Recently I read that there was to be a reunion of the ‘stars’ of that famous United States sitcom Friends, which ceased production some 17 years ago. I cannot say I miss it, for never once in my life did I see it; yet it must have had much merit as it had considerable following on both sides of the Atlantic. Reading this, though, triggered in me thoughts regarding usage and meaning of the word ‘friends’ and those terms associated with it.

The Dictionary describes a friend as being ‘a person with whom one enjoys mutual feelings of affection and regard’, and to the great majority of us the word brings to mind cherished and personal reminders of trust, kindness and shared experiences.

Use of the word does not always accord with its Dictionary definition. Such deviation can be found in the worlds of law and politics where it is used more as an expression of courtesy; in law, a barrister for the prosecution will refer to his counterpart for the defence – or vice-versa – as ‘my learned friend’, then proceed to attempt to de-bunk arguments put forward by that lawyer.

In politics the word is also used prolifically – but only if the man or woman is of the same political persuasion as the person speaking; in the House of Commons it will be, ‘my honourable friend’, in the Lords, the prefix becomes, ‘noble’.

Looking to the plural, there are many groups with names proclaiming ‘friendship’ for a certain cause – ‘Friends of the Earth’ are one such organisation. In these times of climate change and chronic pollution of the natural world these ‘friends’ of our precious planet are committed to trying to ensure that future generations will inherit a decent, healthy and fulfilling globe in which to live.

The ‘Society of Friends’ is a Christian group who eschew all violence and who tread the paths of Christ in that they, possibly more than the vast majority of creeds – Christian and most others – truly ‘turn the other cheek’ when confronted by malevolence and dissent.

There are also ‘friendly societies’ – mutual aid and insurance alliances set up as non-profit organisations, there to help and bring some financial security to members of our communities who are vulnerable in terms of finance.

Also there are many entertainment and community organisations now – especially those local and lacking major financial backing – whose dedicated, hard-working, fundraising supporters are known as ‘friends of …’ – whatever organisation is their particular fancy. Without their loyal benefaction, so many clubs, institutions and facilities which enhance our lives would ‘go to the wall’.

In sport, especially football, there are often ‘friendly matches’ – games the winning of which bring no tangible reward except the satisfaction of victory. Mind you, such contests are often far from convivial; indeed, the opposite of the cordiality conveyed in the title. I once played in such a fixture where three players were sent off for ‘violent conduct’. I doubt if such would happen to anybody playing for Tonga; for this nation set in the Pacific Ocean, is known as the ‘Friendly Islands’; what a delightful name for a realm – one, surely, to be proud of.

During a longish life I have been so very fortunate in making many friends (some enemies, also, it must be admitted, mainly due to opinions and actions of mine when I was an elected local councillor). There remain a goodly number of these ‘amigos’, both male and female, that go back to my schooldays, although naturally and inevitably the numbers are constantly being reduced, ruthlessly, by the wicked scythe wielded by the ‘Grim Reaper’.

In more recent times – well, the past 30 years to be precise – so many of the delightful ladies and gents I’ve been privileged to work with at the local newspaper I look upon as dear friends; hopefully they look upon me in the same way despite my, at times, eccentric, idiosyncratic approach to life.

I have left until last, though, my greatest, most loved comrades in this world; firstly my dear, lovely wife Ann, our four sons, plus their wives and partners in life and, also, our grandchildren plus the ‘great’ of that kind. They number 20 in total; all are so important to me; we are a peaceable tribe with our relationships based on mutual respect – plus, crucially, love.

Not all friendships last, however – Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings are proof of this. Also there can be a side to it fuelled by self-interest; an example of this were the words of Sir Winston Churchill back in the war. When told that Nazi Germany had invaded the communist Soviet Union, a totalitarian state and doctrine which the great wartime Prime Minister loathed, he nonetheless declared that the tyrannical Joseph Stalin and his vast country were allies of Britain, saying, memorably, ‘our enemy’s enemy is our friend’.