What are cookies?
Cookies are small pieces of data, stored in text files, that are stored on your computer or other device when websites are loaded in a browser. They are widely used to ‘remember’ you and your preferences, either for a single visit (through a ’session cookie’) or for multiple repeat visits (using a ‘persistent cookie’). They ensure a consistent and efficient experience for visitors, and perform essential functions such as allowing users to register and remain logged in. Cookies may be set by the site that you are visiting (known as ‘first party cookies’), or by other websites who serve up content on that site (‘third party cookies’).
Cookies In Use on This Site
Cookies and how they Benefit You
Our website uses cookies, as almost all websites do, to help provide you with the best experience we can. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile phone when you browse websites
Our cookies help us:
- Make our website work as you’d expect
- Save you having to login every time you visit the site
- Remember your settings during and between visits
- Improve the speed/security of the site
We do not use cookies to:
- Collect any personally identifiable information (without your express permission)
- Collect any sensitive information (without your express permission)
- Pass data to advertising networks
- Pass personally identifiable data to third parties
- Pay sales commissions
You can learn more about all the cookies we use below
Granting us permission to use cookies
If the settings on your software that you are using to view this website (your browser) are adjusted to accept cookies we take this, and your continued use of our website, to mean that you are fine with this. Should you wish to remove or not use cookies from our site you can learn how to do this below, however doing so will likely mean that our site will not work as you would expect.
More about our Cookies
Website Function Cookies
Our own cookies
We use cookies to make our website work including:
- Making our shopping basket and checkout work
- Determining if you are logged in or not
- Remembering your search settings
- Allowing you to add comments to our site
There is no way to prevent these cookies being set other than to not use our site.
Turning Cookies Off
You can usually switch cookies off by adjusting your browser settings to stop it from accepting cookies (Learn how here). Doing so however will likely limit the functionality of our’s and a large proportion of the world’s websites as cookies are a standard part of most modern websites
It may be that you concerns around cookies relate to so called “spyware”. Rather than switching off cookies in your browser you may find that anti-spyware software achieves the same objective by automatically deleting cookies considered to be invasive. Learn more about managing cookies with antispyware software.
WooCommerce Cookies
To keep track of cart data, WooCommerce makes use of 3 cookies:
- woocommerce_cart_hash
- woocommerce_items_in_cart
- wp_woocommerce_session_
The first two cookies contain information about the cart as a whole and helps WooCommerce know when the cart data changes. The final cookie (wp_woocommerce_session_) contains a unique code for each customer so that it knows where to find the cart data in the database for each customer. No personal information is stored within these cookies.
WordPress Cookies
On login, wordpress uses the wordpress_[hash] cookie to store your authentication details. Its use is limited to the admin console area.
After login, wordpress sets the wordpress_logged_in_[hash] cookie, which indicates when you’re logged in, and who you are, for most interface use.
WordPress also sets a few wp-settings-{time}-[UID] cookies. The number on the end is your individual user ID from the users database table. This is used to customize your view of admin interface, and possibly also the main site interface.
WordPress makes your login session cookie expire in 48 hours (or on browser close), or 14 days if you check the “Remember Me” box.
Commenters
When visitors comment on your blog, they too get cookies stored on their computer. This is purely a convenience, so that the visitor won’t need to re-type all their information again when they want to leave another comment. Three cookies are set for commenters:
- comment_author_{HASH}
- comment_author_email_{HASH}
- comment_author_url_{HASH}
The commenter cookies expire a little under one year from the time they’re set.
3rd party cookies
Facebook Pixel:
This Cookie is placed by Facebook. It enables Metia to measure, optimize and build audiences for advertising campaigns served on Facebook. In particular it enables Metia to see how our users move between devices when accessing the Metia web site and Facebook, to ensure that Metia’s Facebook advertising is seen by our users most likely to be interested in such advertising by analysing which content a user has viewed and interacted with on the Metia web site. For further information about the Facebook Pixel please see:
https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/651294705016616