There’s a bit of a buzz growing around the Old Station Business Park in Perranporth.
Closed in 1963 and demolished in 1967, the railway was replaced by an industrial park that’s now home to a number of businesses, including most recently, The Waiting Room (TWR).
The shop has been created, stocked and decorated by vintage apparel devotee, Carl Williams: “As it was a train station previously, I decided that it would be a great opportunity to call it The Waiting Room, creating a waiting room at the front and paying homage to the train station and people of Perranporth.”
Step back in time
Opened in May 2026, the shop is a trove of vintage and pre-loved delights, from the clothing on display right through to the specifics of the decor. Inside, you’ll discover retro stereos, a vintage typewriter and even a beautiful old piano. Carl welcomes you to take to the ivories during your visit.
You’ll find a huge range of Levi’s, Dickies, and Adidas goodies, as well as tonnes of band and slogan tees.
A lifelong passion
For years, Carl has been stockpiling vintage goodies out of sheer fascination, learning a lot about choosing the right wholesalers (and avoiding the dodgy ones) along the way. And it all started pretty early.
When he was a child, Carl was regularly taken around the charity shops and car boots of Newquay by his grandparents, trawling for clothing gems and old vinyl.
Later on, after working in vintage clothing shops in Brighton, he worked his way up to managerial positions before moving his career to London, working in the iconic archways of Camden.
His love for fashion saw him return to education at 34, completing an evening course in fashion illustration before going on to Falmouth University via Central Saint Martins in London.
His goal was to develop his own fashion show by the age of 40. A month after he hit that birthday milestone, his dream came true.
Right place, right time
When a friend brought him in to help convert the spaces at Perranporth’s budding industrial estate, Carl jumped at the opportunity to grab one of the units for himself.
Carl’s a real vintage aficionado, so he’s always up for a chat about his stock, sourcing process and the good old days of high-quality clothing. “I’m happy for people to pop by if they’ve got interesting clothes for sale, or shoes or trainers, specifically from the 90s. Always happy for anyone to pop by and have a chat. Dogs and cats are welcome!”
Also, I cannot stress this enough: bring biscuits.
The Waiting Room is open 10am to 6pm every day. Look for the green doors and please admire the gorgeous parquet flooring, laid by Carl himself. You’ll soon see TWR is a real labour of love for him, so pop in, have a mooch and show your support.