Cookie Policy 
Update 1.0.1 – 23rd August 2018

Preamble.

Before I get into the official policy, I want to clarify in easy terms what I do with cookies and why I use them.
I use ‘Google Analytics’ on my website – this basically tells me how many people visit my website, and which pages they visited. This does not give me any personal data about you, and I cannot identify anybody by them visiting my website.
Some areas of my website allow you to fill out forms, or place orders / make payments. For these areas to work, essential cookies are required, which makes sure the website can remember what’s in your basket.
If you would rather not allow the use of cookies, you can disable them and check your cookie preferences in your Browser Settings. You can also delete any existing cookies there too.
Please bear in mind, many websites will not work for you if you disable cookies in your browser.

What’s a cookie?

•A “cookie” is a piece of information that is stored on your computer’s hard drive and which records how you move your way around a website so that, when you revisit that website, it can present tailored options based on the information stored about your last visit. Cookies can also be used to analyse traffic and for advertising and marketing purposes.

•Cookies are used by nearly all websites and do not harm your system.

If you want to check or change what types of cookies you accept, this can usually be altered within your browser settings. You can block cookies at any time by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of my site.

How do I use cookies?
I am NOT able to identify a user of my website(s) by the use of cookies.

•I use cookies to track your (anonymous) use of my website. This enables me to understand how you use the site and track any patterns with regards how you are using my website. This helps me to develop and improve my website as well as products and / or services in response to what you might need or want.

•Cookies are either:

– Session cookies: these are only stored on your computer during your web session and are automatically deleted when you close your browser – they usually store an anonymous session ID allowing you to browse a website without having to log in to each page but they do not collect any personal data from your computer; or

– Persistent cookies: a persistent cookie is stored as a file on your computer and it remains there when you close your web browser. The cookie can be read by the website that created it when you visit that website again. [I use persistent cookies for Google Analytics.] Again, these cookies do not collect any personal data.

•Cookies can also be categorised as follows:

– Strictly necessary cookies: These cookies are essential to enable you to use the website effectively, such as when buying a product and / or service, and therefore cannot be turned off. Without these cookies, the services available to you on my website cannot be provided. These cookies do not gather information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you have been on the internet.

– Performance cookies: These cookies enable me to monitor and improve the performance of my website. For example, they allow me to count visits, identify traffic sources and see which parts of the site are most popular.

– Functionality cookies: These cookies allow my website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced features. For instance, I may be able to provide you with news or updates relevant to the services you use. They may also be used to provide services you have requested such as viewing a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect is usually anonymised.

[Please note that third parties who advertise on my website (including, for example, advertising networks, social media links and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies, over which I have no control. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies]