A YOUTUBE presenter with a passion for retro technology has created an exhibition filled with nostalgia in Stroud.

Neil Thomas - host of the YouTube channel RMC Retro - is building a hands-on computer and console museum in the unlikely location of the top of an 18th century mill in Chalford.

And the final funding push has been achieved thanks to an incredible kickstarter project based on selling colouring books of retro computers which hit target in under an hour and has since raised £43,000.

Neil started making YouTube videos in 2017 from his spare bedroom with no real goal other than to connect with like minded enthusiasts but quickly outgrew his apartment when generous viewers started donating old tech for him to repair and make videos about on the channel.

In a short space of time he had more than 100,000 subscribers and a growing collection of retro technology which he had fixed up on the channel, and with it, a new found sense of moral duty to preserve and share the machines and their importance in the evolution of the home computer industry with the general public.

The opportunity came in 2020 when his landlord applied to convert his studio - nicknamed the Cave - into housing, but out of this precarious position came a call from the owners of a beautiful 18th century mill in nearby Stroud, who also had a keen interest in retro technology.

When Neil saw the amount of space available, he knew the opportunity had arrived to open his own museum and has been working day and night since December last year to turn an empty, open plan office into an enjoyable museum space for retro enthusiasts which will also be called the Cave.

The final piece of the puzzle however is the funding required to obtain the more expensive items needed - glass display cabinets, air conditioning, security systems and the like - but it looks like he might actually pull it off, thanks to a colouring book.

The Colouring Book of Retro Computers is a collaboration between Neil and video game artist Stoo Cambridge (formerly of Sensible Software) which has been listed on the crowd funding website Kickstarter, and all of the profits will go towards the much-needed museum furniture.

Within 60 minutes of the appeal going live it hit the funding target of £6,500.

“Since December we’ve been developing the top floor of the mill into a computer exhibition space,” said Neil.

“It feels like a real shame to fix all of these computers on my channel and not see people enjoying them.

“With this in mind we’ve been transforming the space from an open plan office into a dream retro tech experience.

“We’ve made excellent progress with the resources and funds we’ve raised through sponsors and the wonderful and dedicated Official Cave Dwellers who support the channel, but we need one last big push to finish this.

“Funds from the book will help us to purchase everything from display cabinets for the more rare and valuable items we would like to present securely, to the many seats we need for visitors.

“It will help with carpets, picture frames, lighting, rugs and plants to create an ambience that visitors will enjoy.

“It will fund the all-important coffee machine to keep visitors alert when aiming for high scores and it will hopefully help us to save a little for maintenance and upkeep so that we can give every visitor a perfect day out.”

Neil is confident the museum will open before the end of the year.

To support the colouring book kickstarter go to bit.ly/3DtrlCE