What Are Cookies?
This site, like many websites (and all websites that provide log in functionality) uses "cookies", which are small pieces of textual data that we ask your web browser to store on your computer, and then give back to us each time you visit a page. Essentially this allows us to know who you are as you move from page to page, and from visit to visit.
Are Cookies Bad?
From the description above, cookies may sound intrusive, but in fact each and every request that you make to a web server is treated in complete isolation, so storing a cookie is the only way that a site can know that you are the same user that you were on the last page that you accessed. Without them you wouldn't be able to log into a website, and pages would not be able to be customised to you in any way.
Most of the negative press surrounding cookies stems from advertising companies using cookies to track you between websites, and to collect the information that they know about you into a centralised profile which they can use to target advertising and even potentially sell your details to other companies.
We do not share any of your information with any third parties (with the exception of Google Analytics for browsing patterns - which is not personally identifiable, and you can turn off below should you wish).
Why Are You Telling Me This?
The UK Information Commisssioner's Office (ICO) requires that we provide full disclosure about the cookie data that we store on your computer, and where such cookies are not essential to the operation of the site to allow you to opt out of their storage on your computer.
What Options Do I Have?
The table below shows the types of cookies that we store on your computer. Some of them are classed as essential to the operation of the site (so your only choice if you are not happy with them is not to use the site), but others are optional and you may opt out of them if you wish. The preferences that you choose below are specific to the computer that you are currently using.