Policy · Last updated 7 October 2026
Cookies & how I use them.
A short, honest page about what this site stores on your device, why, and how to change your mind whenever you like.
01 · What cookies are
Cookies are tiny files a website stores on your device. Some are strictly necessary, keeping the contact form working and fending off bots. Others are optional, which help me see what people actually read, which informs what I write next.
This site does not run advertising cookies, social media trackers, session replay, fingerprinting, or anything similar. The table below is the full list of what gets set, and you are in charge of the optional ones.
02 · What this site sets
Cookies grouped by category. Strictly necessary ones run whether you accept the rest or not; they are the bare minimum for the site to work and have a lawful basis other than consent.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nf_ab | Netlify (form host) | Spam protection for the contact form. Set only when the form is interacted with. | Session | |
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes one visitor from another so the same person reading three pages doesn't show as three visitors. | 2 years | |
| _ga_SRXV5KPNT7 | Google Analytics | Maintains session state for this site's GA4 property (ID G-SRXV5KPNT7). | 2 years |
One non-cookie disclosure. This site loads fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com / fonts.gstatic.com). No cookie is set, but the request transmits your IP address to Google in the normal course of serving the font file. If this matters to you, most browsers offer a font-blocking extension; the site will fall back to system fonts.
03 · Your preferences
Toggle the optional category on or off and hit save, or use the shortcut buttons. Your choice is stored in this browser's localStorage under mch_consent_v1 and applies on every page until you change it.
04 · Your rights
You can withdraw consent for analytics whenever you like: toggle it off above, or click the Cookies pill in the corner of any page to bring the banner back. Rejecting analytics will clear any Google Analytics cookies this site has already set on your device.
Under UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), you also have the right to:
- access the personal data this site holds about you, and ask for a copy
- have inaccurate data corrected, or have it deleted
- object to or restrict how it is processed
- complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK regulator, at ico.org.uk if you think something is being done wrongly
Day-to-day, GA4 is configured with IP anonymisation on Google's side and the data is used only to inform editorial decisions for this site. It is not combined with other datasets, sold, or shared with advertising networks.
For anything to do with cookies, data, or your rights, email mark@mcheard.co.uk and I will come back within two working days.
Last updated · 7 October 2026