What is a cookie and why does this matter?
A cookie is a small text file that a website instructs your browser to store on your device. When you return to the site, the browser sends the cookie back so the site can recognise your session or preferences. The UK's Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), enforced by the ICO, require websites to obtain informed consent before setting non-essential cookies. ThamesQuill implements Google Consent Mode v2, which defaults all consent signals to denied until you make an active choice on the banner.
Beyond cookies, ThamesQuill also uses your browser's localStorage API to store your consent choice client-side. This is not transmitted to any server and is not readable by third parties. You can clear it at any time by clearing your browser storage or using the preference panel in the footer.
Cookie categories used on this site
| Category | Cookie / key name | Set by | Purpose | Duration | Consent required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly Necessary | tq_consent (localStorage) |
ThamesQuill | Stores your cookie preference state so the banner is not shown on every page load | Until cleared | No — this is the consent record itself |
| Strictly Necessary | tq_age_verified (sessionStorage) |
ThamesQuill | Records age gate confirmation for the current browser session on the home page | Session only | No |
| Performance (Analytics) | _ga, _ga_* |
Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes users for aggregate traffic analysis; counts page views, sessions, and outbound click events. IP is anonymised before storage. | 2 years (_ga); 13 months (_ga_*) |
Yes — set only after analytics consent granted |
| Performance (Analytics) | _gid |
Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes users within a 24-hour window for session-level reporting | 24 hours | Yes — set only after analytics consent granted |
| Marketing | _gcl_au |
Google Tag Manager / Google Ads | Tracks ad click conversions from Google Ads campaigns to affiliate referral attribution | 90 days | Yes — set only after marketing consent granted |
| Marketing | IDE, NID |
Google (DoubleClick) | Used for advertising frequency capping and ad personalisation where marketing consent is active | Up to 13 months | Yes — set only after marketing consent granted |
Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager
ThamesQuill uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) via Google Tag Manager (GTM). GTM is a tag management system that loads GA4 and any advertising tags only after checking the current consent state. When you select "Necessary only" on the cookie banner, GTM fires with all consent signals set to denied; GA4 operates in cookieless mode and sends only aggregate, non-identifiable signals to Google. No _ga or _gid cookies are written in this mode.
When you grant analytics consent, GA4 switches to full measurement mode, writes the standard cookies listed in the table above, and transmits behavioural event data to Google's servers. Data retention within the GA4 property is set to 14 months. IP anonymisation is enabled at the property level; full IP addresses are never stored by Google for this property.
To opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites, install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. This sets a persistent override that instructs the GA4 JavaScript library not to send data, regardless of the site's consent implementation.
Managing cookies in your browser
In addition to using ThamesQuill's consent panel (accessible from the footer at any time), you can control cookies directly through your browser settings:
- Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data. You can block all third-party cookies, clear existing cookies for specific sites, or set per-site exceptions.
- Mozilla Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data. Enhanced Tracking Protection (set to "Strict") will block most third-party analytics cookies by default.
- Apple Safari: Safari → Preferences → Privacy. Enable "Prevent cross-site tracking" and "Block all cookies" as required. Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) already limits third-party cookie lifespans significantly.
- Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data. Edge's tracking prevention (set to "Strict") blocks most marketing and analytics trackers by default.
Clearing cookies or blocking them at the browser level will reset your ThamesQuill consent choice, causing the cookie banner to appear again on your next visit. Strictly necessary localStorage entries will also be cleared if you clear site data, but this will not affect site functionality — the banner will simply reappear.
Changes to this policy
If ThamesQuill introduces new cookies or changes the purpose of existing ones, this page will be updated before the change takes effect and a notice will appear on the site for a minimum of 14 days. The last-updated date in the page header reflects the most recent review. For controller details and broader data-handling policy, see privacy-log.php.