Euroblade in Le Havre, France: 29 April
Euroblade has been a very popular inline skating event which has successfully taken place in Southampton since 1999 and is a joint collaboration between the twinned cities of Le Havre and Southampton. The town of Le Havre has just announced that it is inviting keen cyclists and skaters from the UK to make the trip to France and experience this event with a French flavour on Sunday 29th April.
Route
The route of the skate / cycle is expected to be around 10 miles and last approximately 2 hours.
How to get there
If you would like to take part in what is expected to be a fantastic event you will need to book and pay for your seat directly with LD Lines. The ferry leaves Portsmouth at 11.30pm on Saturday 28th April and arrives bright and early in Le Havre at 7.00am on Sunday 29th. The return ferry leaves Le Havre at 5.00pm on Sunday 29th and will arrive back in Portsmouth at 9.30pm. For ferry prices and bookings, please contact LD Lines www.ldlines.com or aferry www.aferry.co.uk Alternatively Tel: 0870 428 4335
Free Breakfast and T Shirt
When you have booked your place on the ferry, please fill out the online form so that we can arrange for a free breakfast and T shirt. Please also indicate on this form if you would like to visit some of the superb attractions which Le Havre are offering as places for these are limited and are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Arriving in Le Havre
When you arrive at Le Havre you will be greeted by Le Havre event Marshals and escorted to a local gymnasium where you will receive a free breakfast and Euroblade t-shirt. The event will start at 10.00am and will last approximately 2 hours. Lunch will be available for purchase at the gymnasium on your return.
Activities after the skate/cycle
As well as the event itself, the town of Le Havre really would like to make this a memorable experience for UK participants and have organised an exciting programme of events to keep people entertained.
The attractions will include:
Musee Le Havre
The Musee Le Havre houses the finest impressionist collection outside of Paris and features works of art by some of the greats including Boudin, Monet, Degas, Sisley, Pissarro and Dufy.
Ship Owner’s Mansion
This is a 5 story mansion built in 1790 and occupied by numerous ship owners ever since. The rooms of the building have been set out like exhibition rooms presenting the city, its port and its trades. Other interesting spaces within this building are the splendid living rooms, curiosities room, library or a typical office of a wealthy Le Havre merchant.
Historic Show Flat
The town of Le Havre has recently opened to the public a historic show flat which enables visitors to understand the innovative character of the 1950’s buildings that revolutionised that art of housing.
All of these attractions can be visited completely free of charge although to do so you will need to let us know which attractions you are most interested in by completing and returning this form.
Photographs from Previous Events
For a taste of what this event has to offer, photograpshs taken at previous events in Southampton have been uploaded to Flickr's website.
Twinning
The Le Havre and Southampton twinning link celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2003. The original twinning was developed specifically to further social and cultural ties between the two cities and has been highly successful in generating strong personal friendship links. Over the years the Twinning has supported the development of many cultural, sports and social activities involving local groups and schools. Le Havre and Southampton, port cities located on either side of the Channel, share common features. As two strategic ports, their geography, demography and social characteristics are very much alike. Since the 1970s both Southampton and Le Havre have been faced with the restructuring in port and industrial activities. The “Pont de Normandie”, the university in Le Havre, and West Quay shopping centre in Southampton are some examples of initiatives undertaken in each city to regenerate the local economy.
Important
It is strongly advised that you have suitable travel insurance and that the policy covers you for this event and that you carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which entitles you to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment while you’re in France.
Disclaimer
Please note that Southampton City Council is not the organiser of this event. This event is being organised by Le Havre Council. It should be understood that there are inherent hazards associated with cycling and in line skating. By agreeing to take part in Euroblade, you agree to abide by all reasonable instructions given by the official marshals and to comply with all general health and safety requirements at all times. Southampton City Council accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage or injury, including death, howsoever incurred other than as a result of the Council’s negligence that may be sustained while travelling to and from the event, participating in the event or in any associated or ancillary activities.
If you have any questions or would like to contact someone about this page, please send an email to events@southampton.gov.uk
Updated: 7/03/07
Last updated: 3 January 2008
