THERE have been two things that have changed my life in the last couple of weeks.

And before you start thinking 'oh no, he's not going to get all serious on us, talking about Brexit or the England football team' do remember I am a trivial man.

The first thing to change my life is the return of my bike.

Not that it was stolen or anything as dramatic as that. The bike had simply been standing in the back of the garage with one flat tyre, a snapped brake cable and a slightly wonky gear shaft.

I say gear shaft. I'm not exactly sure what was making the chain rattle but the wonderful person who fixed my bike said it had something to do with the gears so let's just say it was the gear shaft, if there is of course such a thing as a gear shaft - I'm just guessing.

Which is why the bike has been languishing in the garage.

I didn't really mind because instead of taking leisurely bike rides into town I would just leave a little more time and walk into town.

Then in the school playground I got chatting to a friend who told me he got hold of old bikes, did them up, and then sold them on.

'Oh you can have my old bike', I told him, 'and actually I think I might even have an old one of the Little Lad's he doesn't use anymore.'

'Tell you what,' he replied. 'Give me the children's bike and I'll fix yours for free. If I can'.

I wasn't holding out much hope. The bike was in a pretty poor shape. But my whiz of a friend, in less than an hour, had ridden it back to my house in perfect nick.

The very next day I was out on my trusty steed and it was like getting to know a dear old friend.

That week I must have rode to town every day on my bike, used it to go to the pub and even a trip out to the swimming pool.

Unfortunately the rain has put paid to more prolonged use but it no longer stands at the back of the garage, instead waiting patiently for its master to take it our whenever required.

As if having my bike back in action wasn't enough, my world has further been enhanced with the revelation that is my wife's elderflower cordial.

I'm not sure how she came by the recipe, or even what made her decide to make a couple of batches in the first place. But I'm jolly glad she did.

When she came back from walking the dog with a bag full of little white flowers, I was slightly bemused by the whole thing.

'What are you going to do with that?' I asked.

'Elderflower cordial,' she replied. 'Thought I would give it a go.'

The next thing I knew there was a big saucepan of flowers on the hob. It looked really weird but smelled divine.

Wondering what this cordial could possibly taste like, when it finally arrived in a glass topped up with water and ice, I could not believe how refreshingly tasty it was.

Now I'm drinking cordial for breakfast, cordial for lunch, and I've also discovered a little splash in a glass of prosecco is an absolute taste sensation.

When you've got cordial who cares about Brexit!

NEIL D'ARCY-JONES

WEEKEND WINDOW

"Well done on your first Ella. So proud.' Ian, Vicky and Alex.