Privacy policy
Last updated: 25 October 2026
Who we are
This website, stuartwheal.co.uk, is run by Stuart Wheal, author of Everybody Has a Story: Twenty-Eight Years in Care. Stuart is the data controller for personal data collected through this site. You can contact us at hello@stuartwheal.co.uk.
The short version
- There are no accounts, forms or mailing lists on this site, and we never ask for your name, address or payment details.
- Analytics and marketing cookies are only used if you agree to them. You can change your mind at any time using .
- The book is sold by Amazon. When you click through to Amazon, Amazon’s own privacy notice applies.
What we collect and why
| Data | Purpose | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Technical request data handled by our host, Cloudflare (IP address, browser type, page requested, time) | Delivering the site securely and protecting it from abuse | Legitimate interests in running a secure website |
| Usage data through Google Analytics 4, loaded by Google Tag Manager: pages viewed, approximate location (city or country), device and browser type, how you arrived (including campaign links tagged with UTM parameters) and clicks on “Buy on Amazon” links | Understanding which promotions bring readers to the site and improving it | Your consent |
| Advertising measurement data, only if we run ads and you allow marketing cookies | Seeing whether an advert led to a visit | Your consent |
| Emails you send us | Replying to you | Legitimate interests in answering correspondence |
Google Analytics does not give us your name or contact details, and we do not try to identify individual visitors. If you decline analytics cookies, Google may still receive limited cookieless signals (such as that a page was viewed) under Google Consent Mode, without cookies or identifiers being stored on your device.
Campaign links (UTM tags)
Some links to this site, for example in social media posts, include tags such as utm_source and utm_campaign. These describe where the link was posted, not who you are. If you accept analytics cookies, we keep these tags in your browser for the rest of your visit (session storage) so we can tell which campaign led to a click through to Amazon.
Who we share data with
- Cloudflare, Inc. hosts the site (Cloudflare Pages).
- Google LLC / Google Ireland Ltd provides Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics, only where you have consented.
Both companies may process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Such transfers are covered by the UK–US Data Bridge and/or the UK International Data Transfer Addendum to the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses. We do not sell your data.
How long we keep it
- Google Analytics data is kept for 14 months, then deleted automatically.
- Cloudflare security logs are kept for short periods set by Cloudflare.
- Emails are kept for as long as needed to deal with your message, and no longer than two years.
Amazon
This site does not sell anything directly. “Buy on Amazon” links take you to Amazon, which is a separate company with its own privacy notice. We do not receive your Amazon account or order details.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to access, correct or delete your personal data, to object to or restrict how we use it, and to withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any of these rights, email hello@stuartwheal.co.uk. We will reply within one month.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Children
This site is intended for adults and is not aimed at children under 13.
Changes
We will update this page if anything changes, for example if we add a mailing list. The date at the top shows when it was last revised.