Pinballia founder Andy Dowler has shared the story of his route into the industry in an exclusive interview with the BBC, revealing how a workplace injury changed the course of his life and set him up as one of the UK’s leading independent manufacturers.

Having worked as an electrician since his teens, Dowler was in his 40s when he was blinded in one eye by the spring-loaded handle of a heat press machine, meaning he was unable to continue working safely and in need of a second career.

“From that point, my life changed,” said Dowler. “The thing I loved the most, and the thing I enjoyed as a child, was arcade machines, so I decided I was going to try and make one.”

“It took fifteen prototypes before I had something I was happy with. The first finished machine sold on eBay in six hours, and from there things grew. People wanted their own. A small shop became a bigger workshop. A team came together. Now we build machines at our family workshop in Tunstall and ship them across the UK and beyond.”

Pinballia’s handmade virtual machines mimic the action of mechanical tables, and cost between £1,500 and £8,000, with most being purchased by buyers in the UK.

“The general age is about 30 plus,” said Dowler. “They sort of bring them back to their younger days I suppose.”