Sussex (1962: The Apocalypse)

Doomsday
Only one strike occurred on Brighton, but the radioactive fall-out from London, Surrey, Hampshire and northern Belgium would cause trouble.

After Doomsday
Various local authorial figures met a few days later in Lewes and the Horsham, who created the 'National Presidium' later that month, led by the Horsham UDC councillor Philip Turner.

A severe famine and a cholera outbreak hit the north of the Sussex, killing a large number of people during 1963, 1965 and in 1966.

As the years passed things improved due to the pooling of local resources and united efforts by Sussex, the I.O.W. and Kentshire too meet the challenges of a post holocaust world. The counties would set about creating a joint board for security, but the I.O.W. feared the more militaristic and authoritarian political message emanating from Sussex's 'National Praesidium' who claimed only a hard-line government could save them, which was also becoming a popular idea in Kentshire's ruling circle.

Events on the Isle of Wight.
The Isle of Wight on the other hand was a fiercely independent and virtually self-sufficient in food and water needs. The Ryde councillor Joyce Marston would emerge as the islands lender. A major cholera and typhus outbreak hit the island, killing many people during 1963 and in 1966. Radiation sickness would also kill many. Due to the farming nature of the I.O.W. and the lack of nukings it would survive relatively well, becoming one few early successes.

The first I.O.W. Ledgeco elections would be held in 1974 as the Island moved towards democracy, unlike Sussex, who's 'National Presidium' just became a tyrant. Kentshire had also chosen to go it's own way by this date.

Fist Contact
Fist contact was made with explorers from Kent and the Isle of Wight in 1965. Later contact was made with the City State of Sutton, the SER and Buckinghamshire in 1973, and then with West Wiltshire in 1979.

North
A 1972 joinery in to southern Surrey found only small villages and tribesmen in the Mole Valley. A second mission in 1973 discovered both the City State of Sutton and Buckinghamshire.

Western
The Journey in to coastal Hampshire found only small villages and tibesfolk all the way up to the ruins of Portsmouth, Southampton and Gosport. West Wiltshire's settlers were first found in the New Forest by colonists from Isle of Wight, during in 1979. Portsmouth, Southampton and Gosport were quarantined until 1988.

1976-1994
Wise water management and the plentiful rivers helped avoid desaster in the 1976 heatwave and drought. The ruling classes and the National Praesidium used it to undermine democracy and further both their personal gain and the insecraty caused by increasingly paranoid attitudes. There were genunie fears over authoriterian West Wiltshire and the fachist S.E.R., but it was more a notional fear than an actual problem, since the S.E.R. primaly hated Buckinhamshire.

The Isle of Wight hand only settled 3 enclaves on the eastern half by 1979, which became a colonies by 1984. They began to offer unionist plans to Sussex, but asked for moves toward a more democratic attitude and help against W. Wiltshire 1985.

The Isle of Wight sent food aid to West Wiltshire in 1986 after the Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus outbreak of that year, despite of 7 years of cooling relations. They would also promoted democratic in the polices state.

In a sad incident, a car bomb exploded in Ryde, on Isle of Wight during the 8th of June, 1991. It killed 3 and injured 8, 1 critically. The government of W. Wiltshire would it confess to it doing in mid-1996.

 The more note worthy victims were- 


 * 1) Bobby Jimmy Leicester (dead)
 * 2) Samuel Rey (dead)
 * 3) Chloë Gibson (dead)
 * 4) Lee Jonathan Long (Kentish diplomat)
 * 5) Avril Long (Lee's wife)
 * 6) Caitlín Campbell (Ayrshire tourist)
 * 7) Zoé Leblanc (Walloon tourist)

5 Horsham trades unionists Laura Chilvers, Mary Pettit, John Doyle and Steve Hong were to read the Sussex 'Corn Strike' of 1993-94.

1993-1994
The leaders of the pro-democracy 1993-94 Sussex 'Corn Strike' were- .
 * 1) Steve Spence- English, Lancing doctor, made redundant.
 * 2) Laura Chilvers- English, Horsham actor, made redundant.
 * 3) Sharon Chilvers- English, Horsham doctor, made redundant.
 * 4) Ralph Chilvers- English, Horsham carpenter, made redundant.
 * 5) Andrew Le Vior- Walloon, Hainult coal miner, sacked after the 6 month Walloon coalminers’ strike of 1989.
 * 6) Mary Pettit- English, Corfe carpenter and charity worker, sacked due to her left of liberal view points
 * 7) John Doyle - English, Horsham cattle farmer, went broke.
 * 8) Steve Hong- Hong Konger, Horsham laundry worker, his firm went bust.
 * 9) Melanie Annette Gerlis- Welsh, Lancing laundry worker, her firm went bust.
 * 10) Jack Toss - English, Horsham corn farmer, went broke.
 * 11) Cody Ross - English, Corfe corn farmer, went broke.

The rebellion of 1995-97
As a result of the growing power of the National Presidium, the locals chose to rebel or flee deeper in to the tribal lands of Surrey and Hampshire. It was turning in to a police state. Laura Chilvers, Mary Pettit, John Doyle and Steve Hong were the Horsham based rebel leaders and they had been long known for thiere oppersition to the bizzar ieas of the preasidium.

The Isle of Wight joins the union
The articles of union were singed between the I.O.W. and Sussex on May 1st, 1995, but this was finally enacted in the March of 1996.

1998-2000
A E. Coli 0157 outbreak hit Horsham in 1999, killing 1 and making 6 ill.

Present day
The importation of Irish peat for domestic use began in 1999 as relations between the nations increased.

The nation has progressively advanced, but did suffer losses to the heavy floods of 2007, 2009 and 1012.

A 2 track railway unifies Banstead and Epsom with Buckingham, Slough, Horsham and Crawley. It was built in 2009 and has 3 diesel train services a week day. 2 more trains run on the Saturdays, but don't call at Banstead and Epsom.

Politics
With the fall of the 1 party state in 1997, national, local and presidential elections take place very year by the FPTP system, by all nationals over 16. The union parliament is called the National Ledgeco. The ruling party is now much more pro-democratic.

The national governments that were elected since 1997 looked like this-

Military
The armed forces discontinued the use of bows and swords in favour of rifles and pistols in 1986. The armed forces are a volunteer force of 8,000.

They poses the following vehicles-
 * 6x Chevrolet RD 4x2 (USA) - Trucks
 * 4x T17E1 Staghound (USA) - Armoured Cars
 * 2x Leopard 1 Tanks
 * 4x Centurion tanks (2 are known to be in storage)
 * 1x Ferret armoured car

The air force has 2 Westland Lysander light aircraft.

Economy
The economy is largely agricultural in nature, but is becoming more industrial around Crawley, Eastbourne and Chichester. Kimmeridge oil and Walloon coal were a godsend and helped economic development greatly. There are some wind-farms to. Relations with Wessex, the PRUK, Gloucester, Cornwall, Brittany, the Channel Islands and Normandy have become ever closer since the singing of the 2004 free trade deal.

Wind and water power
Commercial wind power in Sussex began in 2008 when the 6 turbine Sussex National Wind Farm came online, with technical assistance Irish and Lower Saxon. New estimates of wind resources in 2010 raised the estimated potential wind power capacity for Sussex from 30MW at a 50 m turbine hub height to 400MW at 70m height, the average height of the turbines is 55 to 60m. Local water mills are now being tested for hydropower development.

Kimmeridge Oil and Bio-fuel
Kimmeridge oil is imported from Wessex and is widely used as is bio-fuels. A small alco-fule plant opened near Eastbourne in 1998.

Transport
Travel is mostly by horse, sailing boat and bicycle, since there are few motor vehicles. A 2 track railway unifies Banstead and Epsom with Buckingham, Slough, Horsham and Crawley. It was built in 2009 and has 3 diesel train services a week day. 2 more trains run on the Saturdays, but don't call at Banstead and Epsom.

Media
The Littlehampton Gazette, West Sussex County Times and Isle of Wight Chronicle went back in to print in 1972 and went national in 1989. The nation opened 3 new local radio stations in Ryde, Chichester and Lewes in 1998 and a TV station for the Sussex mainland in 2011.

Healthcare
Thyroid cancers are no longer major issues, and are markedly less than they were before 1975.

Sports
Stoolball and Cricket the national sports. Sussex County Cricket Club is the national cricket club. The Vectis Ladies—which is a separate organisation from the I.O.W. are the 2 national Hockey Clubs. Ryde Sports F.C., St Francis Rangers F.C.and Haywards Heath Town F.C. are the 3 national Hockey Clubs.

Also see

 * 1) 1962: Doomsday
 * 2) List of surviving nations (1962: Doomsday)
 * 3) Editorial Guidelines- (1962: Doomsday)