, an anecdote has it that, wearing them and holding a violin, he launched himself at a ball and crashed into a valuable mirror. From there to the humor of Monty Python, it's just one step! To be taken starting in July... ● F. Si.