City State of Sutton (1962: The Apocalypse)

History
The  City state of Sutton  is a democratic UK survivor nation based in northern Surrey. It is unique in the fact that it managed to exist so close to London.

It is to be noted that some other tribes live closer still, but are in noticeable ill health due to the high radiation levels.

Doomsday
Many large and multiple hits occurred in London and Middlesex, along with a few minor ones in Croydon CB and a kt. device hitting Leatherhead in Surrey that day. Those few who had hid in there basements or fled early that week to nearby suburbs like Epsom would survive, but in very small numbers. Many of those who did, fled. The place was in ruins and partly on fire.

Post-Doomsday
The few survivors and refugees would initially cope by scavenging, looting and hiding as best they could during the global climatic crisis of 1962-64 and the resulting heavy famine of 1963-4. A cholera outbreak also occurred in mid to late 1964. Some food was provided when 2 escaped gorillas and 7 Congo Peafowl (Afropavo congensis) that had escaped from Chessington Zoo were found and killed in Sixty Acer Wood on May 3rd, 1963.

The refugees who had gathered in the north of Betchworth Hill Woods, Banstead Wood, Epsom Downs, Newton Wood, Cheam Park, Sixty Acer Wood, Nonsuch Park and Banstead common began to develop them, except for Cheam Park and Nonsuch Park, as farm land around small shanty towns over this time. The radioactive and cholera infested Cheam Park, Cheam Sutton and Nonsuch Park were evacuated as was Sutton and Cheam until 1980.

When the supply of petrol and diesel had ran out, the locals were forced to rediscover a different mode of transportation. Horses an surviving bicycles took over. Sutton has yet to reach a point where the economic viability of horses and bicycles is threatened.

The locals would survive the next 9 years alone on a mixture of luck, good guesswork, reinstated rural crafts and agricultural knowhow.

Known refugee camps

 * 1) Bansted Wood,
 * 2) Epsom Downs,
 * 3) Newton Wood,
 * 4) Cheam Park,
 * 5) Nonsuch Park,
 * 6) Banstead common,
 * 7) Betchworth Hill Woods,
 * 8) Banstaed Wood
 * 9) Sixty Acer Wood

1965-1972
Some localized attempts were made to restore sanitation to Epsom's and Barnstead’s ruins in 1965 and escaped farm animals were being corralled and raised in small numbers by 1967. Sadly, radiation sickness, thyroid problems, cancer and deformed cattle had been a major problem in the early years, but it had started to die down by 1970.

The tribes’ various unorganised villages were peacefully incorporated between 1967 and 1972 into the unified nation of Sutton thanks to the good work of ex-Sutton carpenter Jake Jermain "Earwax" Simkins. Wood, urban loot, cattle and food were traded between the settlements. Jake Simkins was president until 1995.

Several further, and for the most part successful, attempts were made to restore sanitation to the ruins of Tattenham corner, Epsom and Barnstead in 1971. Agricultural production also rose to a viable level in 1972.

Fist contact
It was made with explorers from Sussex, Buckinghamshire and Kentshire in 1973. A group of Southern English Republic (SER) army scouts visited the city state in 1974. they found the SER frighteningly agressive and overly self-asertive.

1974- 1994
Sutton and Cheam were slowly reinhabited between 1981 and 1985.

A famine and a localised cholera outbreak hit the region after several unusually heavy and local rainstorms, killing some people during late 1985 and early of 1986. Aid was provided by Kentshire and Sussex, thus alleviating a possible major crisis.

Sutton would also be part of the pro-Buckinghamshire coalition of nations that would face up to The SER in 1987. Their contribution was low, but just as determined as all the other members. They were concerned that the SER was only interested in conquest and that the city state was doomed if it did not join the alliance's champagne.

Living-standards would rise steadily after the agricultural, fiscal, medical and social reforms of 1988. The Sussex Pound become the national currency in 1994.

The horse ride to Battersea
The Jake Simkins and his wife Bronnie travelled to Battersea on his horse in 1995 on a 5 day trip to Battersea, and found that Morden and Mictham were in ruins, but 20 seriously unwell tribes-folk and cattle in Morden. The tribes-folk were taken back to Sutton and lived happy there. The ruins of Mitcham only had 2 deformed animals in it. Tooting beck was found to be "a flat and rubbley wasteland". He found Battersea was a land of molten "glass, stone, metal and sh1t" all the way from the location of the former the Cringle Dock Solid Waste Transfer Station, to Battersea Park and Queens Town Road station. Clapham Common was a florist and Battersea Park had become a marsh.

He and 2 of the tribes-folk died of leukaemia in 1998.

1996-to date
The first elections occurred on the 2nd of May 1995 and the Liberal Party of Sutton won it. They have held the positions of the presidency and the national government ever since.

They have begun to develop there agriculture and now and are farm the land that surrounds the former town of Chessington as of 2005.

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

Government
The Leader and Deputy Leader are elected every 4 years by citizens over the age of 16, useing the first past the post (FPTP) method.

Military
The armed forces abandoned the use of bows and swords in favour of rifles and pistols imported from Sussex in 1998. The army is a volunteer force of 150.

Economy
It is largely dependent on agriculture and the selling of metal and bricks looted from the ruins of Croydon and Merton.

Transport
Travel is mostly by horse and bicycle, since there are few motor vehicles. Horses are still popular in the nation, despite the resent, but short lived, outbreak of equine ethmoid hematoma. Thier are a few alcohol, sunflower oil and petrol driven vehicles in the city state.

Waterworks and food sources
Most water is drawn from the local rivers, lakes and wells.

Healthcare
10% of all citizens went permanently bald due to radiation sickness, but skin and lung cancer are less common these days. Lung and thyroid cancer are no longer major issues, and are markedly less than they were before 1987. Radiological cancer was a major killer during the 1960's and 1970's.

Media
A national 5 page annual news pamphlet has been in circulation since 2010. Posters are nailed up as and when they are needed.

Also see

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