I’d arranged to go to London this morning to look at the windows and doors that have been recommended for my house. Triple-glazed, airtight, cosy, expensive. I have to be sure I’ll like them before committing.

Then an issue with my London-based uncle cropped up so I cancelled meeting my mum in the afternoon in order to sort some things out for and with him. Then my brother, who lives the other side of Oxford from London, told me he had a quick job to do in London in the morning so he could drive me there in his van and accompany me for the afternoon.

Much later than I’d have needed to catch the bus he turned up on my doorstep. He bunged my bike in the back of his van and a good few conversations later dropped me and the bike off right in front of my window appointment in Battersea. What service!

Two hours looking at windows, trying them out, checking the specs against the plans, asking all sort of questions and having them answered and I am happy. I’d like to make one big change which will absorb the entirety of my part-time earnings between August and December so I am thinking hard about that. 18 weeks’ wages to avoid an irritation for the rest of my life?

I leapt onto my bike to meet my brother. When I moved out of London 30 years ago cycling was one of the attractions of Oxford; I’d given up in London because it felt so dangerous. What a change – lovely clear, well-marked and protected cycle lanes – much, much better than Oxford!

The uncle task mostly involved organising paper, first with organisations who need to know that my brother and I are allowed to help him out, and second with uncle who has become a bit overwhelmed by mail. His memory is giving up on all the boring, tedious life-admin stuff and is still perfectly sharp on all the things that interest him. It’s fascinating to observe.

Brother and I chased the sunset all the way from London to Oxford. I offered to get out of his van at the ring road and cycle home so he could get on but he insisted on taking me to my door. Just as well – when he unloaded my bike the front tyre was completely flat. It would not have been fun to discover that as he was driving off.

A task for tomorrow.