Antrix - What's in a Name (It's not Rocket Science)
17 December 2020
Antrix reached its thirtieth anniversary on 17 December 2020. We recently phased-out our old antrixonline BT hosted website because, amongst other things, Wix offers better facilities and support. Other things? It's not rocket science, or rather it is. Back when Antrix started, we created an easier made-up name (we thought), than the initial Antares Art Tricks/Antartrix, which we had used for the then existing hobby – Peter being tricksy with his star-sign.
Unbeknown to us, Antrix is also a Sanskrit-derived word meaning Space – fine for Blue SkyThinking in respect of costuming (and in those days, we were not too short of storage space). However, over on the Indian sub-continent, a space-rocket/satellite firm was developing its expertise, also under an Antrix name.
They provide weather satellites and other such equipment internationally, we provide costume services in South-East England. They and we have co-existed quite well over the years and aside from the day someone rang us from America, wanting the Antrix IT Department, our paths have not crossed. (Back in the early days of domain registration, we also found a Swedish night-club and a breed of Boston terriers with an Antrix name).
Anyway, rocket-based Antrix has taken off (YouTube has a good selection of space-based pictures/videos from them), there are other Antrix's (Antricies?) online, including a gaming platform. Although we retain an online presence with websites, Twitter & Facebook, as we don't actually trade online, we thought we would consolidate to a more costume related site www.antrixcostumesmaidstone.co.uk
Not quite so snappy, but since we have also been confused with Amtrak, the US rail and mail business and Anthrax, the cattle disease (don't ask), the new name says most of it.
The Wix site overlapped the BT antrixonline site for a few months, and the Search Engines mostly picked up on the change. Now we have finished with the BT site, we have retained antrixonline with a sub-site, mirroring the main antrixcostumesmaidstone facility. The former is gradually being modified to make it more suitable for hand-held devices and hence improve our accessibility.
