What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They're widely used to make sites work properly, remember your preferences, and help us understand how people use our site.
How we use cookies
We use cookies in three categories:
1. Essential cookies
These are necessary for the site to function. They cannot be switched off.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| st_cookie_consent | Stores your cookie preferences | 12 months |
| PHPSESSID | Session identifier for page view tracking | Session |
2. Analytics cookies
These help us understand how visitors use the site — which pages are popular, where traffic comes from, and how long people spend reading. We use this to improve our content.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics — distinguishes users | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics — maintains session state | 2 years |
3. Advertising cookies
If advertising is enabled on the site, Google AdSense and Amazon may set cookies to show you relevant adverts and to track affiliate referrals.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Various (Google) | Personalised advertising via Google AdSense | Varies |
| Various (Amazon) | Affiliate tracking for Amazon Associates | Up to 90 days |
Managing your preferences
When you first visit our site, you'll see a cookie consent banner. You can:
- Accept all — enables all cookie categories
- Essential only — blocks analytics and advertising cookies
You can change your preference at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer.
Browser-level controls
Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through their settings. Here are links to instructions for the most common browsers:
Please note that blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the site from working correctly.
Third-party cookies
Some cookies are set by third-party services we use (Google, Amazon). We do not control how these companies use their cookies. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for more information.
Changes to this policy
We may update this page when we add or change cookie usage. The date at the top will always reflect the latest version.
Questions?
Contact us via our contact page if you have questions about our use of cookies.