Thanks to Kendal for this submission of Bradford, West Yorkshire, in the United Kindgom. If you have any questions, please contact Kendal directly.

Bradford - West YorkshireUnited Kingdom,

Pre-War Population: 289000 (plus another 100000 in outlaying areas)

Government:   Multi-party local council under a central government.  Local parish or town councils with no input into Local Government. Bradford holds a sub regional control centre under City Hall, which reports to a regional SRHQ at Leeds. 

Local Police:     West Yorkshire Police (based at Wakefield)

Local Hospitals:St Lukas (non-emergency), Bradford Royal Infirmary (Accident & Emergency)

Local Army:       10^th Battalion Para at Pudsey, TA Medical Services/TA Engineering at Valley Parade, Bradford

Education:         BradfordUniversity, Bradford & IlkleyCollege

Other:               NationalMuseum of Film & Photography, ColourMuseum, IndustrialMuseum, CartwrightHallArtGallery

Nearby Target Sites: (N) denotes a nuclear target

Although a population centre, in 1989, Bradford itself was not a direct nuclear target, although a number of targets were hit nearby (namely parts of Leeds and the giant ‘Golf balls’ warning site at Menwith Hill near Harrogate.   However, the results of the war had major impacts for the North of England.   The first being the rain that literally washed away the roads and flooded the valleys.  Second was the formation of the Great York Loch.   

Bradford 5+ Years

Population:  57,000 + 80,000 in outlaying areas

Government:    Multi-party local council.  Does not acknowledge higher government.   Independent town and parish councils in local areas, some of which acknowledge the city council.

Local Police:   BradfordCity Police – a core of remaining police officers filled out with special constables, which also form a militia.  Local towns/parishes field own militia.

Local Army:     TA units not deployed abroad help out as directed by local council. Police fulfil all armed duties. 

Local Hospitals:  St Lukes (Isolation), Bradford Royal Infirmary (Accident & Emergency).

Education:       Bradford Polytechnic – teaches hard sciences.  Incorporates NMFAP & IndustrialMuseum.

Other:              CartwrightHallArtGallery

Main Reason for Population decline:  Starvation and toxic poisons from polluted water sources.  Civil War. Race Riots.

Political Status:           The city council narrowly holds onto power, using a mix of police and special constables to maintain control of the parks and public roads, allowing convoys into the city.  Police control the waterways, which minimises the racial tension in the city.  Several areas are no-go areas due to race riots (or creed riots in many instances).  Vigilante violence common.

Food:   Fishing is a major food source, as is the hunting of rabbits.   Mutton is common and is traded to the city by the outlaying farms.   Root crops are normal.  Grain is scarce.   Most crops developed under glass & plastic (usually taken from wherever it can be salvaged).

Buildings & Sanitation:            Minimal building repairs possible.   A good deal of housing in Bradford was dilapidated pre-war and the five years since have lead to many houses being damp.   Running water is available in some areas but sewers discharge directly into the flooded valley.  Yorkshire Water still maintains some of the services but is badly over-run.   No Gas supplies.   What little electricity is available is rationed strictly by the council.  

Weapons &etc

Police using SMG’s, Rifles & Shotguns. If faced with armed opposition police will fire to deadly effect without opposition. Body armour in use by Police.

Locals using Rifles, Shotguns & Pistols

Ammunition runs from Scarce to common

Most people carry knives and know how to use them by this time.

Summary of Problems:   

• Sanitation
• Control
• Food
• Housing
• Breakdown of Law & Order

Brief Situation for rest of the country. 

Bradford was lucky.  It had played no part in helping the refugee columns from the War or taken part in any but incidental support of the Civil War between the Monarchy at York, and the Republic in the south.  Now, however, the long winters are starting.   The moors are becoming uninhabitable except where small valleys curl amongst them.   The moorside villages are huddling together and food is becoming an issue, as it becomes harder to raise crops.  

Bradford forms a trading community between York, Skipton and Carlisle - the only northern trade route still left.  Trade goods move from Carlisle via a dangerous overland route to Skipton, from which it moves to Bradford by Canal and from there by barge across the loch to York.  Marauders are a constant problem as are pirates on the Loch.    Worse than this, this trade route is beginning to be cut by large numbers of refugees starting to move down from Scotland, fleeing the inhospitable climate.

The refugees rarely move along to Bradford.   There is no way across the deep valleys north to south, and most of the refugees move down past Carlisle and towards the Lancastrian plain.  The West coast columns face a much tougher trip and few will make it past Newcastle before turning east.  These columns will break apart the last attempt at unification the country has.

Bradford, but more especially the Pennine hills, will absorb locals displaced by the Scottish columns.  Some will flee across the loch to the Vale of Pickering.    Many will die as the winter hardens into the Deep Winter.

Bradfiord 150+ years

Population:  15,000 + 35,000 in outlaying areas

Government:    Multi-party local council.  Sends representatives to ‘Council of the North’ – a semi-judicial and trade council.   Independent town and parish councils (Hillmen) in local areas, all of which acknowledge the city council as equals.

Local Police:   Bradford City Police – Primary water borne. Approx 1,000.   Controlled by the council.  Responsible for traffic to Skipton and York.  Local towns/parishes field own militia.  Active liaison between Bradfiord and the “hillmen”.

Local Army:     See above 

Local Hospitals:  Bradfiord Royal Infirmary.  Also teaches MD’s.  Only specialist function is Neo-natal & ear/nose/throat.  For more specialist services referral to York or Carlisle required.

Education:       Bradford Polytechnic – teaches hard sciences.  Specialises in boat building, vehicle mechanics (mainly steam) and fluid hydraulics.  Maintains an expanded peace studies centre.   Bradford Antiquarian society.

Other:              CartwrightHallArtGallery

Geography:      Bradford lies in a wide deep but level trench, which is flooded to a depth of 20 feet at its shallowest navigation.  With gentle slopes at the end of the fiord, Bradfiord is in an excellent position to build boats for use on the fiord and loch.   The fiord stretches north and then west towards the York Loch.  Local pilots navigate the Leeds Delta before a ship can access the Loch.

Main Reason for Population decline:  Starvation and general population decline – emigration south.

Political Status:           Bradfiord is a politically stable centre.   It has increased its population in recent years as the recent mini ice age has receded and attracted population from the outlaying areas.  A man in Bradfiord can gain a good grounding in mechanics, which are in high demand throughout the British Isles.  The more adventurous may take a steam ship toYork or trade further south to the old TrentValley.  From there he might make his way to Oxford or the Republic.   

Increased trade to Skipton has ripened in the last twenty years as cross Pennine trade to the Monarchy has re-established itself firmly. The routes are still open to attack by Marauders.   Most of these attacks came to an end following the capture of Skipton 25 years ago by Marauders.  In the end, the same group held onto the town and established their own power base there. Now they make their living by trade and guarding the merchants who pass through.   Skipton is the home of the ‘Council of the North’.

Food:   Fishing is still a major food source, as is the hunting of rabbits.   Mutton is common and is traded to the city by the outlaying farms.  Root crops are normal.  Grain is easily available, shipped as surplus in good years from York or further south.   Most crops are still developed under glass & plastic allowing an early harvest.

Buildings & Sanitation:            Most homes in the core areas of the Bradfiord are well built of brick or millstone grit.    Fresh water is supplied by reservoirs in the moors and where not piped to individual houses, is fed to public pumps.    Sewers are well maintained being semi-treated with the discharge into the lower course of the fiord where a swift current carries it away to be dispersed in the Leeds Delta.

Exports:           Bricks & Tiles, finished goods, Wool (treated & otherwise), ships.

Briefing for rest of country.

Generally, Bradfiord represents part of a controlled corridor connecting York to the Monarchy, now based on Mann.  

In the south west, the Republic rules with a fairly tight set of rules and orders.   Oxford is an independent area known as ‘Great Britain’ and it was only two years ago that the two fought for control of Oxford.   This denied the Monarchy their access to Oxford.  Trade to that city now runs through Bradfyord.

The Republic is trying to destabilise the Monarchy and are funding well-equipped marauder groups attempting to operate north of Oxford.   If Bradfiord can be brought under republican influence then they can break the Northern trade route.  As the republic cannot do this by trade itself, it has embarked on a routine of undermining both the influence of York and of the Monarchy.  

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