Last updated: 8 September 2026
I take privacy and information security seriously, but this is a personal website rather than a commercial operation. I don’t sell visitor information, send marketing emails, build advertising profiles or have any particular desire to know that you spent seventeen minutes reading an old article about a Triumph Rocket III.
The site does, however, process a small amount of information where this is necessary to operate comments, prevent spam and keep the site secure. This page explains what that information is and what happens to it.
Information I collect
Simply browsing this site does not currently involve Google Analytics, advertising cookies or behavioural tracking. Like almost every website, the web server and security systems may record technical information when pages are requested. This can include:
– your IP address
– the date and time of the request
– the page or resource requested
– browser and device information
– referring page, where supplied by your browser
This information is used for the legitimate purpose of operating and securing the website, including identifying automated attacks, malicious requests and other unwanted activity.
I do not use this information to build profiles of ordinary visitors.
Comments
If you leave a comment, WordPress asks for information including your name, email address and the comment itself. Technical information such as your IP address and browser user-agent may also be associated with the submission.
Your email address is requested for administration and spam prevention purposes. It is not displayed publicly on the website, is not used for marketing and is not validated – if you choose to use a made-up email I will neither know nor care
Comments are public once approved and may remain on the site for as long as the article and its discussion remain relevant. If you would like one of your comments removed or personal information associated with it corrected, please contact me.
Spam protection
Comments are checked using Akismet, an anti-spam service operated by Automattic.
To determine whether a comment is genuine or spam, Akismet may process information including the commenter’s IP address, browser information, referring page, name, email address and the content of the comment. Akismet states that it collects only the information required for spam protection and that most spam-related data is retained for between two weeks and 90 days.
This processing is carried out for the legitimate purpose of protecting the site from spam and malicious submissions.
Without it the comments section would rapidly become an exciting marketplace for dubious pharmaceuticals, cryptocurrency schemes and people offering to improve my Google ranking.
Website security
This site uses Wordfence Security to help protect WordPress against hacking attempts, malicious requests and other security threats. Wordfence needs to identify visitor IP addresses in order to perform functions such as firewall filtering and blocking malicious activity. Its security systems may therefore process IP addresses and other technical request information.
This information is processed for the legitimate interest of maintaining the security and integrity of the website.
Security logs may be retained for a reasonable period where needed to investigate attacks, identify repeated malicious activity or maintain blocks against abusive systems.
Google reCAPTCHA
Some areas of the website use Google reCAPTCHA to distinguish genuine users from automated spam and malicious activity. reCAPTCHA may process technical information about your browser and device and uses browser storage identified as _grecaptcha. Google describes the purpose of this processing as security, fraud and abuse prevention. Since April 2026, Google acts as a data processor for reCAPTCHA customer data.
This functionality is used solely to protect forms and the website from abuse, not for advertising or visitor analytics.
Cookies and browser storage
At the time this notice was last updated, this website does not use Google Analytics, advertising cookies or behavioural tracking cookies. Testing of the public website currently shows only limited browser storage associated with normal site functionality and security, these are not used by me to monitor individuals or track visitors between websites._grecaptcha
Used by Google reCAPTCHA for security, spam and abuse prevention.wpEmojiSettingsSupports
Temporary WordPress session storage used to determine whether the visitor’s browser correctly supports emoji display.
UK rules apply not only to conventional cookies but also to technologies such as local and session storage. The law nevertheless provides exceptions where storage is strictly necessary to provide a requested service or meet appropriate security requirements.
For that reason, the site does not currently display one of those enormous cookie-consent panels requiring a visitor to negotiate six menus before being permitted to read three paragraphs of text. Should I introduce non-essential analytics, advertising or similar tracking in future, this policy and the site’s consent arrangements will be updated accordingly.
How I use personal information
Any personal information processed through this site is used only where reasonably necessary to:
– operate the website
– publish and administer comments
– detect and prevent spam
– protect the site against hacking, abuse and malicious traffic
– investigate technical or security problems
– respond to messages or legitimate requests concerning the site
The principal lawful basis relied upon is legitimate interests, namely the reasonable operation, administration and security of this personal website.
Where information is required to provide a particular service requested by you, such as submitting a comment, it is also processed as necessary to provide that functionality.
Sharing information
I do not sell, rent or trade personal information.
Information may be processed by service providers required to operate or protect the website, including the website hosting provider, Automattic/Akismet, Wordfence and Google reCAPTCHA. Information may also be disclosed where I am legally required to do so or where reasonably necessary to investigate or prevent unlawful activity. Some of these service providers operate internationally and may process information outside the UK. Where applicable, they are responsible for maintaining appropriate legal safeguards for those transfers.
How long information is kept
I do not retain personal information simply for the pleasure of accumulating it. Comments and associated information may remain for as long as the comment remains published or is otherwise reasonably required for administration of the site. Security and server logs are retained according to the operational requirements and retention settings of the relevant systems and service providers.
Information may remain temporarily within backups after deletion from the live system and will disappear as those backups are overwritten through their normal retention cycle.
Your rights
Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you rights concerning personal information held about you, including the right to:
– ask what personal information is held
– request correction of inaccurate information
– request deletion of information where appropriate
– object to certain processing
– request restriction of processing in some circumstances
– there is normally no charge for exercising these rights
If you have left a comment and would like information corrected or removed, or have any other privacy-related question concerning this website, please contact me using the contact details provided on the site.
If you believe your personal information has been handled improperly, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
External websites
Articles on this site contain links to other websites. Once you follow one of those links, the privacy practices of the destination website apply rather than this policy. I cannot control what another website does with its visitors, although I do try not to link deliberately to anything catastrophically disreputable.
Changes to this policy
The website changes occasionally, as do technology and privacy law. I will update this page if the way the site handles personal information changes materially, particularly if I introduce analytics, advertising, additional third-party services or other forms of visitor tracking.