Welcome

Splendid, you made it to our little launch bash! The convivial throng you’re currently swelling consists, in the main, of discerning PC gamers like yourself – folk interested in tactical truths, vehicular verisimilitude, and distinctive writing. I’m Tim Stone, Tally-Ho Corner’s proprietor and sole word wrangler, and that woman over there with the giant scissors and the daring live fox stole is, of course, renowned aviatrix Amy Johnson. For a nominal fee (200 Navy Cut, unfiltered) my old mucker, Amy, has kindly agreed to open this aspiring Aladdin’s Cave.

All those familiar with my long-running column ‘The Flare Path’ and its enigmatic offshoot ‘The Foxer’ will know roughly what to expect from Tally-Ho Corner going forward. Wargame and sim-related previews, reviews, interviews, news round-ups and essays? CHECK. Colourful virtual travelogues and gripping After Action Reports? CHECK. A regular supply of handmade puzzles guaranteed to corrugate foreheads and bolster general knowledge? CHECK. At present my plan is to stick pretty closely to the Flare Path formula. Every Friday there will be a substantial article and a communal foxer. A new solo foxer will scamper from Roman’s den every Monday.

I’ve toyed with the idea of posting daily news stories, but fear this could end up compromising the quality of the weekly feature (I’m not convinced the world needs another games site specialising in artfully rephrased press releases). That said, while everything is written by Stone, nothing is written in it. If the desire is there and funds allow, post intervals may narrow and supplementary supporter-only content appear.

Supporters are the kind souls who ultimately are going to determine whether Tally-Ho Corner soars like an eagle or plummets like a blazing airship. Having done it for the past twenty years, I know it’s possible to make a modest living writing about sims and wargames for magazines and websites. What I don’t know yet is whether I can cut out the media middlemen and still keep the lights on, the larder stocked, and the bailiffs at bay.

Cards on table. RPS paid me a relatively generous £200 a week to talk about warfare fare and transportational transports of delight. If I’m not generating at least half of this lost income through Stripe-processed subscriptions and donations by the time the swallows return to my corner of Wessex, this experiment in optimism may well have to be wound up. To truly guarantee a future for the site and to permit investments such as the purchasing of a PC capable of playing the latest Flight Simulator, I hope to be earning in January 2022 what I was earning in January 2020.

While the change in paymaster – ReedPop to reader – means added uncertainty for me and, potentially, extra expenditure for you, it also opens up exciting new possibilities. Advertisers, accountants, and ideologues wield no power here. If the site metamorphoses then the triggers are as likely to be your emails and comments as my brainwaves. If you’ve any suggestions, be they grand, trifling, prosaic or fanciful, I’m all ears.

In addition to financial support Tally-Ho Corner is going to need PR assistance in the challenging days ahead. Because I’m reluctant to venture into the bear pit that is social media, I’m going to be largely reliant on word of mouth to spread the news that the column previously known as The Flare Path has a new name and home. Please, if you like what you read here, tell your friends.

Gosh, if I’m not very much mistaken the russet critter that just brushed past our shins and darted into the buffet tent was Amy’s stole! As foxes are the natural enemies of pork pies and scotch eggs, I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I say “cheerio” at this point and go investigate. Enjoy the rest of the launch party. Hopefully we’ll meet again soon on Tally-Ho Corner.

53 Comments

  1. It is very good to see you back in the saddle! I was never much for commenting there, but your old gig uniquely brightened my Fridays, and chipping in a bit in the hopes that the new one continues to do so for a good long time is the least I can do in return.

  2. Could not be more thrilled to see this new initiative! Have loved reading your articles for years and very much looking forward to being able to do so for many more! Best of luck – will be watching this space with great excitement and anticipation!

  3. Glad to see you back up and running. Best of luck with your new venture. Once I locate my warchest Ill be buying some ‘THC’ warbonds.

  4. I see some had the memo before others! I am nearly jealous! tsk!

    Cheers and Godspeed, hopefully for a long, long ride!
    And of course, Happy New Year to all of you 🙂

  5. Onboard and reporting for duty! Fridays just haven’t been the same recently. Good luck and godspeed, Commander Stone!

  7. Welcome back, and I hope 2021 proves a liberating success for you.

    Be aware that I will be rarely commenting, as recaptcha is a significant source of severe distress towards me, so I will be rarely risking its rapacious requirements.

  10. Looking forward to seeing this new venture grow! For what is worth, I support Tim’s tentative editorial line; keep it to one high-quality article per week and I’ll be one happy customer.

    • And it’s great to have you back. I hope I can speak for a lot of us and say you’ve been very much missed, and we really appreciate your return. Tally Ho indeed!

  21. An old flare path and foxer regular here with a new name. I’ll be subscribing later this week and trying to remember to log in at the correct time on Fridays again, good to be back!

  25. I have been waiting for this moment since you let us know this was in the works. Happy to have you back and happy to be supporting you!

  26. Hi Tim! Great to see this endeavor!
    I will gladly donate to the site once you get rid of having to fill in creditcard data directly on the site. I won’t ever do that. Add in PayPal support and I’ll go ahead. 🙂

  29. Thank you for all these years of great columns, and thank you for all the goodness you will provide us with for the upcoming months and years. And much much love for all the turmoil you must have been through.
    Happy new year, and joyful new beginnings!

  30. It’s encouraging to see you start this project Tim, and continue your work going forward. All the best for the future of THC!

  31. Well Hello !!
    I heard there is some lights around here !! There is also already a lot of people ! That’s great news !! So, all to the best to everyone for 2021!! And congrats to Tim for its new home !

    It is very nice and cosy. I’m loving it already. I was a bit late for the first Foxers, but I can’t wait to join the party for the next one !!

  32. Glad to have you back, Tim! Signed up as soon as I saw an announcement on Reddit.

    Would love to support the site if there was a Patreon or Paypal option.

  33. This is great news!! Congrats on the new venture. You were the only reason I visited RPS. With The Flare Path gone, I haven’t visited the website since.

    So, I shall do the best thing I can with my meager ends, I shall share this far and wide to others!

  34. Hurray! A Reddit post pointed me here and I’ve parted with funds already. A wonderful find, no doubt. I am well pleased.

  36. Welcome back Mr Stone and cohorts! Per ardua ad astra and all that. Tally ho!
    (RPS has not been visited from this IP address since your departure)

  37. Fantastic job Tim! Great to see you back on your digital feet! You are looking a bit pixelated but i guess that’s you eschewing flashy graphics for depth of content 😀

    Very happy you are back online and to have found you here – thanks to the kind soul who posted a link on RPS.

  38. It’s good to have you back Tim, reading the Flare Path on a Friday lunch-break always set me up for the weekend.

  41. This comments thread is a real shot in the arm. Thank you, everyone.

    I’ve had no time to actively publicise THC during the past week, so am especially grateful to all those who’ve been championing the site with forum posts, tweets, and YouTube mentions. Because of your efforts, Tally-Ho Corner already has almost 100 registered users (the lucky 100th user will get to ‘wear’ our Centurion’s helmet for the next month).

  42. Long time lurker on RPS, pretty much for your content only, so glad to have found this site! Subscribed and looking forward to maybe even trying to contribute to a Combat Mission run through should one occur! Very best wishes on this venture!

  44. Hello, Tim. I was a long-time RPS reader and your writing was consistently beautiful, knowledgeable and entertaining. So I’ll continue to follow your work here.
    I didn’t realize for a whole month you left from your former site! Something was… kinda off, nobody mentioned you and… well my country was occupied with some other problems at the time (Croatia, earthquakes…) Glad I’ve found you again!

  45. I’m glad to find this new home of the Flare Path as it was a very large part of what made me frequent RPS in the first place. Allons-y!

  50. It’s great to see so many Flare Path readers posting here. Exile is a lot easier to bear when you’re surrounded by old friends!

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