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Useful information

On this page, we try to colelct together various explantions, hints and tips that we think you mind find useful, particularly when using this website.

• "Remember me" - the use of 'cookies' on our survey recording forms
• Working out a grid reference

"Remember me"

How does this work?

When you tick the box, and ask the web page to "remember" you when you return, something called a cookie is created. This cookie is a simple text (.txt) file, stored in a directory on the hard disk of the computer you work on. The cookie contains the text you entered for your name, address, email, postcode and age range. When you return to the online recording form, the webpage looks for this file, finds the details you entered, and automatically populates the boxes in the form.

This will only work if

• you have cookies enabled in your web browser (they are by default, but you or your administrator may have chosen to refuse them, in which case this feature won't work)
• you don't delete the cookie
• you use the same computer each time you open up the recording form... the cookie is only stored on one machine at a time, so if you then go to another machine to enter records, the webpage won't remember you - it is computer-specific.

Security

Many internet users are concerned about what cookies could do. The idea that a website can send a file to a computer without the user's knowledge seemed to be a security issue. However, cookies are NOT executable programs, so they cannot carry out activities on your computer. They simply sit on the hard disk, and wait to be called by the page which created them originally. The technology is very straightforward, and as such, cookies are not suitable for storing sensitive data such as passwords or bank details. However, for the purposes of the online recording form on this website, they are perfect.

Options

However, if for whatever reason you don't wish to receive cookies, you can choose not to tick the box. We have provided this function to help make recording and easier and smoother process for you, but it is completely optional.

The cookie created here will persist for one year (365 days from the date on which it was created, in fact). After that, the webpage will forget you again!

Deleting cookies

If you really don't want this cookie or any other on your computer, you can of course delete them. However, deleting all cookies may cause you some inconvenience next time you go to one of your frequently visited web site. Using cookies to "recognise" returning users is a very common thing, so please bear that in mind. BRC cannot be held responsible for problems caused by cookie deletion.

Instructions for deletion:

• Internet Explorer

  • Select Tools from the menu at the very top of your web browser
  • Select Internet Options
  • Select Temporary Internet Files
  • Select Delete Cookies
  • Selete Delete Files

• Firefox

  • Select Tools
  • Select Options
  • Select Privacy
  • select the Cookies tab
  • Select Clear Cookies Now

• Netscape

Delete Cookies

• Select Tools
• Select Cookie Manager
• Select Manage Stored Cookies
• Select Click Remove All Cookies

Next time you return to one of the survey recording pages, it will not "remember" you, and fill in your personal details on your behalf.

Related link

For everything you might want to know about cookies, have a look at Cookie Central.

Grid reference

*** Ordnance survey maps (not road maps) should be used to calculate grid references. ***

The United Kingdom National Grid is first divided up into 100km squares. Each of these is given code letters, e.g. TL.

Each 100km grid square is divided into 10km grid squares, and each of these is then divided into 1km squares.

On 1: 50 000 OS maps, the light blue lines mark 1 km squares. The grid reference of a 1 km square is comprised of the 100 km square code (e.g. NN) followed by four numbers that identify the bottom left corner of the square. The first two numbers refer to the horizontal scale and the second two the vertical square.

A six-figure reference can be derived by dividing the 1 km square into 10 from the bottom left corner.

The following diagram shows how the coloured 10km square is referred to as "TL63".
Remember to read eastings (across), and then northings (up).

If you aren't sure about how to work out a grid reference for a site, the Ordnance Survey provide a good, quick tutorial on how to do it. You can also find out more about the UK national grid through the online Wikipedia.