Cookie Policy

What we store,
and what we don't.

A plain-English account of every cookie this site can set, why it exists, how long it lasts, and how to change your mind at any point.

Last updated: 28 July 2026

The short version

Essential cookies are always on — the site cannot work without them. Everything else is off until you say otherwise. No analytics script is loaded, and no analytics cookie is written, unless you actively opt in. If you close the banner without choosing, nothing non-essential runs.

What a cookie is here

A cookie is a small file a site stores in your browser. We also use localStorage, which works similarly but isn't sent with every request. Where this policy says "cookie", it covers both.

Essential cookies

These are strictly necessary: they deliver the site, keep it secure, and remember your cookie choice so we don't ask on every page. They can't be switched off, and under UK/EU rules they don't require consent.

Name	Set by	Purpose	Retention
fdl-consent	This site (localStorage)	Remembers whether you accepted or rejected analytics cookies, and when.	Until you clear it
__cf_bm / cf_clearance	Cloudflare	Bot management and security for the domain. Set by our CDN, not by us.	Up to 30 minutes / 1 year

Analytics cookies

These help us see which pages get read, which get ignored, and where people give up. We use them to improve the site — not to build advertising profiles, and we don't sell the data.

None of the below loads unless you opt in. Turn analytics off and these scripts are never added to the page, so the cookies are never created.

Name	Set by	Purpose	Retention
_ga	Google Analytics 4	Distinguishes one visitor from another so visits can be counted.	2 years
_ga_<id>	Google Analytics 4	Keeps session state for the property.	2 years
_clck	Microsoft Clarity	Persists a Clarity user id so sessions can be linked.	1 year
_clsk	Microsoft Clarity	Groups page views into a single recorded session.	1 day
CLID / MUID	Microsoft (clarity.ms)	Identifies the browser to Clarity across visits.	Up to 1 year

What these two services do

Google Analytics 4 — aggregate traffic: pages viewed, rough location by country/city, device and browser, and how people arrived. We enable IP anonymisation.
Microsoft Clarity — session replay and heatmaps: where people scroll, click, and hesitate. Clarity automatically masks text input, so what you type into a form isn't captured.

Both are third parties processing data on our behalf, under their own terms: Google Privacy Policy and Microsoft Privacy Statement.

What we don't use

No advertising or retargeting cookies. No social media tracking pixels. No cross-site profiling. No selling of personal data. If that changes, the banner will ask again before anything new is set.

Changing or withdrawing consent

You can change your mind at any time, and withdrawing is as easy as giving consent in the first place. Use the button below, or the Cookie preferences link in the footer of any page.

Clearing cookies in your browser

You can also delete cookies directly, independently of us. Browser-level settings override anything we set:

Chrome — Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies
Safari — Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data
Firefox — Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
Edge — Settings → Cookies and site permissions

Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the site working. Blocking analytics ones will not.

Questions

Anything unclear, or you'd like to know what's held about you, email [email protected]. See also our Privacy Policy.

Questions about your data?

We'll answer straight, in plain English, usually within one business day.

What we store,and what we don't.