Sea-Side City
Origins:
Rise of the
Sea-Side Saxons
Sea-Side City?
Why the hyphen you ask...
The people of Rockshore can be as stubborn as anywhere else in the world...
The story has it, that when the town sign was created (many moons ago) the printer made a mistake.
But the town’s folk instantly grew attached to the name. Regardless of how many people tried to correct it, the inhabitants would rebel. Many a corrected sign would be destroyed or vandalised.
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Refusing to conform, the will of the people remained strong. By the time the town had been developed into a city, it had become a local tradition and a part of history. Rockshore had been affectionately and passionately established as the “Sea-Side City” of Rockshore. Now, other than an arguably unusual resistance to the norms of English grammar; to me, this demonstrated a historical example of people’s resilience to change.
I’ve always found the concept of change to be a funny thing. Whether people dread change or people welcome it, everyone needs it in some capacity. Without change, pain and suffering would never end; and good times would lose their value. Regardless of your individual preference, change is necessary for the development of life.
The rise of the
Sea-Side Saxons...
Rockshore has seen many more recent examples of change, some for the better and some for the worse.
Penelope Park, for instance, once served as a notorious inner-city battleground. Gangs of youths would congregate and fight in the park on a regular basis; each trying to prove their dominance in a typically adolescent manner. Citizens and tourists of Rockshore alike would avoid the park through fear of becoming victimised.
The police would frequently spend their days arresting the offenders. However, with the conflicts attracting more frustrated, bored and restless youngsters; paired with the underfunded and overworked, dwindling number of police officers, it was a losing battle.
The problems only increased during the night. Drug dealers and prostitutes would often operate in the park, seeing opportunities in capitalising on the testosterone-fuelled conflicts. Eventually, the local authorities closed off the park during the night. However, it was too late. The cycle of frustration, conflict and criminal capitalism had formed. Denying them access to the park by locking a gate, merely served as an obstacle for them to overcome, and ultimately added to the thrill of their destructive behaviour.
Real change didn’t come until a growing number of citizens became concerned with the waste of land and life.
There was a re-enactment society of Anglo-Saxon enthusiasts, living and meeting within the city. One day, one of their members was assaulted in the park (like so many others before them). To the rest of Rockshore, this was simply the consequences of being stupid enough to venture into the park.
But, to the re-enactment community that this person was a part of, it ignited a fire. Under different circumstances, this could have added to the problem and caused more conflict. Fortunately, through some miracle, it didn’t. The enthusiasts counselled a healthy level of fear, restraint and compassion.
Naturally, they were upset and angry that someone they were close to had been senselessly attacked.
Being Anglo-Saxon enthusiasts and re-enacting wars of that time period, combative measures played into several member’s fantasies. But the fear they felt, prevented them from resorting to a rage driven assault on the gangs occupying the park. Not to mention that their community consisted of peaceful, law-abiding, educated people from different walks of life. Although they varied in age and life experience, they were all established and contented in their lives.
In taking the time to sit with and support one another, they managed to see through the monstrous creatures in which their mind’s eyes had painted the youths in the park. By supporting each other through their time of need, it not only strengthened their bond of comradery, but it enabled them to plan more strategically.
First, they employed research; they kept watch of the people within the park through the use of lookouts hidden in the bushes. They got to know some of the gang member’s behavioural traits and started to see them more as people.
It wasn’t long before they detected the cause of the animosity between the gangs, which was caused by a sense of frustration.
To them this was a war, but not in a physical sense. They were not targeting the youths as a gang or even individuals. Instead, they wanted to break the cycle by neutralising the cause.
The enthusiasts re-named themselves the “Sea-Side Saxons” paying homage to both their city and their love of Anglo-Saxons. Re-branded and ready to put their plan into action, The Sea-Side Saxons started dressing in their Anglo-Saxon re-enactment clothing. Making their presence known to the citizens of Rockshore, they began their campaign to transform Penelope Park into a safer environment.
At one point, they made an appearance at Rockshore’s annual “Talk of the Town” meeting. Like most campaigns of this nature, there was scepticism at first. Yet, gradually they started to build faith and gain support.
Eventually, they acquired the support of the local authorities who helped them to organise an Anglo-Saxon themed event within Penelope Park.
The Sea-Side Saxons provided attendees with Anglo-Saxon based activities ranging from arts and crafts to educational talks. There were also combat exhibitions between the Sea-Side Saxons. These activities not only provided entertainment and education for the general public, but they also provided an alternative for the youths involved in all the gang violence. Despite the initial public scepticism, the joint efforts of the Sea-Side Saxons, the local authorities and the members of the public who attended made the event a success.
Following the event, the Sea-Side Saxons strengthened in numbers. The Saxons returned to Penelope Park daily, to cultivate the wholesome environment that they had created. Each day they would continue to provide entertainment and education to members of the public. Above all the Saxons were granting people safe passage through and in the park.
Unsurprisingly, their efforts were met with resistance from some of the youths. But the watchful guardians of the park would always be on hand to defuse the situation. Working as a team, the Saxons dealt with the problems accordingly. In addition to placing physical threats under a citizen’s arrest, they would often verbally resolve conflicts and even mediate between hostile parties.
Ultimately, the work of a collective group of passionate individuals had changed the high-risk environment to one of safety and harmony.
The Sea-Side
Saxon's Flag continues to fly over
Penelope Park
Want to know more about the Sea-Side City?
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There's always more to see in Rockshore. The Tides of Change Compilation is the first of several books set in the Sea-Side City universe.
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The series follows and will follow a vast array of unique and diverse characters, through different challenges in their lives. Each story is set in the same city and several of the storylines are intricately linked.
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Some characters crossover into other character's stories and others are separate.
But, certain events and incidents will affect the entire city.
Every compilation book in the series will follow a different theme, starting with change.
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Before the Story
Get a preview of each story in both video and written format by clicking the covers below