Privacy

I'm Neil Hughes, and I barely understand privacy notices at the best of times, so I'll try my hardest to keep this simple.

I am essentially just a person with a couple of simple websites, so perhaps having a full-blown Privacy Policy is overkill. Nevertheless, I believe I ought to do my reasonable best to be open and transparent when it comes to your data.

This notice applies to enhughesiasm.com, walkingoncustard.com, my mailing list, and the small projects I publish at enhughesiasm.github.io.

The long version

While I have done some reading around this, I can't promise I understand everything about good data practices—I suspect it takes many years to become an expert in this sort of thing—but this document represents my best understanding of how your data is collected and used.

If I discover that something has changed—or that a feature is silently doing more than I realised—I will update this notice. If you think I've missed something, please let me know.

Who is responsible for your data?

I am: Neil Hughes. You can contact me at neil@walkingoncustard.com with privacy questions or requests.

What I collect and why

If you contact me

If you email me or use the contact form (when it's not broken), I receive your name, email address, message, and any other information you include. I use it to read and reply to your message. (This is just… how email works, but for thoroughness I thought I ought to mention it.)

My email is managed using Gmail, so any messages received are stored by Google.

The contact form is often broken, but when it is functioning it uses Google reCAPTCHA to reduce spam. This means that Google may receive technical information about your browser and interaction with the site for that purpose.

If you join the Occasional Email Experience

I have an irregular email newsletter. I hate being sent too many emails, so I try not to send very many myself. It goes out at a very variable rate, from “once a month, ish” to “after a gap of a year or few".

The newsletter is optional and double opt-in: after signing up, you have to click the confirmation link in your email. Mailchimp stores the information you provide—normally your email address and, optionally, your name—and sends the newsletter on my behalf. I use this information only to send and manage the newsletter you requested.

Mailchimp also supplies delivery, opening, and link-click statistics. (Usually, I just use this to find out which subject-line puns were SO bad that more people unsubscribed than usual.)

You can unsubscribe using the link in every newsletter or by emailing me.

When you browse the site

The site is statically hosted. Like most hosting providers, the host may process basic technical information—such as IP address, browser details, requested page, and time of access—to deliver and secure the site. I do not currently use Google Analytics or another visitor analytics service.

Some pages contain privacy-enhanced YouTube embeds. YouTube may receive technical data and may set or read cookies when you interact with a video. The Buy Me a Coffee button and widget are also provided by a third party. If you interact with either service, its own privacy terms apply.

The site also links to external websites. Following a link takes you to a separate service with its own privacy practices.

Lawful bases

I rely on:

• consent to send the newsletter—you can withdraw it whenever you like by unsubscribing;
• legitimate interests to respond to messages, prevent spam, and operate and secure these small websites; and
• legal obligations where I am required to keep or disclose information by law.

Who receives your data?

I do not sell personal data. Depending on how you use the site, information may be processed by the site's hosting provider, Google (Gmail and reCAPTCHA), Mailchimp, YouTube, or Buy Me a Coffee. These providers may process data outside the UK under the safeguards described in their own privacy notices:

• Google
• Mailchimp
• YouTube
• Buy Me a Coffee

How your data is protected

The services I use are protected with strong passwords and two-factor authentication where available. I have chosen established providers which say they use appropriate security measures—though of course I have no way of personally inspecting Google's servers to verify this. If I discover a problem, I will take appropriate action.

How long I keep information

• Newsletter details are kept until you unsubscribe or I close the mailing list, subject to any short suppression record needed to ensure you are not resubscribed accidentally.
• I keep emails while they remain useful for the conversation, administration, or any legal requirement. In practice I keep most emails, though I delete some when I no longer need them (or need to free up space).
• Any third-party services retain information according to their own policies.

Your rights

As I understand it, UK data-protection law may give you rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the use of your personal data, or to receive a copy. In practice, this just means you can have copies of emails you have sent me. Feel free to ask.

Email neil@walkingoncustard.com and I will do my best to help. Yes, asking you to email me to find out what email data I have about you seems a little silly, but I can't think of a way around it. I may need to confirm your identity first, though.

You also have the right to withdraw consent at any time, which in practice means unsubscribing from my newsletter. Links are available in every message, or email me for help.

Changes to this notice

Last reviewed: 31 July 2026. I will update this page when the site changes materially in a way which affects the collection of personal data.

Wasn't that fun?

Not going to lie, I am glad to have reached the end of writing this. If you read the whole thing, I hope you enjoyed it, and I am pleased that you are so easily entertained 🙂 Love!