Last updated: 30 August 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Collect Memories, Not Countries (“we”, “us” or “the site”) collects and uses personal information when you visit collectmemoriesnotcountries.com.
Who is responsible for your information?
The data controller is John Shearon, operating Collect Memories, Not Countries from Leeds, United Kingdom. For any privacy question or to exercise your data-protection rights, email hello@collectmemoriesnotcountries.com.
Information we collect
Depending on how you use the site, we may collect:
- technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring page and approximate location;
- information about how you use the site, including pages viewed, links followed and visit times;
- your name, email address, website and message if you leave a comment;
- information you choose to provide when contacting us by email; and
- your cookie and consent preferences.
We do not intentionally collect special-category information, payment details or information from registered visitor accounts. Please do not send sensitive personal information by email unless it is necessary.
How and why we use your information
We use personal information only where we have a lawful basis:
- Consent: to use non-essential analytics cookies and similar technologies. You can withdraw consent at any time through the Manage Consent option on the site.
- Legitimate interests: to operate, secure and improve the site; prevent spam and misuse; understand basic site performance; and respond to ordinary enquiries. We balance these interests against your rights and expectations.
- Legal obligation: where we must retain or disclose information to comply with the law or respond to a valid legal request.
Cookies and analytics
We use Complianz to display our consent banner, record your current preferences and block non-essential cookies until you make a choice. The cookie used to remember that choice is necessary for the site to respect it.
With your consent, we use Google Analytics 4 through Google Site Kit to understand matters such as visitor numbers, popular pages, broad traffic sources and device types. Google Analytics may process online identifiers and technical usage information. GA4 is designed to anonymise IP addresses. Analytics is not intended to identify you directly and should not load before you consent.
For a current list of cookies, their purposes and lifetimes, and to change your selection, see our Cookie Policy (UK).
Comments and contact
If comments are enabled and you leave one, WordPress processes the information entered in the comment form together with your IP address and browser user-agent string to help detect spam. An anonymised value derived from your email address may be sent to Gravatar to check whether you use that service. If your comment is approved, your chosen name, comment and any linked Gravatar image may be displayed publicly.
If you email us, we use the information you provide to read and respond to your enquiry. Please remember that email is not always completely secure.
Embedded and linked content
Articles may link to or embed content from other websites, such as video, mapping, booking or social-media services. Embedded content can behave as though you visited the provider directly and that provider may collect information or use cookies under its own privacy policy. Where required, Complianz will block such content until you consent. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.
Who processes or receives information?
We use a limited number of service providers to run the site. These may include:
- Krystal Hosting, which hosts the WordPress site and email;
- Google, which provides Google Analytics 4 and Site Kit when analytics consent is given;
- Complianz / cookiedatabase.org, which provides consent management and cookie information;
- Cloudflare, which provides domain, DNS and, where enabled, security or delivery services; and
- Automattic services, such as WordPress-related services and Gravatar, where those features are used.
These providers process information only for their stated services and under their own contractual and legal obligations. We may also disclose information where required by law, to protect legal rights or to investigate security issues. We do not sell personal information.
International transfers
Some providers, including Google, Cloudflare and Automattic, may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, the provider must use an appropriate legal safeguard, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.
How long we keep information
- Analytics information is retained according to the retention period configured in Google Analytics and is reported mainly in aggregated form.
- Cookie-consent preferences are retained for the period stated in the Cookie Policy and renewed when necessary.
- Approved comments and their metadata may be retained while the comment remains published, unless there is a valid reason to remove them.
- Emails and enquiries are normally retained only as long as needed to answer them and deal with any reasonable follow-up, unless a longer period is required for legal, security or record-keeping purposes.
- Security logs and backups are retained for limited operational periods and then deleted or overwritten.
Your rights
Under UK data-protection law, you may have the right to:
- ask for a copy of your personal information;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- ask us to erase information in certain circumstances;
- ask us to restrict or stop certain processing;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests;
- withdraw consent at any time, without affecting earlier lawful processing; and
- receive information you provided in a portable format where the legal conditions apply.
To exercise a right, email hello@collectmemoriesnotcountries.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We normally respond within one month.
Complaints
Please contact us first so we can try to resolve your concern. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. Visit ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint for current contact details and guidance.
Children’s information
This is a family-travel blog for a general audience and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly ask children to provide personal information through the site. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us so we can review and, where appropriate, delete it.
Security and changes to this policy
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the site and the information we hold. No internet service can guarantee absolute security.
We may update this policy when the site, its services or the law changes. The latest version will appear on this page with an updated date.