Cookies
Functional and analytical cookies
Analytical cookies
Functional cookies
What functional and analytical cookies do we use?
Introduction
By accessing and using our websites or other services, you are agreeing to the terms of this policy and our privacy policy. Please do read this cookie policy and our privacy policy carefully so you know what we are doing with your information.
We may update this cookie policy from time to time and will post any changes on this page of our website so it's a good idea to come back occasionally and read through it again.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small files of letters and numbers. These files are either stored in the memory of your computer or other device such as mobile phones or tablet devices (these cookies are generally known as session cookies) or are placed on the hard drive of your device (generally known as persistent cookies).
Cookies are created when you visit a website or other service that uses cookies. Cookies are commonly used to help the user’s browsing experience and provide more information about the user’s experience and interests. This information is generally used to make content, services and advertising more relevant and useful during future visits.
For more details about cookies and details of how to delete and disable cookies you can visit www.aboutcookies.org and also see our section on more information and turning cookies off below.
How does HANOVER use cookies?
Our websites and services use cookies to distinguish you from other users of our services and to provide increased functionality when you are using our services. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our websites and also allows us to improve our websites and our services.
Unless you have adjusted your browser settings (where possible) to refuse cookies, our systems will issue cookies as soon you visit our websites or access other services. If you have switched off cookies then some of the functionality of our services may not be available to you.
The cookies that we use on our websites only collect anonymous information to optimise our services, and do not collect personal information.
Please note that not all the cookies on our sites are set by us. Please see the section below on third party cookies.
What cookies are on the HANOVER websites?
The cookies on our websites generally fall into the following categories: (1) functional and analytical cookies; and (2) cookies to help make advertising more relevant to our users.
Functional and analytical cookies
Analytical cookies
Analytical cookies allow us to recognise and to count the number of visitors to our website, to see how visitors move around the website when they are using it and to record which content viewers view and are interested in. This helps us to determine how frequently particular pages are visited and to determine the most popular areas of our website and/or services, and to improve the service which we offer to you by helping us make sure our users are finding the information they are looking for.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to collect information about visitor behaviour on our website. Google Analytics stores information about how visitors arrive on the website, how many pages they visit, how long they stay on the website and what they click on. This data is collected via a JavaScript tag in the pages of our website and is not tied to personally identifiable information, such as names and addresses, so this information cannot be used to identify who you are. We have turned on Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting to help us obtain an idea of the demographics and interests of our website visitors.
Functional cookies
Functional cookies relate to the functionality of our websites and allow us to improve the service we offer to you through our websites, for example:
- by allowing you to carry information across pages of our website to avoid you having to re-enter information;
- by recognising your preferences when you return to our website(s);
- by enabling us to serve the appropriate regionalised service relevant to your location
What functional and analytical cookies do we use?
We have set out below the main functional and analytical cookies that we use:
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Used by
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File name
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Expiry
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Purpose
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Further info
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Website
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ASP.NET_SessionId
sessionid<number>
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On closing browser
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The ASP.NET session state is a technology that lets you store server-side, user-specific data. Web applications can use this data to process user requests.
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How and why session IDs are reused in ASP.NET
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Website
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TextSize
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After 30 days (renewed each visit)
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Stores a user’s preferences for the website text size.
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ColourScheme
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After 30 days (renewed each visit)
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Stores a user’s preferences for the website contrast style.
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|
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Location
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After 30 days (renewed each visit)
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Stores the last location that the user searches for so that it can be automatically input into the property search forms.
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countvoncount
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After 30 days (renewed each visit)
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Stores the screen type, screen width and connection speed of the user’s device so that appropriately sized images can be passed back.
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smartImageStuffDoneServerSide
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On closing browser
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Stores a value of true if the tests have been performed and the server knows which images to pass back.
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Google Analytics
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_utma
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2 years from set/update
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These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages they visited.
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An overview of privacy at Google
Use of cookies by Google Analytics
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|
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_utmb
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30 minutes from set/update
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_utmc
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On closing browser
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_utmz
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6 months from set/update
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_utmv
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2 years from set/update
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We may at sometime embed photos and video content from websites such as YouTube and Flickr. As a result, when you visit a page with content embedded from, for example, YouTube or Flickr, you may be presented with cookies from these websites. We do not control the dissemination of these cookies. You should check the relevant third party website for more information about these.
Social Media Sharing Tools
Our website has the capability for us to add embedded ‘share’ buttons to enable users of the site to easily share articles with their friends through a number of popular social networks. Where these 'share' buttons appear on our website, the detination websites may set a cookie when you are also logged in to their service. Hanover does not control the dissemination of these cookies and you should check the relevant third party website for more information about these.
When do our cookies expire?
Except for essential cookies, most of the cookies on our websites expire at the end of your current session on our website. However, some of our cookies have an extended lifespan of up to two years. Some of our cookies are persistent and will never expire. Where we specify above that the cookie being used is a flash cookie, please note that flash cookies do not expire.
HANOVER Essentials
The table below sets out the main cookies that we use in the desktop version of HANOVER Essentials:
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Name of Cookie
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What does it do?
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cookieOK
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This tells us that the user has clicked to close the cookie notice.
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Where can I find more information about cookies, and how do I turn cookies off or delete cookies?
Find out more about cookies including how to disable/enable and delete them at the following website www.aboutcookies.org.
You can block most cookies (except for Flash cookies) by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site, or you may experience reduced functionality when accessing certain services. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies as soon you visit our website.
You can opt-out of receiving cookies from a range of ad servers (including, among others, Doubleclick, Videology, AudienceScience, Flashtalking and Microsoft) by visiting www.youronlinechoices.com and following the instructions provided.
Generally you can't delete Flash cookies (also known as local shared objects) with browser controls, but Adobe's website at www.adobe.com provides information on how to delete or disable Flash cookies.
If you want to delete cookies from the browser on your mobile phone, you will need to refer to your handset manual.
Contact us
Our full details are set out in our Contact Us page. You can email us with any questions, queries or complaints at webmaster@hanover.org.uk.
Useful Links
Hanover Privacy Policy
Hanover Terms of Use
Aboutcookies.org
Adobeflashcookies