privacy.
last updated 8 october 2026
ashton studios is me, ashton james, trading as a sole trader from hertfordshire. my address for business documents is 67 lark rise, hatfield, hertfordshire, al10 8rn. i am the data controller for anything you send me here. you can reach me at james@ashtonstudios.uk or 07507 216422.
what i collect, and why
if you use the enquiry form or email me, i keep what you give me: your business name, your name, your email address, your phone number if you add it, your current website address, and your message. i use it for one thing: to reply to you with the free mockup you asked for and, if you go ahead, to do the work. the lawful basis is my legitimate interest in answering an enquiry you chose to make, and then the contract between us if you become a client.
i do not sell, rent or pass your details to anyone for marketing. no newsletter, no list.
who handles it on my behalf
- formsubmit.co delivers the form to my inbox. it processes the submission to send it and does not use it for anything else. its own policy is at formsubmit.co/privacy.
- google workspace hosts my email, where your message lives once it arrives.
- google fonts serves the two typefaces on this site; when your browser fetches them, google receives your ip address in the request. google's policy is at policies.google.com/privacy.
- github pages hosts this site. like any web host it records standard server logs, including your ip address, for security. github's policy is at docs.github.com.
formsubmit, google and github are based outside the uk and may process data in the united states. each publishes the safeguards it relies on for those transfers (the uk extension to the eu-us data privacy framework, or standard contractual clauses with the uk addendum); ask me and i will point you to the current one for each.
cookies and analytics
with your permission, this site uses google analytics to count visits: which pages people read, roughly where they come from, and what device they use. it helps me see which pages are useful. i do not use it for advertising, and nothing is sold. the lawful basis is your consent.
until you tap “allow”, google analytics sets no cookies. it only receives a basic, cookie-free signal that the page was opened. if you allow it, google sets first-party cookies (named _ga and _ga_*) that last up to two years, and keeps the analytics data for up to 14 months. google's policy is at policies.google.com/privacy.
you can change your mind at any time: change my analytics choice. your choice is stored in your own browser, not in a cookie.
how long i keep it
an enquiry that does not become a project is deleted within 12 months. if you become a client, i keep the records the work and hmrc need, for six years after the work ends, as the law requires.
if you have had an email from me
i email businesses i think i can help. i only send a first email to a company that is registered at companies house, at an address the business itself has published on its own website, and every one of those emails says who i am and how to stop hearing from me. one reply saying so and i will not contact you again. i never email individuals or sole traders who have not asked me to.
your rights
you can ask me what i hold about you, ask me to correct it, ask me to delete it, or object to me using it. email me and i will do it, usually the same day. if you are not happy with how i have handled your details, you can complain to the information commissioner's office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.