Apologies for the pop-ups, I know you’d rather be reading about games and looking at art and props but I have to put a cookie and privacy policy on the site to make my site legal and to assure you I have no plans to do anything evil or untoward.
The term ‘simonphipps.com‘ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.
This Cookies Policy explains how I use cookies and similar technologies on simonphipps.com (the “Website”). As a UK-based personal portfolio site, I follow the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR, as amended), the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), and current guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The site is all about sharing my 40+ years in games, art, and prop-making—no ads, no tracking your every click, no selling data. I just link out to YouTube, Ko-fi, X, Instagram and similar for more of my stuff, and there’s a contact form so you can get in touch. The only cookies involved are the bare minimum needed to stop spam bots flooding the contact form.
By using the Website, you accept the use of cookies as described below (with clear info and choices where required).
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device to help things function, remember preferences, or improve experience. They can be:
- Session (deleted when you close the browser) or persistent (stay until expired or deleted).
- First-party (set directly by this site) or third-party (set by services like Google).
Similar technologies include local storage, pixels, or beacons.
Cookies Used on This Site
I keep it extremely minimal—no analytics to see what pages you visit, no marketing cookies, no profiling or ads.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These are exempt from consent requirements under PECR because they’re essential for the site to provide the basic service you request (like securely submitting the contact form without spam).
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _GRECAPTCHA (and related like rc::a, rc::b, rc::c) | Google reCAPTCHA | Protects the contact form from spam/abuse by verifying you’re human (risk analysis for fraud prevention). | Third-party, mostly persistent | Varies; some up to several months (see Google details) |
reCAPTCHA is loaded only on the contact page/form. It helps block bots without broad tracking. For full info, check Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms. (You can use recaptcha.net domain if preferred to minimise other Google cookies.)
No other cookies are set by this site.
Other Categories
- Analytics / Performance Cookies: None used.
- Preference / Functionality Cookies (beyond essentials): None.
- Marketing / Targeting / Advertising Cookies: None whatsoever.
Third-Party Cookies & External Links
The only third-party cookies are from Google reCAPTCHA (as above).
Clicking links to YouTube, Ko-fi, X (Twitter), Instagram, etc., takes you away from my site—no cookies are set here for those. Their own cookies/policies apply once you’re there. Have a look at:
How to Manage Cookies
- Cookie Banner / Controls: You’ll see a simple notice on first visit (or when needed) explaining essentials and letting you continue (or adjust browser settings). Since only strictly necessary cookies are used, there’s no “reject all” for non-essentials—but you can still block via browser.
- Your Browser Settings: Block, delete, or manage cookies anytime:
- Chrome → Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies
- Firefox → Preferences > Privacy & Security > Cookies
- Safari → Preferences > Privacy
- Edge → Settings > Cookies and site permissions
- Blocking essentials may break the contact form (sorry about that!).
- For general tracking opt-outs (not needed here), see Your Online Choices.
Changes to This Policy
I may update this if laws or site features change. The “Last updated” date will show when.
Last updated: February 12, 2026.
Get in Touch
Questions about cookies, privacy, or anything else? Use the contact form or drop me an email (check the contact page for the address).
Thanks for bearing with the legal bit—now back to the games, art, and props! 🎨🕹️🛠️