Cookies Policy

Last updated: [2025-10-17]

This Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how this site uses them, and how you can manage them.

1. What are cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help sites work properly and provide information to site owners.

There are two main types:

  • Essential cookies – needed for the site to function.
  • Non-essential cookies – used for analytics or personalisation.

2. How I use cookies

My site uses only a small number of cookies.

Essential cookies

  • Set by the hosting platform (Pikapods / Ghost) to keep the site secure and running.
  • These can’t be switched off in my systems.

Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4)
Used to understand how visitors use the site so I can improve it. GA4 tracks events such as:

  • Page views
  • Scroll depth
  • Outbound link clicks
  • Site search activity
  • Form interactions
  • Video engagement (YouTube embeds)
  • File downloads

To protect your privacy:

  • IP addresses are anonymised.
  • Analytics only loads with your consent via the banner.

Ads/Personalisation (optional, only if you consent)
If you choose “Ads/Personalisation” in the banner, GA4 may use:

  • Google signals to provide aggregated demographics/interest reports and cross-device insights. I do not see your Google Account identity.
  • User-provided data (if you submit it in marked forms) which may be sent to Google in hashed form for measurement.
  • Granular location and device data for reporting.
  • Ads personalisation flags required by Google’s Consent Mode.

User-ID
User-ID is enabled for measurement across devices. It is a pseudonymous identifier. I don’t tie it to your name or email. If membership/login is not used, no User-ID is set for you.

  • Consent for analytics cookies and for Ads/Personalisation features (Google signals, User-ID, user-provided data matching, ad-related measurement).
  • Legitimate interest for essential cookies needed for the site to work.

4. Managing cookies

You can control cookies in several ways:

  • Through your browser: delete or block cookies in your settings.
  • Through the site banner: choose one of the options – Accept Analytics, Accept Ads/Personalisation, or Reject non-essential. You can change your choice any time via the Change cookie settings link on this page.
  • Google tools: opt out of Google Analytics with the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on.

Blocking some cookies may affect how the site functions.

5. Data retention and transfers

  • Analytics data is stored by Google for up to 14 months before automatic deletion.
  • User-ID and user-provided data used for measurement follow the same GA4 retention setting.
  • Google may process data on servers outside the UK/EU (typically the US). Transfers rely on the UK-US Data Bridge and EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

6. Updates

If I change the cookies used on this site, I’ll update this page and refresh the banner if needed.

7. Contact

If you have questions about cookies or privacy, contact me via the Contact page.