We’ve bee t inkin lot bout frien ship

while putting this issue together. The joy of making an unexpected new pal; the comfort of knowing there’s someone close by to rewatch The Golden Girls with for the billionth time; and the ways a good chum can help us learn and grow.

Within these pages, we’ve spoken to folks who probably wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing without a close pal along for the ride. There’s the troupe of mates who spend their days swanning about on rollerskates, for instance. Or the pair of self-taught ocularists whose collective mission is to travel the world crafting fake eyeballs.

But then there are those trying times when a friendship comes to an untimely end – when someone you’ve come to love and trust decides it’s time to move on. We dig into this issue on page 92, with one main conclusion: it can hurt like hell. Our suggestion? Turn your attention to all the other tip-top folks in your life. Take a second to give your bestest buds a mental thumbs-up. Or even a real thumbs-up, followed by a hug and a chinwag over a cuppa or glass of wine. That’s what friends are for, after all.

xx Sophie and the frankie team