This page explains how cookies work on this site, what gets stored when you visit, and the options you have for controlling them.
Understanding cookies in plain terms
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to save. It remembers things like whether you have seen a particular message or which pages you looked at. Cookies do not run programmes, access your files or read anything beyond what the site itself put there.
Most websites use them to make browsing smoother — so you do not have to re-enter the same information every time you visit. Some cookies last only until you close the browser; others stay for weeks or months.
What is stored and for how long
This site sets cookies to remember basic preferences and to understand how visitors move through the pages. The information captured includes which articles are read most often, how long someone stays on a page, and whether a link was followed. None of it identifies you personally: no names, no email addresses, no payment details.
Session cookies disappear when you close the tab. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period — typically between one month and two years — then expire automatically. You can delete them sooner through your browser settings.
Embedded third parties
Some pages include content or tools from other services — analytics platforms, embedded videos, social-media buttons. Each of those services may set its own cookies according to its own policy. This site does not control what those third parties store or how long they keep it.
The most common third-party service here is an analytics tool that tracks visitor numbers and behaviour in aggregate. That tool collects data under its own terms, and the company behind it processes the information on servers that may sit outside the UK.
Declining without breaking the site
You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Every major browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge — lets you refuse all cookies, accept only first-party cookies, or clear stored cookies on exit. The site will still load and display its articles; you simply lose any personalised behaviour such as remembering which sections you have already visited.
Blocking third-party cookies stops external analytics and embedded services from tracking you here, though it may also prevent videos or maps from loading if they rely on those cookies to function.
Updates to this policy
This text may change when the site adopts new tools or when data-protection rules require clearer wording. Any substantial revision will show a new "last updated" date at the foot of the page. Check back occasionally if you want to know what has changed.
For questions about how this site handles cookies or any other data matter, write to [email protected].
This is an information site for general guidance only. We do not sell any goods or services through this portal.